Usually when I make stuff with plywood, I have always used milled moldings of one kind or another to edge with. Glue and pins.
But the current project is a budget job, so i ordered a roll of iron-on birch for this birch plywood job.
It comes with no instructions.
Do I just heat up the wife’s iron and go to work with it, or do I need to prep the edge first? Do I want the steam or or just heat? How hot?
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Greetings Piffin,
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again which will increase it's viewing.
Perhaps it will catch someone's attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
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Jeez Rez are you bored? Six minutes for a bump? Ahhh....it is the mighty Piffin with a question!!! :o)
I've used it 2x I think...
It's pretty bloody easy. Mid heat on the iron, and be wary of using DW's iron as if you get the hot melt glue on it, you're hosed.
I'd rec. cutting snipped of it and doing a trial run on a scrap.
I do remember the iron does have to be hotter than its lowest setting or no adhesion.
I didn't have any trouble with the edge--but used a decent blade in the TS.
You'll likely have to knock down the edges with sandpaper after it's on.
And the flat of the iron works well for pushing it flat to the edge of the ply. No roller is req.
"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing..."
If you live near me in NJ you can come use my edgebander. But if stuck with the iron then :
Grab a household iron, switch to max heat, follow along the edgebanding fast enought not to burn but slow enought to melt the glue. rub the full length with a block of wood to bed the glue.
Use a file at a slight angle to "cut" the excess edge banding, use a knife to trim the ends flush using a wood block as a backer (cut from the glue side). light sand and do the next piece.
Bad news is its a slow process with an iron.
Use the COTTON setting, and have a jroller or a block of wood ( I use a metal wall paper roller type deal, same as you would use for rubber roof rolling the seams).
After ya rub it real good, you can trim a few ways, they make a trimmer just for this, but it gums up, I use a util knife held askew and be careful for digging in or grain tearing out. A Block plane works well too, as does a half round file, just kinda keep working towards the glue line, don't try to peel away. Whichever ya use, keep it angled.
Then hit with a sanding block and 150 or 180. At a slight angle. Too much angle and you see that fat glue line like Formica core.
Heat and press, roll, trim sand. CHECK FOR BUBBLES BEFORE YOU APPLY FINISH!!!! Tap the edgeing, listen for hollow sounds. Reheat, reroll.
I make some of my own edgeing with veneer and yeller glue, slobber on the glue, let it dry. Same on the ply edge. After dry, you can iron it on just like the store bought stuff.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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Seriously Folks, I need a home for 3 lovers of your life.
prep the ply....
scrape the ply edge 1st....
nice and easy does it....
narrow paint scrapper works real good....
dust with a hand sanding block... light touch if you will...
clean the iron of any startches and linen or soaps or what ever could be on there...
dry heat...
cotton setting...
iron on the edge banding... work from one end to the other...
iron like you were doing yur Sunday go to meetin' duds.....
stay with it start to finish...
be certain to center the banding....
melt the adhehesive just enough to get the job done...
heavy firm presure helps....
work from the roll and try not to pre cut any more than you have to...
a really sharp knief and a good pair of straight snips is about all the tool inventory...
when you clip the run cut a bit proud... sometimes the stuff shrinks.. 'speacially if you got it too hot during application....
if the banding is tanning or browing the heat is being applied for too long of time...
pick up the pace a bit to solve that equation.....
using a laminate type roller is a plus...
try not to get to far ahead of yurself....
take yur time and you'll be hurrying right along...
too much latteral force will move the tape all over the place...
that'll just get you more fusing to make things Piffin....
if you decide to seam on a long run...
overlay the continue over the applied and cut both with a razor knief at the same time...
warm the applied waste piece and remove the drop... try not to heat the segment you wish to keep if you can help it... apply the continueing piece with just enough heat to ger 'er done and all the while keep closure pressure on the joint... roll pressure is to the joint.. let cool... as in real cool before you begin instsallation completion...
let everthing cool... won't take long unless you cooked the snot outta the work to begin with...
examine the work....
reheat any bulges and roller flat....
use a trim router with an offset trim bit to to clean up the edges....
watch which way yur cutting...
you need to go with the grain even if yur cutting clockwise with the trimmer...
hand sand to final....
power can really set you back here...
I think I got it all.....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
oh yeah...
when ya turn the corner and go perpendicular...
this where the proud you left comes into play....
install the perpendicular piece with a bit of pressure into the joint....
open air cross grain cuts happen much better with the snips or scissors...
running the trimmer cross grain can set you back in an instant....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
wow ...
lotsa instructions for something basic.
like Sphere said ...
cotton.
'bout all ya need to know.
put the hot part on the wood.
done!
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Goodwill stores (or similar) usually have a good supply of working, cast off irons for a couple of bucks if you don't want to tempt fate with your wife's precious heating device. And don't let her see you get too comfortable using the iron or she may decide that is a chore you should do on a permanent basis...
There are specialty small hand-held banding irons that are a little easier to handle. http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4942
If there are any photo or framing shops in the area going out of business, you might be able to grab one of the small irons that are used for dry mounting as I think they are identical.
Edited 4/8/2008 7:31 pm ET by CaseyR
I always used an old iron.
had an edge banding job a while back and decided I'd get a "real edge band iron" ... then I priced them. Couldn't get over the money they want for a heat coil on the end of a stick.
went to Walmart or Target and bought the cheapest iron they had.
was about half the price.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Thanks everyone!
Tomorrow, I need to hit the mainland to see the accountant, and that office is near the Goodwill and the Walmart, so Carole's iron is safe, though she's willing.Hmmm, maybe she needs a good excuse to get herself a nice new top of the line new tool....i'll have to feel my way on that issue. That will be more delicate than the actual work here, it sounds like.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I think HarborFreight has them for about $15, though I have not located one yet.If you use DW's iron, you might get glue on it. Don't ask me how I know this. And if you do get glue on the iron, you need to remove it before using it for edge banding, never mind the Sunday go-to-meeting clothes.I think I let it cool, and scraped it with a plastic ice scraper or something like that. Burning it off might work too.
Cotton. I usually run the edge thru a jointer prior to. I've used a lam trimmer with a bearing guided bit to trim the excess from the edge, but a block plane will work as well (until to get to an IS corner, then a utility knife works ok.) When I'm ambitious, I'll try mitering the ends, but I have never achieve a joint a tight as I would like.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Lot's of good advise so far.
I use an old clothes iron I picked up at Goodwill. High setting and apply good pressure to the edges.
One other thing to watch for is the seems in the banding itself. They are a very wide zig zag joint on the stuff I've used. I try to use the banding in between the seems - first job I did with the stuff, I had a large seem in the center of the shelf right at eye level - really popped out once it was stained.
I keep an iron on the truck for stuff like that. I just put it on high heat and go back and forth on the edge banding. You'll get a feel for it pretty quickly. If it still peels back apply more heat.
I usually use a J roller to press it on then trim it with an edge trimmer.
Would have loved to help - worked too late - guess that's why I'm a lurker.
Read the other posts, everyone is right.
Some didn't include the j-roller.
Just wanted to add that the roller is essential.
You got the skills, you'll be ok.
You can get in trouble with over heating as bad as not heating enough - you'll be fine though. It's pretty forgiving.
Remodeling Contractor just on the other side of the Glass City
I have a couple rollers. Anticipated that part. I just wasn't sure if the ply edge needed any special prep. I didn't want to be doing something like peeling the plastic strips off shingles...;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
it does need prep ...
BTW... it's a good idea to fill large voids...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I always find my J roller on the trip back to the van to put the iron back in it's secret hiding place ... after I'm done.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
heat from an iron. and your done!!
There's enough youth in this world, how 'bout a fountain of SMART??!!
can this edging take stain like normal wood?
There's enough youth in this world, how 'bout a fountain of SMART??!!
yup....
it is wood with an adhesive backing...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I've already sanded it smooth of the saw kerfing, but I can feel the doff grains in alternate plies.
No voids.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I think that would be okay...
it's the loose pieces of ply sticking up that make things difficult...
voids show up as dimples in the finished product...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
That is one reason I am using it. The piece will be stained. Birch banding and birch plywood
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Stain CAN be a problem IF you happen to overheat the glue to 'runny outty the join' and schmear it on the edge. Catch that in time it rolls like a booger when cool, don't catch it and it melts to the iron and into the veneer pores, and it can repel the stain.
Don't cook it too much, and be sure to give the flat of the veneeer a quick block sanding to show the shiney spots that may be a warning of glue contamination.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Welcome to Poo-ville, can I have your socks?Seriously Folks, I need a home for 3 lovers of your life.
you got yur home work done????
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I'm late with this advice but if you have a heat gun, try that-esp. if there are any inside corners. I used to work at a production shop and for a spell my job was to do all the taping. I found the iron too slow, so I used this big heat gun we had and it was a lot faster. Rollers are necessary with this method, because there's no pressure from the iron.
Most nights are crystal clear, but tonight it's like he's stuck between stations.
I DO have a good heat gun! I had thought about hitting the ply edge with it first to get initial tack for longer runs. I think my longest is 64"Darn, somebody is going to ask for pictures now
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Yeah, that was my initial reason for using it, then I would just set the gun on its stand and heat up the end of the tape. The glue would get good and tacky and I would press it on to the end of the plywood. then I would use the heat gun like a hair dryer and just work along the tape. the heat gun gets much hotter-or at least, it heats up the whole area much quicker than the iron. I also found that I could adjust the tape easier if I went off anywhere-easy to just heat the area to soften the glue again. That's what I graduated to after sanding thousands of square feet of MDF and white oak ply.
Most nights are crystal clear, but tonight it's like he's stuck between stations.
sounds like you got the technique down, I'll just add one thing.
cut your lenths off first a little long and inspect for for "finger joints". they hide them in the roll pretty well and they don't show up until stain is applied