Edge banding proceedure

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Digizz

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I was just wondering what the correct method for applying edge banding is? I'm using .5mm thick real wood veneer edging.

I tried using an iron which wolked OK although the veneer did have a tendancy to cup at the ends at first and slip to the sides slightly.

I have a hot air gun if that's any better?

What kind of temperatures should be used?

Thanks,

Paul.
 
Somewhere recently I read if you are doing the "iron" on method, you need to ensure the panel you are joining to is at full temperature - its no good just heating it via the iron through the strip.

Adam
 
Adam":1mlzv010 said:
Somewhere recently I read if you are doing the "iron" on method, you need to ensure the panel you are joining to is at full temperature - its no good just heating it via the iron through the strip.

Adam

I guess if the iron is hot enough - it's going to penetrate the panel enough to get the glue drawn into the surface???
 
Digizz":3j5faixy said:
Adam":3j5faixy said:
Somewhere recently I read if you are doing the "iron" on method, you need to ensure the panel you are joining to is at full temperature - its no good just heating it via the iron through the strip.

Adam

I guess if the iron is hot enough - it's going to penetrate the panel enough to get the glue drawn into the surface???

That article was saying that was not sufficient. You must pre-heat the panel. I'll try and find it.

Adam*

*This is something I know nothing about - I just happened to come across it when searching for info about using thick veneers.
 
Done quite a few edges now - seems very strong joint between MDF and banding - I pulled some apart and the glue is VERY strong :)
 
I just use a household iron set on the max linen setting and have had no problems after several hundred meters, no preheating of the board either. If using white melamine then a sheet of paper stops scorching but this is not a problem with real wood banding.

I find the Veritas flush plane very good for trimming the edging as the dakota trimmer tends to tear out the grain whereas you can work from whatever direction the grain requires with the plane.

Jason
 
I used to use an iron on edging of the hotmelt variety , both regular and veneers all the time in a kitchen manufacturers workshop.

The things I tended to do after years of experience was to keep replacing the position of the iron so you give the other areas of the iron a chance to maintain a high enough temperature, say about 2-3 seconds and then move to another part of the iron, moving back along the board a bit as you go.
This is due to the board sucking out all the heat from the iron.
Obviously the temperature setting of the iron has to be set correctly.

If it is too hot, the edging will tend to curl. The glue will ooze out discoloured or the edging may smoke and blister.
Start with a low temperature and go slow and eventually you can set the temperature higher the faster you get with your technique.

In addition to the above, try to very subtly change the pressure of the iron on the top and bottom of the board (using a rocking motion, but let the iron's shoe keep full contact) so that you ensure that all the glue melts and makes contact with the edges.

I used to hold the loose edging onto the board with my leg after placing it , with the roll on top of the board and worked backwards along the board with the iron in my right hand, alternating my gloved left hand to feeding the edging or holding on the area I just melted. It does take a wee bit of getting used to judging and keeping it straight.

If you have done it well enough, you should be able to shear the excess off with the edge of a medium flat file from the front end of the board and then very carefully finish with the file. This takes a bit of getting used to as well as it is very easy to go through the laminate/veneer on the board.

We only had to do this of course when our 30 foot long state of the art edge banding machine broke down, and since it was quite often I became an expert human edgebander using the above method. :wink:

Cheers,
Raymond.
 
Oh yes I forgot to mention...do not use a steam iron as it has sectioned areas on the shoe. Instead you are looking for the type that has a totally flat surface where the shoe is one piece of metal.

I hope I explained myself enough in the last post. :oops:

Cheers,
Raymond.
 
yes - quite clear thanks.

After doing a few lengths, the best result (trimming wise) was to use a stanley blade hand held so it's flat against the face - lovely pristine edge :)
 
This is what scalpel blade were really born to do, after cutting flesh. A good order of magnitude better.
 
Jake":27v6nnfq said:
This is what scalpel blade were really born to do, after cutting flesh. A good order of magnitude better.

I found a bit too much flex in the scalpel blade - I liked th extra size and rigidity of the stanley blade.
 
If you don't have the Veritas flush plane try taking the blade out of a block plane and using that. As it is flat on one side you can run that side against the board so no digging in.

Jason
 
jasonB":37l77c0f said:
If you don't have the Veritas flush plane try taking the blade out of a block plane and using that. As it is flat on one side you can run that side against the board so no digging in.

Jason

I've got a Vertias bullnose shoulder plane (lovely plane) - with the toe removed, this does an OK job. Must invest in the flush plane :)
 
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