Edge Banding End Grain?

[George Summers]

It is easy enough to edge band the side edge of a shelf made of plywood as the grain will run in the same direction and done properly, it will almost be invisible.

But, suppose you are making a panel of hardwood veneer plywood and have the grain pattern running vertically, and the top edge (and bottom edge) of the panel will be visible, how do you edge band (with solid wood) the top edge of the panel? If you lay a regular piece on then the grain runs perpendicular to the grain of the panel and won't look good. Do you glue up some short pieces and cut the end off and edge band with end grain so that the grain matchs the panel? Or what?

George

[Chris Padilla]

George,

It is a quandry, isn't it!? Sometimes in order to make good use of your (sometimes) expensive plywood, you have the grain running the wrong way for what might look better. It is always a $$$s versus size thing. I've put "wrong-going" edge-bands on plywood before and it isn't too bad. It ain't great but I guess I wasn't that into making it look like a board vs. plywood since it is quite painful.

I haven't tried this but what if you made your panel longer than needed, and then cut it at 45-degrees, flip down the cut-off (re-45 it the other extreme and then rip to width--narrow stock, be very carful!! cries safety jig!) and then glue it back in? You'll want a good, sharp, clean, correct blade (thin kerf?) for cross-cutting to get zero tearout along with a zero-clearnce insert special for cutting 45s.

Of course, now you've moved your problem to the bottom of the board but perhaps that might be just fine. However, this seems a painful process to me.

If you are veneering, of course, you could cut the veneer ahead of time before applying it to the panel. It would be much easier than the method I describe above.

I'd love to hear other ideas. Mines seems a bit PITA.