source for wide edgebanding?

How about using arborite or formica?

Scarf to length.

You're going to paint it? Why not heavy paper or light weight cardboard?

Many lumber yards have rolls of wide preglued (iron-on) veneer, from something like 6" to 24" that can be cut to what ever width you'd like. I think they're only 96" long so you'd need three peices, but sounds like it would work for you.

HTH Jeffo

That would work (I think it's basically what paint-grade edgebanding is), but where can I get a single strip 200 inches long?

I wanted to have one seam (on the back side) rather than three distributed around the perimeter. I don't know how I'd bend Luan and plastic laminate would always be trying to come apart at the seams.

How tight a bends would you need? 1/4" Luan bends pretty well. That's why they use it for backyard boat building. Make sure your scarfs are in the straighter sections just to be safe. Epoxy your scarf joints.

That would work (I think it's basically what paint-grade edgebanding is), but where can I get a single strip 200 inches long?

I wanted to have one seam (on the back side) rather than three distributed around the perimeter. I don't know how I'd bend Luan and plastic laminate would always be trying to come apart at the seams.

As charlie said, butcher block paper is a possibility. Another is wallpaper...I'm thinking of the plain, heavy stuff meant as an underlay on rough walls.

I've come late to this conversation, so if my comment is incorrect, it's because I misunderstood the question.

If I was planning to paint the edge of a shelf made from particle board or plywood, I'd consider giving it a good sanding and then filling it in with Bondo or wood putty. A good sanding would then result in a smooth finish, ready for paint.

Some interesting ideas. Keep 'em coming.

Wallpaper (finally) occurred to me this morning as well. I'll have to see what I can find that's good and thick.

I guess I don't know what "butcher block paper" is. Ordinary white butcher paper would, of course, be entirely too thin.

I'm curious why those of you recommending various sheet goods such as Luaun wouldn't simply recommend cutting strips of a 4 x 8 veneer sheet, which can more easily be curved.

The problem with all the sheet goods is that I'd end up with three seams. There is no flat portion to a 4x6-foot oval.

I used Bendyboard to create a living room wall last year, and may have some scraps left. But in the direction of the kerfs means that each strip would only be 48 inches, giving me four seams instead of one. And I'd have 1000 tiny kerfs to fill with wood putty on the exposed edge.

I'm not following. How would you keep the molding from being visible when you looked at the finished piece?

I coulda swore you said your were going to PAINT it.

If well done a scarf in ply is going to have very minimal physical depression or deformity if any. If there is any, just fill it before you paint.

" painted oval structure "

A nice scarfing diagram.

Back up the joints instead of using mouldings. Put the joints where the line is closest to straight (least curvature) then simply fill the joint and paint.

If painting I do things the easy way. On particle board I coat with dry wall mud. Sand smooth then primer and paint. Looks great. WW