How to adhere edge banding for the home user - not pre-glued

[John Hulett]

I discovered that a local lumber yard has about 22 different varieties of faux wood-grain melamine that I intend to use for a built-in closet. I've used white melamine on two already, but this third one is for the master closet. The stuff looks great, and assuming I can get SWMBO to decide on a color/style, I'll be in business.

The only downside is that the edge banding they have is for the producution shop, so it's not of the pre-glued variety I'm used to using. So my question is, what is the best way for me to adhere the non-glued edgebanding in my home/garage shop? I can't see using cauls and clamps while waiting for Roo Glue to dry. Help!

Thanks,
John

[Yuchol Kim]

How about spraying 3M77 aerosol glue on the edge banding?

[Grant Wilkinson]

I've used contact cement successfully. It's a bit of a pain to spread it on both surfaces, but it's held for a few years now.

Grant
Ottawa ON

[Bruce Page]

John, I’d stick with the iron on stuff; it’s not that expensive and easy to apply with an old iron. To me, the production stuff wouldn’t be worth the hassle.
JMO

[Jeffrey Makiel]

Blue masking tape would probably make for good clamps. As far as the type of glue, that's a good question.

1. Yellow glue won't work because the edge tape is probably vinyl.

2. Polyeurethane glue is messy and the foaming during the curing process can become obnoxious to clean.

3. Epoxy is slow, time consuming, expensive and messy.

4. Spray adhesive sound like a possibility but applying it can be messy and time comsuming if you have to spray the sheet's edge too.

5. Contact cement will probably give very good adhesion but it's also hard to apply because it's gooey especially on the narrow edgebanding.

6. Roo glue is popular for melamine but I have no experience with it and cannot comment.

I'm thinking the spray adhesive may be the best choice from the bunch noted above unless Roo glue is the answer. Perhaps somebody else can come up with a recommendation.

-Jeff :)

[Ryan Myers]

I haven't tried this yet. But I read about it on another forum a while back. They claimed it worked much better than iron on and bonded just as good.

Fast Cap - Speed Tape

http://www.mikestools.com/S-Tape-1-X50-Fastcap-Speed-Tape-1-X-50.aspx

[Greg Deakins]

take a small can of contact cement. cut your strips to the approximate size. LAy them out face down on somthing you can trash. Stack the doors neatly. Spread half the strips with glue, and two opposite sides of the stack of doors. Wait... Take a door, lay the banding material on each side, using a block of wood to make good contact all over. Stack doors on top of each other alternating them so they arent stacked on the edges of the new banding. Trim off the excess from the doors, use a block with a belt sander sleeve around it to flush the edges with the sides not glued. Stack the doors again neatly (the neater you stack, the less overglue you need to clean up with xylene) Glue the remaining strips, and the sides of the stack without banding on yet. Wait... Repeat the steps for pressing, trimming, etc. File or sand the edges depending on the next step. This is how we did hundreds of doors in our production shop before getting the machine.

[Steven Evans]

I have used this stuff with very good results. They have the common wood grains available. I know they sell the glue(backing stuff) seperate in wide rols. I don't know if they sell it in a narrow version. It holds well, very interesting product.

[Mike Armstrong]

I've used the FastCap stuff in melamine and faux wood very successfully, so I'd imagine their Speed Tape would be just as easy to use. And then get the FastCap trimmer - http://www.mikestools.com/Fe-Trimmer-Fastcap-Fastedge-Trimmer.aspx - and you're all set!
Oh, and I'd suggest a good laminate roller - http://www.mikestools.com/Speedrollerpro-Fastcap-Speedroller-Pro.aspx
or a less expensive J roller - http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5525&filter=j%20roller

Mike

[Neil Lamens]

John:

Adding to G Deakins post, 1" china brush, cut the bristles short, little contact cement cleaner or lacquer thinner in a coffe can with a slice in the top to hold and keep the bristles clean, and use your awl to hold down the strips of edge banding as you brush on the Contact.

Neil

[John Hulett]

John, I’d stick with the iron on stuff; it’s not that expensive and easy to apply with an old iron. To me, the production stuff wouldn’t be worth the hassle.
JMO

I got the impression that pre-glued is not much of an option. They sell the corresponding banding to their melamine in a 600' roll that is not pre-glued.

- John

[John Hulett]

I've used the FastCap stuff in melamine and faux wood very successfully, so I'd imagine their Speed Tape would be just as easy to use. And then get the FastCap trimmer - http://www.mikestools.com/Fe-Trimmer-Fastcap-Fastedge-Trimmer.aspx - and you're all set!
Oh, and I'd suggest a good laminate roller - http://www.mikestools.com/Speedrollerpro-Fastcap-Speedroller-Pro.aspx
or a less expensive J roller - http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=5525&filter=j%20roller

Mike

Mike - is this essentially a sort of double-stick tape application?

I have a trimmer, and have just used a 4-5" block of 2x4 in lieu of a roller.

- John

[Pete Brown]

As an aside, I assume you'll provide significant support for the shelves. Particleboard (and MDF) have very little resistance to bowing and can support far less weight than solid wood.

The previous owners of our house put particle board shelves in each of the closets and they have sagged almost 2" in the middle on an approximately 3' span. I'm slowly replacing the closet shelving in some of the closets with wire shelving (keeps clean, you can see more, and it isn't bowing). It's a lot more expensive than the particleboard, though.

Pete

[John Hulett]

As an aside, I assume you'll provide significant support for the shelves. Particleboard (and MDF) have very little resistance to bowing and can support far less weight than solid wood.
Pete

I used similar material about 18 months ago in my eldest son's closet. Generally, the shelves are not bigger than 24" wide and 15" deep, with the exception of the top, which spans the entire length of 83", but is supported approximately every 24" accross the depth of the top. I have not noticed any sag in this closet. I'm just finishing up my youngest son's closet, with the master closet coming up next. I have no plans to change the contsruction method, just the material will be a "wood grain" melamine instead of white. I guess I could post pics...

Sagulator indicates 0.01 deflection.

http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm

- John

[Mike Armstrong]

Mike - is this essentially a sort of double-stick tape application?

- John
I haven't actually used that tape, but that's what the web site says it is.

Mike