Edge banding is a simple way to hide exposed plywood edges. When done properly, it looks like a solid piece of wood! Here are my tricks and tips for getting a professional finished look.
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Plywood edges aren't the prettiest thing to look at, and can make a woodworking project scream "homemade." There are a few different ways to finish plywood edges, but my favorite is edge banding.
This simple finishing technique creates clean edges that give your project a professional look. All you need is a household iron and a utility knife!
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When planning out your project, you'll want to apply edge banding before you start assembly. This may take some mental gymnastics as you figure out which sides will be exposed in the final product. I always seem to pick the wrong one on the first try! &#;
In most cases, you'll just need to finish the front edge, like on this pantry cabinet.
My wood shim barn door was backed with plywood, so I used edge banding on the sides and stained it to match the rest of the door.
Before applying the edge banding, make sure the plywood edge is smooth, flat and square. There's heat-activated glue on the back of the veneer, and it needs to adhere to a flat surface.
Remove any splinters or fuzzy bits with a sanding block. The stiff sides of the block will prevent you from rounding over the corners accidentally.
Cut a strip of edge banding slightly longer than the side of your plywood piece. You'll want to leave half an inch or so on either end so it can be trimmed to size when you're finished.
Heat up your iron to the highest setting without steam. Center the edge banding strip over the plywood with a little bit hanging over the ends and both sides. The banding is slightly wider than the plywood, so you'll have some wiggle room if it's not perfectly straight.
Start at one end and heat up the veneer until the glue sticks to the plywood edge. Then slowly work your way down the length of the board.
If your edge banding was tightly coiled in the packaging, it may spring back a bit before the glue has a chance to adhere properly. Use a scrap piece of wood to apply pressure to the heated section as it cools.
When the edge banding has cooled, trim the ends flush with the edge. You can simply bend the end over the corner to snap it, although you'll have to sand the jagged edge smooth. I like to use a utility knife and a cutting mat to get a perfectly straight cut.
If you have a big project that will involve a lot of edge banding, you may want to consider using these flush cut trimmers instead. The flat side rests against the plywood edge, so you get a crisp, clean cut right at the corner.
You can try to trim the long edges with a utility knife, but it doesn't always come out straight. Once the blade starts following the grain of the veneer, it's hard to get it back on track! I was never satisfied with the finished look when using this method.
There are a few different edge banding trimmer tools on the market, but this one is my favorite. It cuts both sides in one pass, and comes out perfect every time! If you're going to build with a lot of plywood, I highly recommend investing in one.
Align the trimmer's grooves with the edge banding edges. It should start before the blades in the trimmer.
Squeeze the trimmer on both sides of the plywood, and run the blade across. I love that little curl of veneer that comes off!
Do a quick pass over the corners with sandpaper or this nifty edge sander. This will blend the banding with the plywood and prevent it from catching on something and separating. Check to make sure the glue adhered properly. If it's lifting up anywhere, just heat it with the iron again.
Now the plywood looks like solid wood!
Edge banding is real wood, so it takes stain just like the rest of your plywood piece. Just be sure to sand down any glue that might have worked its way out from underneath before you stain.
I hope this guide helps you create a more professional finish in your plywood projects!
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View Full Version : How to adhere edge banding for the home user - not pre-glued
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John Hulett
I discovered that a local lumber yard has about 22 different varieties of faux wood-grain melamine that I intend to use for a built-in closet. I've used white melamine on two already, but this third one is for the master closet. The stuff looks great, and assuming I can get SWMBO to decide on a color/style, I'll be in business.
The only downside is that the edge banding they have is for the producution shop, so it's not of the pre-glued variety I'm used to using. So my question is, what is the best way for me to adhere the non-glued edgebanding in my home/garage shop? I can't see using cauls and clamps while waiting for Roo Glue to dry. Help!
Thanks,
John
Yuchol Kim
How about spraying 3M77 aerosol glue on the edge banding?
Grant Wilkinson
I've used contact cement successfully. It's a bit of a pain to spread it on both surfaces, but it's held for a few years now.
Grant
Ottawa ON
Bruce Page
John, I&#;d stick with the iron on stuff; it&#;s not that expensive and easy to apply with an old iron. To me, the production stuff wouldn&#;t be worth the hassle.
JMO
Jeffrey Makiel
Blue masking tape would probably make for good clamps. As far as the type of glue, that's a good question.
1. Yellow glue won't work because the edge tape is probably vinyl.
2. Polyeurethane glue is messy and the foaming during the curing process can become obnoxious to clean.
3. Epoxy is slow, time consuming, expensive and messy.
4. Spray adhesive sound like a possibility but applying it can be messy and time comsuming if you have to spray the sheet's edge too.
5. Contact cement will probably give very good adhesion but it's also hard to apply because it's gooey especially on the narrow edgebanding.
6. Roo glue is popular for melamine but I have no experience with it and cannot comment.
I'm thinking the spray adhesive may be the best choice from the bunch noted above unless Roo glue is the answer. Perhaps somebody else can come up with a recommendation.
-Jeff :)
Ryan Myers
I haven't tried this yet. But I read about it on another forum a while back. They claimed it worked much better than iron on and bonded just as good.
Fast Cap - Speed Tape
http://www.mikestools.com/S-Tape-1-X50-Fastcap-Speed-Tape-1-X-50.aspx
Greg Deakins
take a small can of contact cement. cut your strips to the approximate size. LAy them out face down on somthing you can trash. Stack the doors neatly. Spread half the strips with glue, and two opposite sides of the stack of doors. Wait... Take a door, lay the banding material on each side, using a block of wood to make good contact all over. Stack doors on top of each other alternating them so they arent stacked on the edges of the new banding. Trim off the excess from the doors, use a block with a belt sander sleeve around it to flush the edges with the sides not glued. Stack the doors again neatly (the neater you stack, the less overglue you need to clean up with xylene) Glue the remaining strips, and the sides of the stack without banding on yet. Wait... Repeat the steps for pressing, trimming, etc. File or sand the edges depending on the next step. This is how we did hundreds of doors in our production shop before getting the machine.
Steven Evans
I have used this stuff with very good results. They have the common wood grains available. I know they sell the glue(backing stuff) seperate in wide rols. I don't know if they sell it in a narrow version. It holds well, very interesting product.
Mike Armstrong
I've used the FastCap stuff in melamine and faux wood very successfully, so I'd imagine their Speed Tape would be just as easy to use. And then get the FastCap trimmer - http://www.mikestools.com/Fe-Trimmer-Fastcap-Fastedge-Trimmer.aspx - and you're all set!
Oh, and I'd suggest a good laminate roller - http://www.mikestools.com/Speedrollerpro-Fastcap-Speedroller-Pro.aspx
or a less expensive J roller - http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=&filter=j%20roller
Mike
Neil Lamens
John:
Adding to G Deakins post, 1" china brush, cut the bristles short, little contact cement cleaner or lacquer thinner in a coffe can with a slice in the top to hold and keep the bristles clean, and use your awl to hold down the strips of edge banding as you brush on the Contact.
Neil
John Hulett
John, I&#;d stick with the iron on stuff; it&#;s not that expensive and easy to apply with an old iron. To me, the production stuff wouldn&#;t be worth the hassle.
JMO
I got the impression that pre-glued is not much of an option. They sell the corresponding banding to their melamine in a 600' roll that is not pre-glued.
- John
John Hulett
I've used the FastCap stuff in melamine and faux wood very successfully, so I'd imagine their Speed Tape would be just as easy to use. And then get the FastCap trimmer - http://www.mikestools.com/Fe-Trimmer-Fastcap-Fastedge-Trimmer.aspx - and you're all set!
Oh, and I'd suggest a good laminate roller - http://www.mikestools.com/Speedrollerpro-Fastcap-Speedroller-Pro.aspx
or a less expensive J roller - http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=&filter=j%20roller
Mike
Mike - is this essentially a sort of double-stick tape application?
I have a trimmer, and have just used a 4-5" block of 2x4 in lieu of a roller.
- John
Pete Brown
As an aside, I assume you'll provide significant support for the shelves. Particleboard (and MDF) have very little resistance to bowing and can support far less weight than solid wood.
The previous owners of our house put particle board shelves in each of the closets and they have sagged almost 2" in the middle on an approximately 3' span. I'm slowly replacing the closet shelving in some of the closets with wire shelving (keeps clean, you can see more, and it isn't bowing). It's a lot more expensive than the particleboard, though.
Pete
John Hulett
As an aside, I assume you'll provide significant support for the shelves. Particleboard (and MDF) have very little resistance to bowing and can support far less weight than solid wood.
Pete
I used similar material about 18 months ago in my eldest son's closet. Generally, the shelves are not bigger than 24" wide and 15" deep, with the exception of the top, which spans the entire length of 83", but is supported approximately every 24" accross the depth of the top. I have not noticed any sag in this closet. I'm just finishing up my youngest son's closet, with the master closet coming up next. I have no plans to change the contsruction method, just the material will be a "wood grain" melamine instead of white. I guess I could post pics...
Sagulator indicates 0.01 deflection.
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm
- John
Mike Armstrong
Mike - is this essentially a sort of double-stick tape application?
- John
I haven't actually used that tape, but that's what the web site says it is.
Mike
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