Is it necessary or better to press the edging with a roller or something, rather than just ironing it?
It’s white melamine. Thanks
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From building boxes and fitting face frames to installing doors and drawers, these techniques could be used for lots of cabinet projects.
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ironing is all you need. i'd be worried about working it too much as it is cooling from the iron and breaking the bond.
I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
I take two passes with the iron. First one I align the tape and melt that adhesive enough to stick the banding in place. Second one I use a small pressure block with chamfered edges that I run along about 6" behind the iron while the adhesive is still hot and soft. I go a little slower second pass to ensure a full melt.
Observer, that's pretty much what I've been doing - warm and align it, then heat and follow with the block, except that I do the block separately as the 3rd step. It's been working well, but not sure if the block step was making a difference.
Here's a tip if you use that plastic edge trimmer. Spray it with a little wd-40 or similar. It will glide smooth and less adhedive sticking to it. See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net
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I use a razor sharp 1 1/2" chisel pushed along in a slicing cut to trim the overhangs. Found those double sided cutters to be a real PITA, just couldn't get the hang of using it on wood edge tape without tearout.
good point you make. It's the first time I tried the trimmer, but yeah, I can't imagine using it on wood edging. I'll keep the chissel method in mind when I do wood. Last time I did wood edging I used 100 grit sandpaper and a block to sort of 'strike' off the egde. A few passes and the edge just sorta fell off. I first tried using my ro sander, but that was too agressive.See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net
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I use a rubber laminate roller to follow the iron. I roll back and forth, actually bumping the iron along as I go. Then I wipe the iron along each edge at an angle to press in the very edge of the tape, followed by the roller.The big secret to no-fail edging is easing the edge. I use a 1/16" radius router bit, which sounds like a lot, but it works perfectly. Buff the corners lightly with 220 grit, and you're done.I've done two bookstores totaling over 4,000 lin. ft. of edging this way -- the routing, that is. I did break down and buy an automatic edgebander: 14 fpm power feed, end guillotines, top and bottom flush-trim routers, but I always go over every inch of the work with that 1/16" roundover bit.AitchKay
If we are sharing secrets here...I use a steel roller like used for wallpaper and rubber roofing, about 1 1/2" wide x same diameter. The steel cools the edging fast while pressing.
Then I use a half round file at an angle so the arris is the cutting edge, it smooths the sharp edge as it cuts away the excess. A double cut file to be exact.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
You guys should try one of these: http://www.louisandcompany.com/search.aspx?Search=speedrollerpro#
You can get greater pressure than a wood block.I have always thought that the heat merely activated the glue, and then the bond was created by pressure while the glue cooled. At least I THINK that's right.
I'm sure I roll way more than I need to.My edgebander is a Virutex EB-25. The glue is melted by a Steinel hot air unit blowing directly on the glue side of the tape.After the tape goes on the board, that edge of the board rides on a platen as it proceeds through the machine, propelled by a power feed conveyor that is slightly canted to press the board sideways as it travels.So that's steady sideways pressure for about 5 seconds or so, but not a lot of pressure.And it produces a great finished product. As I said, I've got thousands of feet of finished product out there in retail settings, and no callbacks.That said, if I band anything by hand, I roll the hell out of it!AitchKay
I am with you.
Steel to press in place and cool adhesive at the same time.
Not in the right place? Heat again and reposition.
I use a SS block of 1" bar staock which is about 5" long as heat sink / pressure pad.
File to remove excess material - never had any luck with the edge trimmer thingys.
JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
But I'm not filing 3,000 feet worth -- that actually adds up to 6,000 feet, since there are 2 corners.I'm tellin' ya, try the RO bit some time. You'll be surprised.Aitchkay
Why the round-over and not a flush trim?
With the RO bit I can achieve a softening of the edge close to what I’d put on solid wood by sanding. But I would go through the veneer in at least some places if I tried that amount of easing by simply sanding the banded plywood.The RO bit leaves the veneer 1/16” away from the corner completely untouched, and full thickness, while removing as much material as you can get away with from the corner. I follow up by polishing the corner with very fine sandpaper to avoid removing too much material.Aside from looking and feeling nicer, the edgebanding is much less susceptible to damage, too. We’ve all seen the edges get peeled right off of those ugly, square-edged melamine shelves. It doesn’t take much.So, faced with that first bookstore with 114 bookcases, and way more pulling books off shelves in one day than a residential bookcase would see in a year, I knew I had to have a system that was fast and very consistent.It seems silly to buy and use a router bit with such a small cut, but for me, it’s the right tool for the job.AitchKay
I agree, I have a 1/16" RO bit, for just such use. It don't get out to play much, but when ya need it, it's the bomb.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
RO bit sounds like a good idea especially for the wood edging.
I think the largest amount of edging I have ever applied on a project was perhaps 150' x 2 , so the filing time was not a big deal. "Classic" white melamine.
Jim Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Melamine is a whole 'nother story. I custom-ordered some speckle-pattern tape for a windfall supply of that same color board, and by the time I was done fussin' and filin' and peelin' and regluin', I had rubbed the pattern off of the tape, and no longer had a windfall supply of the sheets!The good news is that all I paid for was the tape, so I wasn't out that much cash, and I learned that I just don’t want to mess with melamine edging! Solid-color is maybe easier...Aitchkay
Do you have to trim the excess first then use the roundover bit, or will the roundover bit do the trimming and roundover all in one pass?
I use a Virutex edgebander with automatic top and bottom trimmers, and things come out pretty clean.I think you could probably use the RO bit for the initial trimming, too, but I try to save that RO bit for a really clean finish cut. So I at least wipe the faces of the ply with a cabinet scraper to remove any glue residue before I rout.I also have a theory/ gut feeling that the bit will stay cleaner if I hold the router base on the edge of the work, as opposed to the face. That way, the bit is chopping directly through the glue and lifting it up and away, instead of slicing sideways through the glueline, and smearing it out across the ply face. Just a theory, though.So I’ve set up a special router base to make holding the router easier: I screwed through the sub-base, near the outside edge, into the square-cut end of a 4” long piece of 1” dowel. I used a panhead screw and a washer for strength, to spread the stress on the sub-base. I rabbeted the dowel down to about 3/4” dia. where it meets the base, to leave room for overhanging veneer in case I chose to use it for the initial trimming cut, too.In use, the ply is sitting flat on horses/bench. I stand to the right of it, holding the dowel in my left hand, and the trim router in my right -- sort of a rolling-pin grip. I hold the dowel firmly to the work, and the bit’s bearing lightly to the work, to avoid bearing marks.When I get to the end of the sheet, I roll the bearing over the end to the bottom of the sheet and walk backwards to my initial starting point. The dowel remains on top, giving me firm control. Not having to flip the work saves a lot of time and energy manhandling sheets, especially since I edge full 8’ rips whenever possible, and cut to length later -- I’ve found that banding fewer, longer pieces is faster.With the control the dowel gives me, once up and once back is usually all I need, but before I set the router down, I run my hand along the length of the cut to check for spots that might need to be re-routed.This dowel mod is fast and easy, and it really helps with quality. I was thinking stability, but I didn’t realize how much it would help to avoid bearing-burn, too.I know, I know, TMI. But you got me started!AitchKay
Any chance of a picture of your router base with dowel?
OK, here goes (we're talkin' Old Dog, New Trick here!)#919 shows trimming the top edge, #918 shows starting on the bottom edge.Aitchkay
View Image
View Image
http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016
Edited 12/3/2008 11:23 pm ET by rez
Hey, rez,How did you do that?AitchKay
94969.20 is a thread to a Breaktime index and if you'll look under
Miscellaneous
84420.85 Embedding photos in post
and click on that link it will take you to a thread that describes the process.
However, prior to attempting to embed pictures in a post like that the photos must be shrunk down to below 100kbs or it probably will mess up some folks computers
as the pics you posted earlier were way to large, especially for some folks computer systems.
This thread here 24441.75 will discuss shrinking you pictures down to a manageable size.
Cheershttp://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016
Thanks, Dude,I knew enough to set my camera on its dumbest setting, at least, but I guess that wasn't enough...Thanks for the links. I'll check 'em out.AitchKay
View Imagehttp://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016
Live Entertainment Nightly!I could use one of them pups!Aitchkay
Thanks. Looks like a great idea; I'm going to try it.Nice case of cabinetmakers rash. I've got one on each hand, both below the third joint.
That dowel guide idea is terrific. Kudos to you for the idea and for explaining it so clearly that I can visualize the process exactly. BruceT
One tip I can offer that I haven't seen... Go to a local art supply store or online and get a Seal tacking iron. It's used to tack mounting tissue in place by framers, etc. It's muchhhh smaller than a clothes iron, so a lot easier to handle. Generates plenty of heat and is a lot faster to heat up and cool off since it has less thermal mass. Not to mention that you don't have to worry about getting an unexpected burst of steam from an unemptied water tank...
HTH
PaulB
http://www.makeabettertomorrow.com
http://www.finecontracting.com
My experience with small irons is that because of their low thermal mass, they cool much more quickly in use and don't completely melt the glue on longer runs. I use a travel size iron that is a compromise between the oversized household iron and the mini version.
hmmmm... well, I've used the tacking iron quite a few times, on what I'd consider pretty long runs. Anyway, woiks for me ;)PaulB
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzPGBODhfsMSee my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net
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I make pretty nice furniture for people. At least I charge for it as if it is pretty nice. Anyway, on the rare occasion that I use iron on edging, I first glue-size the stock with pva. I spread on a thin layer with my finger and let it dry. The heat from the iron will reactivate the pva and create a stronger bond with the tape. Taking this another step: One can make custom iron-on edging from any wood veneer by using pva. Spread it on, let it dry, iron just like for the store bought. This is a good thing to know for those hard to find wood species or if it's a holiday, the stores are closed, and you just gotta get it done.
I've seen too many of those holidays, stores closed, gotta git it done, days. See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net
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While were on the subject of melamine.
Does anyone know of a nice prefinished trim that would match? And what type of store do you get melamine sheets from?
I wouldn't know about the trim. Since I assume it would be nailed on, holes would have to be filled and the finish touched up, so I would tend to go with painted. But then there is the plastic trim from any big-box store. I've never used it but I imagine the finish would look nice. Maybe use a #18 brad nailer and white caulk to fill the nail holes.
I couldn't find the big panels at my local big-box stores, got mine from Owl Lumber, and hardwood supplier not far from me. I imagine Crafty Beaver or Hines Lumber might carry full size sheets.
The local big-box stores do carry 2' wide stock, for shelving and such, but I needed 32" panels for that project. It called for 18 of these sliding doors, so I've got a heap of extra leftover. Think I'm gonna give away bookshelves for Christmas. =)See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net
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