how to add hardwood edging to plywood panels

[Charlie Barnes]

Tom,

You don't mention how wide (long) the shelves will be and what kind of load they will have. If you are planning to load it up with hard cover books or something else relatively heavy, you should consider using the edging to add some strength and prevent bowing. One simple way I've done this in the past is to cut a piece of solid edge material about 1 1/2" wide (you can use what ever width you want though as long as it's wider than the plywood is thick). Then cut a 3/8" high by 3/4"+ rabbet on the back side. Basically an "L" from and end view perspective. This will be the surface that you glue to the edge of the plywood. You can just clamp it since you have a lot of glue surface and won't need to use fasteners. Come back after it dries with a flush trim bit as mentioned above to trim off the little bit that is sticking out above the top surface of the shelf. This adds strength and visual mass which might also enhance the appearance of your project.

Good Luck.

[Don Jarvie]

I just finished a set of bookcases. I'm lazy and I'm sure this is not the preferred way to do it, but I just used the iron-on edging. I've been using that stuff for 20 years on all kinds of things, and it works beautifully. If you are building art-quality furniture, fine, it's probably not appropriate. But for basic bookcases that are going to be painted, I don't see why one wouldn't use the stuff.

Mark

+1. I made a kitchen cabinet out of birch and used the iron on edging and it worked great. Iron it on then use a utility knife to trim away the excess then take a sanding block and
sand so you push the excess back onto the shelf. This way the banding and veneer from the plywood meet and it doesn't show a gap.

I even stained my pieces and they came out great.

[Ib Rikhof]

I agree with Chris. I have always used a spline or more often biscuits. When gluing an edging to plywood without either of these, half of the glue surface is going to be end grain to face grain which of course has little strength. The other half is face grain to face grain but consists of separate very narrow regions which I would think (just an opinion - no proof) are not as strong as a single surface of the same total area. Splines or biscuits provide lots of face grain to face grain gluing surface. For this reason I use more biscuits than would be needed just for alignment.
I always glue on an edging a bit wider than the thickness of the plywood and then plane it to the surface of the plywood. A hand plane works fine but if the job is a bit bigger I use a electric powered hand held edging planer made by Virutex. If you use a router to trim the banding to the surface of the plywood I would advise making a jig where the axis of an end mill type bit is perpendicular to the surface of the plywood. This is much less likely to tear out chunks of the banding than anything where the axis of the bit is parallel to the surface of the plywood. Good luck - Ib

[Marty Paulus]

This is how I am planning on doing it. Cut a rabbit in the hardwood and glue to the ply wood. Could be pin nailed from the top and pin would hide..



Den Closet Shelves.jpg

[Bruce Darrow]

I just use glue, clamps and cauls: I mill the edging oversize, and leave it just proud and plane it flush after the glue sets up. For cauls, I just use whatever plywood strip scraps are handy, and I find that parallel jaw clamps make things much easier. I align the proud edge progressively as I tighten the clamps - the plywood I get is all too frequently not flat (sigh). Just feel with your fingertips, being careful not to smear too much glue squeezeout - a careful glue application (thin - both surfaces) helps avoid this.

[Larry Rasmussen]

When I got my 23 gauge trimmer I had high expectations. It has a 1 5/8 capacity. I tried to use it to affix oak trim to ply as you were originally inquiring about. You did the right thing by asking first, I just ended up with a mess. These days I will just use a spline if it is really important (an when isn't it I guess).

To Lee- looks like the bearings simply mark the point where you have reached full cut for each. Assuming use on a router table and sneaking up on the cut a little at a time it would keep things easy and consistent from piece to piece.

[Bret Duffin]

shelf edging.jpgHere are two methods. I use the simple rabbet, glued and clamped most often. You could nail it to save time but 1/2 hour in the clamps is all you need and then you don't have those ugly nails holes. The rabbet self aligns easily. A little micro bevel where the edge meets the shelf on the top edge would eliminate much of the flush sanding. Don't use wood tape, I think it's a sin although I've done it too.

Bret

[John Mark Lane]

shelf edging.jpg... Don't use wood tape, I think it's a sin although I've done it too.

Bret

Why use plywood at all, then? When you think about it, the tape is really just small plywood.

[Bret Duffin]

On a nice shelf that you are going to look at for many years you want wood tape? Wouldn't you agree that a nice solid wood edging will look better, be stronger and last longer? Hardwood veneered plywood has many practical applications and is the right choice for many situations and the factory applied veneer is there to stay. I would not say that say that about iron on wood tape. Like I said, I've used it. I just don't like using it and will choose not to if I have an alternative. Just my $00.02.


Bret

[John Mark Lane]

On a nice shelf that you are going to look at for many years you want wood tape? Wouldn't you agree that a nice solid wood edging will look better, be stronger and last longer? Hardwood veneered plywood has many practical applications and is the right choice for many situations and the factory applied veneer is there to stay. I would not say that say that about iron on wood tape. Like I said, I've used it. I just don't like using it and will choose not to if I have an alternative. Just my $00.02.


Bret

I guess for me it depends on the application. If it's going to be painted, and there is no structural or strength issue (as in a short-span bookcase for a child's room or playroom or something), then the tape makes a lot of sense to me. If it's something that is going to be stained or clear-coated, that may be a different story. But even then, it depends on the application. A casual den or playroom, it can be plenty adequate.

I've never heard anyone report the stuff coming off. That's an interesting comment. Just curious if you've seen it happen, or just concerned that it might happen?

I agree, wood tape is not for art pieces, or fine furniture, or high end built-ins. But for simple, pragmatic uses like everyday bookcases... I dunno, like I said maybe I'm just lazy, but I think it's pretty darn good.

[John TenEyck]

Limited time and equipment would suggest either a spline groove in both pieces or rabett, since both can be cut on the table saw, and they are highly effective as well. As for the pin nailer, I have the PC 23 gage nailer. Nice little tool, but I only use it where I pretty much have no easy alternative, like attaching small trim peices etc.. The hole it leaves is small, for sure, but it's still there. In your case, you have easy alternatives so I'd go with one of them.

[Derrell W Sloan]

I know you might not have one but I love my Kreg pocket hole jig for attaching trim molding to shelves. It is super fast and strong and no waiting for glue to dry. And if you feel you must you can always plug the pocket holes. It might not be the best solution in all cases but it certainly does a great job in many of them. Just something else to consider.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Okay, I thought of the same thing and was going to post the same photo, so I'm not questioning the use of these bits just their construction. What is the purpose of the guide bearings on these bits? Look at the sample pieces shown. There is no place for the guide bearings to ride upon. If they are used with a fence then no guide bearings are required either.

Think curved edge.... First, cut your pattern. Lay patterns on top of the first piece and use the guide bit to follow the curve. Repeat with the other guide bit on the other piece of wood. Just a guess.