How to finish plywood shelf edges

[Dennis Putnam]

I'm building a cabinet that will be stained and have glass doors so I need shelves that look good. Since using solid oak planks for the shelves is beyond my budget, I'm looking for ideas on how to make shelves with oak veneer plywood (that will be the material for the carcass anyway). Specifically, how to handle front edges that will be exposed (obviously the sides and backs don't matter).

That thin veneer stuff is out since I've never seen it stick to plywood edges well and it looks tacky anyway. I'm thinking of using oak strips but I don't have a biscuit slot cutter so I don't know of a good way to attach them. How do these jigs, I've seen, for round dowels work and are they good enough for this type application? I don't want to have to worry about the edges falling off when something is dragged out. What is the best way to cut the strips (and how thick) so I won't have to spend 2 days sanding the joints to blend them?

Any other suggestions for exposed shelves? Thanks.

[Gary Groves]

You could put a tongue on the plywood, and a groove for the oak face strip that is planed to the thickness of the plywood. OR you could just let the face strip be 1" (still using a tongue and groove joinery) and have a thicker slightly stronger shelf.

[Dan Gill]

You can easily glue edging strips to the shelves. Make them thick enough, and you can route a profile in them. I've used several methods:

1. Make the strips wider than the thickness of the ply, glue them on, then level them out using a plane or a flush-trim router bit.

2. Make the strips as wide as the thickness of the ply and glue them on with some sort of alignment aid. I've used three blocks of wood screwed together with two overlapping and faced with plastic tape.

3. Make the strips as wide as the thickness of the ply and glue them on, tacking in place with an air nailer. Dont do this one if you want to route a profile! But you can fill the nail holes easily.

[Paul Simmel]

Slightly oversized, definitely glue them… flat on a bench two at a time with the edging face to face. Scrape the top edges flush.

[Laurie Brown]

I made oak ply shelves for my cabinets and I used Band-It brand real wood veneer. It is pre-glued, applies with an iron, and it has held up very nice and looks like real wood in my cabinets. I shellaced and poly-ed the end veneer at the same time I finished the rest of the shelf, and it looks like a solid piece.

[Larry Browning]

Dennis,
For a shelf edge just gluing a flat strip to the edge is plenty good. The only issue is alignment while gluing. Making the strip slightly wider than the thickness of the plywood makes this easier. Those bowclamps that you see here would be just the thing for clamping the edge on. What a great excuse to get a new tool! Then use a flush trim router bit or block plane on the edges and your good to go. I think that the tongue and groove idea is a bit overkill on something like a shelf edge.

[Dennis Putnam]

Slightly oversized, definitely glue them… flat on a bench two at a time with the edging face to face. Scrape the top edges flush.
Ugh! In case I wasn't clear, I HATE sanding. :) Cutting, assembling and all that fun stuff is OK. Does that mean I can't hold the title of woodworker?

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I gather there is a concensus that some type of locking mechanism (dowels, biscuits, etc.) is not really necessary. I'm somewhat surprised since I didn't think glueing to the particle edge of plywood was any good. I guess I'll try it.

[Paul Simmel]

>>> Ugh! In case I wasn't clear, I HATE sanding.

I said scrape… but that’s ok. Cut undersized then and apply TiteBond IV BoardStretcher with poly bristles along grain to bring up to proper thickness.

[Bob Childress]

Ugh! In case I wasn't clear, I HATE sanding. :) Cutting, assembling and all that fun stuff is OK. Does that mean I can't hold the title of woodworker?

That's what it means. You'll sand it and like it, or else. :D

I actually like to make the oak shelf fronts an inch thick, profile both front edges, and then glue them on with pins to hold in place until the glue dries. You end up with a nice 1/4 inch "lip" on the bottom edge.

[Homer Faucett]

I say cut slightly oversized, line up your wood strip to be flush with the top of the shelf (or slightly proud if you can bear sanding just a little), and pocket screw it on with some glue. A little overhang on the bottom just makes for a good finger hold when you are adjusting the shelves.

I like pocket screws, as you don't need clamps. IMHO, oak veneer plywood is probably overkill, as you probably will not see the tops of the shelves, and the front is what is normally seen. I just did this very thing by edge banding some poplar boards with some spalted maple fronts to match the rest of some cabinets I put together.

Good luck.

[Rob Blaustein]

If strength is an issue (i.e. if you want to put something heavy on the shelf and avoid bowing) you will get a much stronger shelf if you edgeband with solid wood rather than the thin iron-on stuff. The latter can look great if applied properly, but it will not add strength. I think people typically use a tounge and groove type joint, a spline, or biscuits to attach solid edgebanding.

[Joe Unni]

Dennis,

Glued - thin strips, thick strips, biscuits, nails, brads, tongue & groove, even screws and plugs, but don't dismiss the pre-glued, iron on edge banding if, as Rob said, strength isn't an issue. It actually works quite well and you have the option of using a contrasting species. I've a mahogany ply cabinet right above my computer and the slab door has birch banding. Looks kind of cool.

Any way will work, just pick a method.

Good luck,
-joe

[Mike Buelow]

I wouldn't make a solid wood edge strip proud at all if I can help it, as in the process of sanding or planing down the proud portion you could injure the adjacent veneer of the plywood shelf. And assuming you are using BORG plywood, your veneer is even thinner, leaving you only so much sanding thickness to burn through.

[steve swantee]

Hi Dennis, I have a triple bead router bit I like to use to make edging for any plywood shelves I make. The bit makes a profile just slightly wider than the plywood is thick, so I just make it flush on the top, and let it overhang a bit on the bottom where it is hidden anyway. I usually make this strip about 3/8 to 1/2" thick, and subtract this from the width of the plywood shelf parts, and I just use glue and a couple of brads to attach it. Good luck

Steve

[Billy Chambless]

TiteBond IV BoardStretcher

Where can I get some of that? It sounds like just what these dovetails need...

[Byron Trantham]

Dennis, in my experience, there are two issues when trying to decide how to finish the edge of a plywood shelf. First is lateral strength and second whether you want to put a profile on the edge. If the answer is yes to either or both of these two issues then solid wood edging is required. If the answer to both is no then iron edge banding is a beautiful solution.

If your shelves are fixed - not adjustable, and you are worried about lateral strength, staple the back board along the self. If they are adjustable then the lateral strength issue is still valid.