Solid wood edgebanding help needed

Flush trim router bit, 1/2 inch or smaller. I would use my palm router with a 1/4 inch flush trim bit

I did something similar a few years ago. I went slightly oversize as you are planning and then used a plane and card scraper to bring things into alignment. You must be very careful as the veneers on your plywood are very thin and you can cut through them easily.
While others may have differing opinions, this is not the time for power tools. I have a 1 1/2 inch flush cutting bit for my router that you could use with something clamped on to give you more surface area to balance on, but things go wrong too fast for me with power tools.

-- Sawdust Maker

There are many ways to apply the trim, Directly gluing should be plenty strong since there is long-grain surfaces, but anything that helps center the trim and keep it from sliding around (like biscuits!) is welcome 8^)

Personally I’d cut the trim about 1/8” thicker than the plywood, leaving a comfortable 1/16” above and below the plywood surface. A flush trim router bit would be the way I’d flush it all up, but I’m paranoid enough of cutting through the veneer that I’d place a layer of tape on the plywood for the router bearing to ride on, leaving the trim a few thousandths proud. I’d then probably use a scraper or other method to sneak up on flush.

To balance the router on the edge, you need to clamp another board to the plywood, effectively making a wider surface for the router plate to ride on. A router edge guide could also be used while paying attention to keeping the router under control.

Some years ago, I did that for a large bookcase. The shelves are separate and sit on shelf pins. I used a belt sander to sand flash. I only sanded through the veneer on about 2 of the 30 shelves and I just flipped those and used the bottom side. It takes some care, but it’s not impossible. It was oak-veneer plywood with 3/4” wide edge banding. I also used biscuits, but when I trimmed the shelves to length, If found that the edge banding was very well glued and the biscuits may not have been necessary.

At the time, I didn’t have a planer – and the 3/4 oak boards were thicker than the 3/4 oak plywood, so that was my solution. 18mm I think was the actual thickness of the plywood.

-- I intended to be a woodworker, but turned into a tool and lumber collector.

Thanks …..
For the flush trimming approach, I get the idea with the tape and adding a 2nd board for balance ….. but concerned about the size of the cut.

The banding is 1 1/2” wide, so you are taking a approx. 1/16” thick by 1 1/2 inch long cut with the handheld router.

Is that too much? Worried about control and / or the maple banding splintering. Usually when I’ve seen people do this online the banding is only 1/4 – 1/2”

Why so wide on the banding?

The main thing is to cover the edge of the plywood. I thought mine at 3/4 were more than enough.

-- I intended to be a woodworker, but turned into a tool and lumber collector.

Oh, and I offset so that they were almost flush on the top side when glued and I didn’t bother making the bottoms flush, since they are mostly unseen. At least that’s the way I remember it. The carcass, unfortunately, was scrapped when I moved but I still have the shelves. I should go look.

-- I intended to be a woodworker, but turned into a tool and lumber collector.

Why so wide on the banding?

The main thing is to cover the edge of the plywood. I thought mine at 3/4 were more than enough.

- Ocelot

Good question; I was just following what the plans called for. In retrospect, I should have made the plywood pieces wider and the banding smaller ….. but the plywood is already ripped.

Well I just realized I don’t even have a 1 1/2 inch straight bit with a bearing, so the flush trimming approach won’t work anyways.

Oversized piece, then flush trim to perfection. Biscuits are cheap, and not really needed. They will do nothing to keep the pieces of trim from falling off, just will help in locating, and that is the the reason for the oversized piece. A few well aimed pieces of painters tape will hold the trim better than the biscuits until the glue dries. Or do a rub joint.

Well I just realized I don t even have a 1 1/2 inch straight bit with a bearing, so the flush trimming approach won t work anyways.

- unclearthur

Mind you it’s just a rumor, but I hear tell of some place called Amazoo, and the rumor is they will ship you stuff in 2 days. I know, shocking…..

To balance the router on the edge, you need to clamp another board to the plywood, effectively making a wider surface for the router plate to ride on. A router edge guide could also be used while paying attention to keeping the router under control. splintergroup

Splint, if you do many of these it’s a real good reason to get an MPower CRB7. They come with the stand off leg, which you can set from nada to around 5” tall, to level your base for doing trim work like this. It’s one of the 7 functions on the base model. Lotta bang for the buck.

-- Think safe, be safe

Are you sure you’re orienting the edgebanding the right way? Not having seen the plans…to me if it were 3/4” x 1 1/2, I would assume that means the 1 1/2 face gets glued to the ply edge, thus leaving a 3/4” overhang. If it’s for a dresser, that would make sense so that there is some clearance between the contents of the drawer and the shelf above it.

I recently did something similar with a plywood carcass, adding 3/4” x 3/4” hardwood edging. I made them a little oversized, then used dowels to dry fit. That actually held tight enough, I was able to sand flush. Being careful not to go through the plywood veneer of course. Then I pulled apart, stained everything, then glued back on. It worked pretty well, not perfect, but close enough for me. I don’t know if that would work with biscuits. If your carcass is rock solid, and you’re sure it won’t shift, this could be an option. Then again, if everything is flat and square, just cutting to size and gluing on might work better then you expect.

One more thought, have you assembled the box yet? Would it be possible to add the edging before assembly?

-- ~Walker

I usually just glue and while the glue is wet use a combi square to align the top edge and shoot a couple brads in from the front to keep it aligned on top. The bottom overhangs. If anything you want the banding proud, if it’s slightly below one day when you least expect it you’ll slide something onto the shelf and chip out the top piece of ply. Don’t ask me how i know

If anything you want the banding proud, if it’s slightly below one day when you least expect it you’ll slide something onto the shelf and chip out the top piece of ply. Don’t ask me how i know
- SMP

Having looked at the design a bit more I think the reason be made the banding so wide is that these panels aren’t really visible other than from a front view. (Top of dresser is solid maple; drawer fronts cover everything else). So really you only see the front 1/2” of so of the banded panels – so you just see the banding and not the joint to the ply (unless you open the drawer and go hunting for it).

So I think I’ll just make them slightly proud and plane sand down to the surface; i f I scuff the ply it won’t be too noticeable anyways.

thanks everyone

Splint, if you do many of these it s a real good reason to get an MPower CRB7. They come with the stand off leg, which you can set from nada to around 5” tall, to level your base for doing trim work like this. It s one of the 7 functions on the base model. Lotta bang for the buck.

- therealSteveN

I’ve been eyeballing that exact jig! Lots to like, but usually I’ll figure a way to do the work on my router table as I’m inherently lazy and pre-planing by ordering the proper tool rarely comes up in my work flow 8^)

I only use biscuits when I need 2 pieces to line up perfectly—that is what they were invented to do. Do yours not work out that way?

-- Nathan, TX -- Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.