I shall shortly be lining out a redundant window alcove to form a set of bookshelves. The dimensions are 80 inches tall; 24 inches wide and 10 inches deep. I am minded to use 3/4 inch birch ply. What does the team suggest is the best way to hide the end grain on the front edges of the carcase and shelves?
Many thanks.
Malcolm Webb
Just saw a set of router bits on the Lee Valley side that are made for such a job.
You can either edge it by glueing on 1/4" thick solid wood or you can buy some edge banding material that comes with a heat sensitive glue on the back. You hold it in place and run a normal clothes iron over it. You then trim the edges flush. The solid wood option is a better option, but more work.
Frank
What do the router bits do? Do they convert plywood to solid wood?
Yes. It is very clever. Matt Drudge says at his website that LV got it from the Bush Campaign. Had Kerry pulled ahead in the polls the Bushies were going to use it to convert Kerry from veneer ply to solid wood and then stage a coup. But then Teresa would have had a nice looking solid piece to put someplace in her Beacon Hill home, and that way she'd always have solid wood when she needed it.
How do you intend to finish the shelving?
I would finish the edges with a 3/4 to one inch thick band of wood. the choice of wood depends on your plans to finish. If you are painting then you could use clear pine, otherwise I would use birch so that the edge matches the grain and color of the veneer on the plywood.
TWS
Use wood to edge band, as the others have said. I have used a 3/4 strip to cover the edges of ply or particle board shelving in a similar project. It is a lot faster to install than iron on edge banding. It can be finished where the plastic banding cannot be. If the edges are in a high use area such as a desk top or dvd/tape shelf in an entertainment unit, it is more durable.
Matt
You can use apple or fin ply which can be a decorative modern looking edge just sanded and finished. Solid wood is an option, using either birch or maple to match or walnut to contrast. The most common option is iron on edge tape. It comes in every flavor and is real wood. The only hassle is you have plain square edges. The edges are also fragile in case you have kids, have a big dog or get drunk and throw stuff. max
If you want the thin line of veneer banding, then I would recommend cope & profile Y-mould. Looks like edge banding but a whole lot more durable.
-Rick
I'd stay away from the glue or iron on stuff... On things that are protected, it can be very good, but a bookshelf is going to have books sliding over that edge...
I've used that glue on stuff a let... sanded the corners and edges flat, left them flush, bent them around the edge, etc... they always get snagged on something eventually...
if you really want to hide 'em, I saw one web page where the guy had cut a wide "V" down the edges and matched the V on 3/4" wide plywood edging, so that the edging showed face only.... looked like solid wood with a line down each side, but no end grain showed... I thought that it was kind of a neat concept..
snipped-for-privacy@cix.co.uk (Malcolm Webb) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mfwebb.compulink.co.uk:
At 24" wide, the baltic birch should be sufficiently rigid to keep from sagging, however...
A piece of appropriate hardwood, placed on edge, to form a lip, does two things. The assembly is stiffer, with a beam-like addition on the front. And the hanging cleats or hardware are somewhat visually obscured.
Attach with your favorite joinery methods. Justify buying a new tool, if you so desire.
Patriarch
I'm trying to picture how to do this... Can you remember where you saw this? I assume this strip is cut with a router or shaper(?).
Looks to me like a strip of the same plywood would accomplish the same thing. Maybe a one-inch strip attached to the front (and rear, for extra stiffness) with a half-lap joint. There would still be a plywood edge, but it would not be facing *out*, so it might not be objectionable.
I have cut a double miter into the edge of plywood many times, and they fit a piece of 3/4 stock into it. I just did it on my table saw. Stood the plywood on edge and set the blade to 45 degrees. Set my rip fence and made two pushes through the saw. You can make your life easier if you throw a simple auxiliary fence on your fence - one that stands several inches higher, in order to give your plywood more support.
To play the devil's advocate, I've had great success with the iron-on veneer edging. As was stated earlier, it is real wood, so it will take a finish and look almost exactly like the plywood it is attached to. I was skeptical of it at first too, but I've built a couple of high-traffic bookcases and tabletops usint the stuff, and I've never had a single problem with it.
It is very easy to apply- you just roll it out along the edge of the plywood and follow along with an iron- the glue melts and adheres in just a couple of seconds. Another big plus is that there is no clamping. I can't imagine trying to clamp 1/4" strips all along the front of a bookcase.
One other point, when you glue 1/4" or 3/4" hardwood strips around the edges, you can usually see the line where the strip meets the plywood- no matter how much you try to sand it smooth. With the iron-on veneer, it is essentially invisible.
I'm not in any way related to any veneer firms- I promise! I'm just surprised when people recommend against using it since I've found it to be so easy and effective.
I still prefer wood, but when using edge banding it's a good idea to round the edges as much as you can with a bit of sandpaper. This way there's nothing to snag or catch.
As everyone else suggests, use a hard wood edge. I usually slice 3/8" wide strips from 4/4 stock. Do this on the outside of the tablesaw blade. There are some tricks to this, if anyone asks, I'll explain.
Or you can use a strip of moulding for a fancier edge. I like using a bell curve profile but half rounds can work too.
In our shop we apply these using tape instead of clamps (no nail holes or clamp dents). You can get some kind of stretchy tape just for this or use masking. Just be careful that the tape doesn't pull up grain of veener. This should be OK on Birch, Oak or mahogany can be a problem.
Make the strip a little wider than the ply. Glue it up so the bottom is flush and the top rides high. Then use a scraper to pull the top down flush, just until you take a shave of the veneer. I am a power tool guy all the way but this is pretty much the best use of a scraper I've seen and the best way to pull down the hard wood edge that I've found.
If you are going to use edge banding (the glued/ironed on veneer strip) make sure to fill any voids if you are using veneer core ply. MDF core is better for this, no voids. Voids will telegraph and/or be points of bad adhesion. I wouldn't edge band this application, but if you do, really pull the edge down away from the top to minimize and nicking of the edge band when removing iotems.
Bill, can you explain? Thx...
Usually I will use solid wood. If you use a solid wood lip on the shelves it will give it additional strength.
On 8 Nov 2004 12:16:59 -0800, Chuck snipped-for-privacy@excite.com (Chuck) scribbled:
I have. In my experience, it tends to come off after a few years. I had some bookshelves in my office where the veneer tape had curled off. There could be any number of reasons of that (e.g. dry climate, my technique in applying it, edge cuts that are not completely straight, etc.), but it hasn't worked for me.
Easy enough with masking tape.
True enough. However, for aesthetics, I use a contrasting wood so I don't get the fugly line and weird change in grain direction. BTW. I tend to use 3/4" by 3/4" edging. The thinner stuff does not look good, IMNSHO.
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