Edge banding without specialised machinery

[el_Pedr0]

Hi,

If doing edge banding without specialised machinery, what options do I have?

I have used iron on edging in the past, which adhered well. But it was so thin, I wouldn't have been able to put a radius on it.

Can you get different thicknesses of iron on edge banding? Or can I apply thicker edge banding (say 2mm) without specialised machinery?

I know I can get a shop to do it, but in my next project, cutting and edge banding adds 40% to the input costs, which I would rather avoid.

(edit for typo)

 

[Distinterior]

There are various thicknesses available Pedro......What material are you working with...? Veneer or Melamine?

If its Melamine, you are going to be limited to the thinner edgings (.3mm or .5mm thickness) that come pre glued.
1, 2, or 3mm thick edgings are available in thousands of colours and heights but ideally need to be applied with an edgebanding machine that dispenses glue as it applies the edging.

I have a portable hand held edgebander that can do curves as well as all the straight edges.
Where abouts are you located...? I may be able to help you out if you are not too far away and you dont need hundreds of meters applying.

 

[Spectric]

What material are you edge banding? I try and design out anything that needs something specialised or I don't feel comfortable doing such as edge banding because it can look naff if not done right. With curves you will be stuck but with straight edges I like using hardwood edging by using my router

https://www.infinitytools.co.uk/router-bits/edge-banding-bits/

 

[el_Pedr0]

Where abouts are you located...? I may be able to help you out if you are not too far away and you dont need hundreds of meters applying.

Wow - what an amazing offer! Thank you so much.

Unfortunately I'm in Balham so definitely not worth a trip round London for the couple of hundred quid im trying to save.

It's Ash edging onto an Ash veneer mdf board in this case. All straight edges. Mostly edging all round, or sometimes three edges.

using hardwood edging by using my router

Ooh that's an idea. Just to check I understand - are you suggesting cutting a long sliver of solid and sticking it on the edge? Trying to understand how the router comes into this? Do you use the router as a kind of super accurate saw in order to cut the sliver off the edge of the solid stock?

nm - just saw the link!

 

[Spectric]

It only works on straight edges, you use the router to cut a profile into the panel, then you cut the opposite profile on a piece of wood you are using as the edging. The two cutters I mentioned are used to cut these profiles. You then glue and clamp together and then depending how precise your wood thicknesses were you may need to trim flush. You end up with a ply panel that has a solid wood edge which you could even profile.

You might find it easier to profile a deeper piece of wood for the solid wood edging and then cut it down. These cutters produce perfect opposite profiles for this task with a good glue area and perfect location.

 

[Distinterior]

The company that I use for the majority of my edgings offer a sanded Ash edging in .5mm, 1mm, 2mm and 3mm thicknesses.
It comes in 50mtr rolls. I think in the .5mm thickness, you can get it pre glued, but not in the thicker options.

 

[el_Pedr0]

in the .5mm thickness, you can get it pre glued, but not in the thicker options.

Do you need specialised equipment to glue on the thicker stuff or is it possible to get a good finish with just glue and clamps?

 

[Distinterior]

I would think you should be able to glue & clamp it easily enough.
Approximately, how many linear meters are you planning on gluing...?
If it's just a few, then I would think it was worth doing yourself....However, if you've got tens of meters to do, then it may be most cost/time effective to have it done by the company that's cutting up the panels for you...?!?!

 

[el_Pedr0]

Just a few metres.

 

[HOJ]

I usually make my solid edging 5mm and use spring clamps with a short piece of inner tube jammed on the ends to keep it in place, on straight runs just some long clamps with a backer timber:

 

[cowtown_eric]

some 45 years ago I moved into what had been a cabinet shop. Prior to that I had used an old iron for edge banding, but in that shop I found some spare 3' long strip heaters similar to this
https://www.bucan.com/admin/cms/images/large/bucan-channel-strip-heaters.pdf.
They still worked so I cobbled up a stand and a reel holder to do my edge banding.

98% of the edgebanding I did was straight, shelves, gables.

I dunno how many kitchens/store fixtures I have used it on., and when it came to curved stuff, I just augmented it with a heat gun. Still got it.

Never did get the thermostat option, just used a switch to turn if off if it got to hot.

Still got it, still use it. Way back then this heating strip was around 40 bucks, vs 150 for a hot air gun type applicator.

Solid edging was cut oversized, and taped to the ply with tension. so I initially used a #5 plane with a groove milled into the bottom til I could afford a lamello edging planer, final finishing was done with a card scraper,

I have done 5mil unglued stuff a few times but don't like to do it. The glue applicator is very expensive in relation to to the jobs that required it. But I can see the justification for it in an office furniture mfgr shop- just not for me!
https://www.virutextools.com/hot-melt-portable-edgebander-peb250-pid291
Eric in the colonies