Hardwood edge laminating to plywood

[Ryan]

I'd like to use a tongue and groove joint. Which would be better? Have the tongue side on the plywood side or the hardwood side? The span of the shelf would be 48".

Ryan

[rcook5]

FWW recommends grooving the plywood. So the tongue goes on the hardwood strip.

--RC "Sometimes history doesn't repeat itself. It just yells 'can't you remember anything I've told you?' and lets fly with a club. -- John W. Cambell Jr.

[Swingman]

Normally you would groove the plywood. In most applications, and considering the thickness of most edge banding, you likely won't have enough material to groove the edging material without weakening it.

[Roy Smith]

I just did this on a 6-foot long shelf. I put the tongue on the hardwood (dado blade on the table saw) and the groove in the 3/4" plywood (slot-cutting bit on the router). I made the grove about 1/4" wide and 5/16" deep; the tongue was about 1/16" shallower than the groove. I cut the tongue slightly thick and planed it to fit. Make sure you plane equal amounts off both sides of the tongue to keep it centered.

As for which would be better, I can't really say. All I know is it seemed to work out OK the way I did it.

[Al Holstein]

There was a similar question about a month ago. The answer that I gave then is the same one that I will give now. Why don't you just use contact cement to glue the hardwood edge the the plywood shelf. I have done this many times and then use the router trim off the excess. It works and looks fine and has held up of me on a wall unit for at least

22 years.

It works for me.

Al