Burgess bits vs Freud edge bander vs household iron

[Rob Blaustein]

I'm planning to build a bunch of storage cabinets for my basement using prefinished plywood (I see Norm has used a bit of this lately). I've used the cheapo edge-banding technique before (our iron) but only for a small piece and it took me a while, probably because I'd never done it before. I'm wondering if anyone can provide an update to either the Freud edge bander (I know Mark Singer and others like it) or the Burgess matched router bit system. From my searches here it seems like Chris Padilla likes the Burgess a lot, Kelly Hanna tried it and seemed to like it at first, but then had problems with it. With the iron-on edge banding rolls, once it's on and trimmed, you're done. But the Burgess strikes me as a bit more laborious--rout the plywood piece, rout the mating hardwood edge (which has to be milled to the same thickness as the plywood, right?), then glue em together, then rip off the excess, then sand and finish the edge. And my router table is the Bench Dog mini portable one so it may be tricky to rout larger panels. I welcome any thoughts about these two different approaches. Thanks.
-Rob

[Bob Winkler]

Others have had good luck with the Burgess system. I had it, but sent it back for a refund. I didn't like the setup hassle, plus the veneer edge it VERY fragile after milling and I had lots of breakage.

Now, I only use solid wood edging, which I plane to thickness after its glued on. For me, it looks and works the best. Also allows me the freedom to rout a profile on the edge.

Bob

[Paul Prescott]

Now, I only use solid wood edging, which I plane to thickness after its glued on. For me, it looks and works the best. Also allows me the freedom to rout a profile on the edge.

Bob

I've planed solid wood edging on solid wood. But what about on plywood? I want to edge band some plywood with 1/16" ash. I'm afraid a plane would mar the plywood veneer. Suggestions?

[Jim Becker]

The Burgess is interesting but I have two concerns with it. 1) The cutters are expensive and plywood is rough on cutters. 2) Folks have reported, as in this thread, that alignment can be challenging and given a lot of the plywood today is not consistant in thickness...

A real edgebander is a nice thing to have if you are going to be doing it a lot but the basic iron can work well for occasional use. But like others, I just use solid stock, glued on, clamped with masking tape and then scraped/planed flush after the fact.

[Bob Winkler]

Yes, my tip is to be very careful. I usually handplane and take very fine shavings off. When I get very close, I either scrape or sand the ramaining edge band. I've once used a piece of wide cellophane tape to protect the veneer, but found that the extra time wasn't worth it because the tape kept the edge proud.

Others have made surfacing jigs for their laminate trimmers or small routers. But for my taste, you can't beat the ease, efficiency, and zen-like quiet of a handplane.

[Rob Blaustein]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm curious about something, and forgive my ignorance, but can you safely plane a solid wood edge band, which is a bit thicker than the plywood, down to the veneer of the plywood without damaging the veneer? Can you also use a flush trim router bit (though I wonder about the same problem there)? Would you have set the height so the bearing rides right at the edge of the plywood in order to not damage it, or is there some other trick?

[Jim Becker]

Rob, I've been thinking about making a "flush trimming jig" for a router to do exactly what you ask about with solid edge banding so that you can make it "just proud" of the veneer surface and complete with some light finish sanding. There have been a number of similar, but unique designs "out there" to do just that.

[Bob Winkler]

I plane the solid edge very close to the veneer without any issues. I never thought to question it, and always feel in full control. I usually build with cherry, which planes very easily for me, even with my older Stanley planes. Nice thin shavings. Just last weekend I put a solid curly maple edge on maple plywood, and was very impressed how easily the edge planed down. Steel vs wood- steel always wins. It a shame my daughter wanted the top stained, which to me, ruined the curly maple look. But that's another story...

I tried my laminate trimmer, but it scares the heck out of me. One slight errant movement, and either scalp or burn the edging. I love power tools, but here is a case where I feel more in control without the power.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[Jim Becker]

Bob, I also use my low-angle block plane for this, but if I were going to be doing a large quantity of edges, I'd likely opt for the tailed solution...I get so little time in the shop already.

[Doug Shepard]

I plane the solid edge very close to the veneer without any issues. I never thought to question it, and always feel in full control. I usually build with cherry, which planes very easily for me, even with my older Stanley planes. Nice thin shavings. ...
Bob

Me too. I just put the RH corner of the blade up against the banding, and keep a skewed cut going up the length of the shelf. Unless I goof and shift the angle of the plane, the blade is never actually on the plywood.
I still wouldn't mind making up a decent jig to do it with a router though. The last FWW issue has a good jig design for trimming banding.

[Mark Singer]

The best way is with a LN140 or a Stanley 78 which fas a fence to guide the plane. Set it 1/64 back and then use a scraper or sandpaper to remove the 64th. Jims suggestion about the Jig looks great! It is in the last issue of FWW by Cheung, the Freud edge bander is a great tool! The edges trimmers work well just do a light pressure and several passes. I have ruined a panel or 2 paning next to the veneer....it only takes one little edge to ruin it!

[Rob Blaustein]

Thanks again guys. Glad I posted today as it breathed some new life into the thread and clued me in to the FWW piece--I will check it out.

Some more beginner questions: If you use solid wood edge banding, do you start with a piece that is the desired width or do you glue on a thicker piece and trim it down to size on the table saw? I think I'd have a tough time cutting 1/4 inch (or thinner) slices on my bandsaw or table saw. And if you do saw it down to get the proper thickness of edge banding, how would you do this for several panels (of potentially different size) and make sure that all of the edge banding is of equal thickness?

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thanks again guys. Glad I posted today as it breathed some new life into the thread and clued me in to the FWW piece--I will check it out.

Some more beginner questions: If you use solid wood edge banding, do you start with a piece that is the desired width or do you glue on a thicker piece and trim it down to size on the table saw? I think I'd have a tough time cutting 1/4 inch (or thinner) slices on my bandsaw or table saw. And if you do saw it down to get the proper thickness of edge banding, how would you do this for several panels (of potentially different size) and make sure that all of the edge banding is of equal thickness?

Hi Rob, I use a small block plane to even up the edge banding but I place a long piece of blue tape to protect the plywood. I but the tape right up against the solid banding. When I get to the tape I sand the rest of the way. This way if your plane gets a mind of its own you are safe.

I cut 1/4 " banding or larger on the BS or TS then send them through the planer. I can get them down to 1/8" or so with the planer if I want. I'm usually more comfortable doing this on the BS with a Lennox Trimaster blade that I use for resawing. It works great!

[Doug Shepard]

... do you start with a piece that is the desired width or do you glue on a thicker piece and trim it down to size on the table saw?

I've done it both ways, but think the better way is to get it to finished width before gluing. Cutting narrow pieces can get tricky but lately I've been using 1" wide edge banding under the theory that I'm providing a little more stiffness/rigidity to the ply panel. If you want to skip making your own banding, one thing I've done in the past that's worked pretty good is buying flat 'screen molding' at the Borg. It's just about the perfect width - if you keep one edge flush to the ply when gluing, you only have to slightly trim off one edge, and the other flush edge will already have a small roundover on it. I don't think you mentioned what kind of ply you're using, but I've found it in the past in poplar, birch, and red oak.

[Bob Winkler]

I've also done it both ways, but usually cut to width prior to banding. I also use fairly wide edging (3/4 - 1" or more).

Another advantage to solid wood edging is that, when appropriate, you can overhang the underside, which gives the pleasant illusion of a wider panel.

Bob

[Scott Coffelt]

Mr. Singer beat me too the point, but I have been doing some serious thinking on this and I think it is a great job for a Stanley #78. Glad I just refurbed one. I also just saw the router set sold by MLCS, they have two profiles for arounf $40. I was thinking of getting one of them and then finish up with a sander and/or #78.