Cabinet shelf trim or facing

[Philip Johnson]

Is there an easy way to attach the trim or facing to the front of shelves in cabinets? I see some router bits to cut a tongue and groove joint, I have just glued or glued and nailed. I could use a domino that might be a good use for it. However I do it I don't seem to get a perfectly flush joint along the top. Can I trim the top side with a flush trim router bit with out marring the melamine. Just looking for some secrets to do this a bit easier

[Chip Lindley]

The new *air pinners* are wonderful for trim. Use very little polyurethane glue sparingly, align the top edge of the shelf trim as precisely as you care to, and PIN!

Pinner holes are almost invisible. Use filler or wood putty ONLY if you can find them!

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Philip, I've never used a flush trim bit for this as I glue the trim piece on, already finished.

I've used biscuits, cutting a slot on the shaper as I don't own a biscuit joiner.

If all you have is a grooving cutter, you could make a wood spline to fit, and since you're using the same cutter on both pieces, it should align well. (Same as cutting biscuit slots on the shaper).

Regards, Rod.

P.S. I don't own a router so I use the shaper, you could cut the slots on a router table easily.

[Prashun Patel]

If yr edging is solid wood, then you can use a flush trim bit with a bottom bearing. It won't damage the melamine. However, beware of pushing the router hard against the piece, because the washer can score the surface a tad - at least on plywood. That's why I prefer to tape the bearing line.

The other trick I've done on thicker trim is to build a jig that holds the top edge of the trim flush with the top edge of the shelf. Since you never 'feel' the bottom edge of the shelf, it's ok it that runs a little proud.

Last, and perhaps easiest (if yr trim is thin) learn (as I am still in the process of doing) to be deft with a block plane. Boy, can that thing make short work of it. I've also found a sharp chisel to work incredibly well. Hold it bevel side up and run it at a skew angle across the trim, such that the flat edge is perfectly flat against the shelf. This prevents gouging the surface.

[David DeCristoforo]

There are no "secrets". As Chip said, use "headless" pins and glue to attach your banding. I use 1/4" thick wood strips. The pins are so small that even though you have slight perforations to fill, they are virtually unnoticeable. I have found that the "best" way to get the strips flush is to make them flush to begin with. Flush trimming with a router running on a 3/4" edge is a PITA and you risk chipping the banding after it is glued to your shelves. Very slight variations can be flushed with a sharp card scraper. Of course, if you make your cabinets out of plywood instead of "melamine", you can sand the strips flush. Yes, you have to be careful when doing that because the face veneers on most plywoods are notoriously thin and easily sanded through. So even there, getting your banding flush to begin with is preferable.

[Karl Brogger]

Of course, if you make your cabinets out of plywood instead of "melamine", you can sand the strips flush.

DING DING DING!! We have a winner. Save the melamine for the box cabinet producers.

I use a 1-1/4" x 3/4" piece for shelf edging typically. Nail it on with a 15ga finish gun leaving just a hair sticking up above the plywood, then clamp it. Easiest way to clamp it is to use a pair of sawhorses and place two shelves face to face and clamp them that way. Then just belt sand them flush after they've sat in the clamps for 20 minutes. Yes, if you aren't used to using a belt sander some will be destined for the trash can. Scrape the majority of the glue off, but leaving a little bit behind will mix with sawdust and fill any potential gaps quite well. I'd say now days I muck up less than 1% of shelves doing it this way. Interior shelves/behind doors I don't even hit with a orbital. Just 120grit with the belt sander. Natural finish and being in a dark cabinet doesn't show scratches anyway.

[Loren Hedahl]

I was just in the dangerous mode of think'in . . . . .

Why not make the shelf trim about a half inch wider, install it flush at the bottom and round the exposed edges with a 45 deg or round-over bit. The actual rounding over could be done before installing (but I didn't know how to write that in one sentence!).

The effect would be like fiddles on yacht cabinetry.

[Philip Johnson]

Well its done now, thanks for the ideas. I had seen some router cutters that were made to cut a groove or a V so I got to thinking maybe there was some other way to do this. I ended up cutting some strips a bit wider and rounding the edges over and glued and nailed them. I am going to look for one of them air pinners sounds like a good thing to have around. This was a practice cabinet that will go in the garage so I am trying things out before I do some good ones in the house.I was careful to make my strips nice and straight and align them flush and I was happy the way it worked out. Next up will be to figure out how I want to do drawers