Need Edge Bander Recommendation

[Jim Becker]

A number of the projects on "my list" are going to need edge banding...enough that doing it manually with solid stock will be way too tedious and time consuming. I'll appreciate comments from folks who own any of the "more portable" edge banding solutions. Yes, I know I can use a simple iron, either a household type or a hobby type (such as those used for covering R/C planes) but I'm open to investing in something that holds a spool of edging. I'm not considering anything large and stationary as that would not be necessary for anything I ever plan to do in the shop.

Your suggestions and comments? TYIA

[Charlie Plesums]

I have been looking for that solution for several years. For every recommendation I have gotten, there have been at least two people who have said "don't waste your money on ..."

For work where I want a hardwood edge (for durability or edge profile) I have purchased a lipping planer (expensive, and a love-hate relation). For veneer edge banding, I haven't found a better solution than the steam/dry iron, a block of wood, and a sharp, wide, chisel, and I use about 1000 feet of edge banding per year.

[frank shic]

jim, to tell you the truth, there's NOTHING that does a great job in the hobbyist price range. i've been looking high and low for the last several years since i got into frameless cabinetry - decent edgebanding is a cornerstone as you may realize! the HOT AIR edgebander is just slightly more efficient than the old hand iron and you still have to trim it after your done. even if you get into a fancier machine like a virutex or a minimax with edge/front/back trimmers, the hot air glue melamine edgebanding is pretty frail and chips very easily.

currently i'm using the fastedge PVC tape. yes, you still have to apply it by hand and trim afterwards, but the stuff is much more DURABLE than melamine hot air edgebanding. i was tempted to buy a $1000 castle HOT GLUE edgebander off craigslist so that i could get a broader range of REAL edgebanding but the thing is 400# and takes up a fair amount of shop space. i wish some manufacturer would come up with a power hand tool that trims both sides with a slight bevel to prevent catching on the edgebanding when sliding objects over it in the $200-300 price range. currently i trim with a laminate trimmer and a 7 degree bit but the PVC glue gums it up real fast. trimming with a utility knife isn't that hard but does take some time. i've seen the lamello laminate E trimmer which i've been wondering if it could perform this task more efficiently.

if you really want to get one of those hot air freud take-offs, i've got a woodtek version that i'll sell you or ANYONE ELSE for a decent price if you PM me.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

My brothers and I are just hobbyist, but we've gone thru thousands of feet of edgebanding. We use a simple iron followed by a block of wood to add additional pressure. Then we use a simple edge razor device like the Virutex or Band-it. If we are doing a lot of panels, then we set the router up as shown below and use a climb cut.

Ends are trimmed with a razor knife (Virutex makes an edge cutting device that's very interesting). Finally, a quick lick with fine sandpaper.

Some manufacturers offer pressure sensitive adhesive banding in lieu of hot melt glue. We've used it and have no complaints.

Sorry Jim, nothing fancy here.

-Jeff :)

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/Beff2/Laminatetrimillustration1096x625.jpg

[Mark Singer]

I have the Freud model and it is very good! It is about $200, well worth the price

[Jim Becker]

To be clear, I'll be using cherry edge band, not a plastic product. For a long row of bookcases, for example, all the edges will be visible. As fond as I am of building in solid stock, the kinds of projects that are priorities right now due to the addition are best suited to sheet goods...and one has to deal with those nasty edges accordingly! LOL

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

[Bernhard Lampert]

Jim,

A while ago I bought a Cehisa EPS2 edge bander at an auction. It is a fairly small, stationary machine and all manual. There is an optional power feeder available. But it has a glue pot and can take solid strips up to 4 mm thick in addition to pre-glued or plain edgebanding.
It takes a bit of practice but it does work fairly well. The worst problem is cleaning the glue pot.

Cheers,
Bernhard

[Matt Meiser]

Jim, Fastedge makes real-wood peel and stick stuff. They sent me a sample a while back because I was thinking of using the pre-finished sutff on my bathroom project a while back. Its pretty expensive though. I ended up using iron-on stuff which I just used a household iron for. I have one I bought a while back just for shop use for about $15.

I've had the opportunity to try Mark's out as well. It is fast and easy, and if you think you will use it enough, I would think you'd be happy with it.

I trim mine with one of the trimmers. I found that I got some tear-out with the oak and birch I used so I tried a trick I saw in one of the magazines. I added a piece of veneer tape to the inside edges on one side of the trimmer. That side does my rough trim which bring it to within the thickness of the tape. Then I flip the trimmer over and do the flush trim. Fast and easy, and I think it failed me once--and easy fix because you can just reheat the tape and pull it off. I finished with a quick pass with some 220 grit sandpaper to break the edges.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for your comments, Matt. The Freud is one under consideration. I didn't remember that Mark had one, but a friend and former coworker has one in his shop and says good things about it. I do seem to remember something about that trimmer trick...perhaps you posted it previously.

[Craig Feuerzeig]

Jim,

I have the virutex gun.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f339/cfeuerzeig/virutexgun.jpg

I used it for years before I bought a real edgebander (which I no longer own...) Still comes in handy for curved pieces. It's a little touchy, but gets the job done. You're welcome to borrow it. :)

[Jim Becker]

Very tempting, Craig... ;) Very tempting...

[Matt Meiser]

Oops, I had forgotten about that.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=61003&highlight=edgebanding

I had also forgotten my own tip about light and heavier pressure.

[Roland Chung]

Hi Jim,
I've got the Freud edgebander and it does a pretty good job. I use Fastedge when I can - thinking of using prefinished Cherry for a project. I am also ready to take the next step.

http://www.virutex.com/catalog/i142.html

I saw this edgebander at the AWFS and thought that it had some real potential. The rep said that a part was broken, but that it should be up and running the next day - I didn't make it back.

For a couple of months after the show, I tried to contact the company, Kant-ly, in Israel. None of my email messages were returned. After reading your message, I typed it in again and found that it had been picked up by Virutex.

My recollections of this machine (from the show):

1) Power feed
2) Connection for shop air???
3) Thermostatic heat control
4) Control for feed rate
5) Foot pedal available
6) Large, sturdy table with raised wood runners

The Virutex page says 1500w heating element - can anyone tell if this is a blower type or if shop air passes by a heating element?

The shipping on this one is about $75 and there is no tax - that I could tell without entering my credit card.

Someone needs to buy one of these and report back - Jerry, John, Jim?;)

[Alan Greene]

Jim,
As I looked at the edgebander Roland mentioned, I saw this item that sounds like it is what you are looking for:

http://www.virutex.com/catalog/i2.html
Manual Edge Bander - AG98F

Hand Held, Manual Hot Air Edge Bander

[Richard Wolf]

I have the jet edgebander. It works great for my needs, should do well for yours.
http://woodworking.jettools.com/Products.aspx?ByCat&cat=333224

Richard

[Al Navas]

Jim,

I am not certain whether you have already purchased the banding material. If you have NOT, I wonder if you have considered an edge banding router bit, something along the following lines:

http://pricecutter.com/images/art/vP16-4040_cut_01.jpg http://pricecutter.com/images/art/vP16-4040_cut_03.jpg


http://pricecutter.com/images/art/vP16-4040_cut_02.jpg http://pricecutter.com/images/art/vP16-4040_cut_04.jpg


http://pricecutter.com/images/500/vp16-4040.jpg

I will probably be going this route. I wonder if others have tried these, and what their opinions might be, to better guide you, as I have NOT tried them yet. The downside may very well be that using these bits is much more time-consuming than regular edge banding with a machine.


.

[Matt Meiser]

I remember reading a review on those edging bits on a forum. The reviewer wasn't very happy. You might search the archives for more information. I think the one system was called Burgess or something like that.

[Charlie Plesums]

I have the Freud model and it is very good! It is about $200, well worth the price
Mark, when I talked to Freud at AWFS they only thing they could come up with was $500, and nobody in the booth could tell me about it other than that they hardly sold any of them (boy did that make me want to get one). Can you suggest model numbers or other details?


To be clear, I'll be using cherry edge band, not a plastic product. For a long row of bookcases, for example, all the edges will be visible. As fond as I am of building in solid stock, the kinds of projects that are priorities right now due to the addition are best suited to sheet goods...and one has to deal with those nasty edges accordingly! LOL

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
Jim, for bookshelves I usually attach a 3/4 thick by 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch piece of hardwood to the front, to stiffen the shelf as well as hide the edges. As books are pulled off the shelf, the wear on veneer edge banding makes it too risky. Just butt gluing has worked fine for the last several years - I used to try to get fancy by rabbeting the strip, but no more. I do use edge banding on the carcase sides, and sometimes the top.


I have the jet edgebander. It works great for my needs, should do well for yours.
http://woodworking.jettools.com/Products.aspx?ByCat&cat=333224

Richard
Richard, the complaint I heard about the Jet unit is that it could not handle the slightest curve, did not do any trimming, and was touchy getting the right temperature. Most of my edge banding is straight line, but what about the temperature?


My brothers and I are just hobbyist, but we've gone thru thousands of feet of edgebanding. We use a simple iron followed by a block of wood to add additional pressure. Then we use a simple edge razor device like the Virutex or Band-it. If we are doing a lot of panels, then we set the router up as shown below and use a climb cut.

I use the Jeff method, but lately I have been getting a lot of tear-out in the edge banding when I use the Virutex or Band-it cutters (despite replacing the blades). I don't know whether it is my technique (I will have to Try Matt's trick), or the quality of the edge banding is going down, but I have gotten pretty fast with a wide sharp chisel, manually trimming, then rounding slightly with sandpaper.

[Jim Becker]

Al, I have not considered that kind of cutter, both because I don't want to continue to wrestle with solid stock for those projects (8' strips of narrow stuff are very tedious to cut, let alone finish) as well as the poor reviews of similar cutters. The resins, etc., in the plywood dull cutters up like that really fast, too.

I just PM'ed Wes Billups about the Freud edge bander he has offered via the SMC Free Classifieds.

Charlie, the Freud sells new for $249 at Amazon...although there is a 4-6 week wait as it is a drop ship item.

[John Bush]

Hi Jim,
I built cabinets for two garages with the help of a friend and his professional cabinet shop(on the weekends) and his edgebanding machine is a monster Italian model(Countach-- I wish) that was 14'+ and had 6 trim routers. It was amazing how fast I edged several hundred feet of carcases, doors and shelves. I used the standard white vinyl, but he had rolls of a wide variety of natural wood edging. Time being an issue, I'd suggest you "ask around" and see if a shop would do it for you. May not cost more than a machine that would see limited use with regard to you preferred WW style. JCB

[Jim Becker]

John, if all the projects were going to be done at the same time, I'd likely find value in working with another shop, but in this case, having a tool available in my own is going to make sense. Investing $200 isn't a waste over time on that basis. And given the need to work on weekends, using another shop is less likely to work out. But I do appreciate the suggestion! (I actually have an offer from another SMC member to use his stationary edge-bander, but even with my hybrid vehicle, I'd use enough fuel in a few trips to pay for the tool I have in mind!)

[Richard Wolf]

Richard, the complaint I heard about the Jet unit is that it could not handle the slightest curve, did not do any trimming, and was touchy getting the right temperature. Most of my edge banding is straight line, but what about the temperature?


Charlie, I have done curves with mine. You must preset the edgebanding for zero overlap on the bottom surface, not difficult. Temp control can be a problem because everything is hand feed, and temp will depend on speed past the hot air gun. That's only about a 5 min learning curve. No auto trimming.
My cabinet building friend has the same unit, he built it into a large table, and mounted a 1/4 hp power feed. For $1,000 is works very well, and you have another power feeder to use.

Richard

[John McCall]

:eek: Jim,

It seems well beyond the realm of the reasonable, but Felder is promoting the Forka 200 manual edgebander at an "introductory price" of $3,495. I have no experience with it and likely never will. However, the specs look impressive.

[Jim Becker]

It seems well beyond the realm of the reasonable, but Felder is promoting the Forka 200 manual edgebander at an "introductory price" of $3,495. I have no experience with it and likely never will. However, the specs look impressive.

Umm...yea...that would be, well...a little outta the park for my needs. Besides, it's hard to say you're going to "stick a Forka in your shop" without audibly laughing a bit... (Felder must have hired someone from Ikea in their marketing department :D)

[frank shic]

john, there are several other companies that market the same product. the main deficiency with them are the lack of end trimmers and edgetrimmers. for a little more money, virutex makes the eb-10 benchtop hot air edgebander complete with automated feeder and edgetrimmers for almost $400 as well the larger full-sized eb-20 and eb-30. keep in mind that hot air edgebanding is not nearly as durable as PVC and there is still some hand trimming required afterwards. still, if you find a good deal on craigslist or ebay, why not? i might just have to cobble together a horizontal router table with two laminate trimmers to take care of my edgebanding trimming needs. who knows? maybe i'll patent it!!! :p

[Ed Falis]

I've got the Burgess bit set, and it works well, once you have the height set right on the bit cutting the concave part (ie it's a fussy setup). The only reasonable way to do it is to have two cutting stations, one for each profile, and go through and do the whole batch at once. It's a bit tedious as Jim predicted. But, it does give you some nice customization capability, and the result looks good, whether you completely embed the edging or leave some out and put a profile on it.