wood countertop edging

[Gary Hoemann]

I am looking for some advice on making and installing cherry counter edging to a ceramic countertop. There is one section that has a gentle curve to it and so I will have to have the wood between 3/8 and 1/2 inch thick.
I am wondering the best way to attach the edging and the best finish.
Should I finish the wood after it is installed, considering the curve, or will the finish flex without cracking. Just what finish would be the most durable in this application?

[Jose Kilpatrick]

This is where your enginuity comes in. Some people simply cut relief cuts in the back of stock and bend it around the curve, but usually this is with ply wood where formica or another material will be attached.

Depending on the length of the to board, I think it would be fairly simple to build a steam box with an old pressure cooker and some metal duct.
I have the design in mind to build one, but am not quite sure how effective it would be, but here's the idea I have.

I have a couple of pressure cooker pots that I picked up at a thrift store. I'd use my hole saw to cut a 3" hole in the top lid and fasten a vertical piece of metal duck over the hole and fasten it with rivets. Then saddle in a piece of horizontal metal duct on top of the vertical piece and seal up the joints real tite with RTV sealent and cap off the ends. When heated by a hot plate, this should hold enough steam to soften the wood to a degree of flexiblity to clamp it to a form that would be complimentary to the curve of which you need the piece to stay.

This may be a bit overkill for one piece of trim, but it is a DIY project of honorable mention that I think would work. Maybe not, who knows.. But it's on my "To-Tinker-with" list.

Otherwise, if you have a bandsaw, You could resaw the piece into thin strips and glue the stacks and clamp it around a form.

As far as what kind of finishing technique, I would think what ever the choice, it would need to hold up to cleaners, detergent and water for the occasional spill, or cleaning. I've always had good luck with several coats of poly on top of a stain. But to go it right, it would need to be fiinished before the piece goes on so that there are no surfaces left unfinihsed in which water could leak into and cause issues.

[Lee Schierer]

I had to finish the front edge of the counter for the vanity in my Mother's bathroom with wood, because a formed formica countertop was not available in the width that was needed and the solid surface materials were out of her price range. I applied the finish after the piece was glued on. It is showing some degradation of hte polyurethane along the top edge where water can get between the formica and the wood. In a kitchen the wood will see much more cleaning and use, so you will most likely have to refinish it at somepoint in time.

Bending kiln dried cherry even 1/2" thick with steam will be challenging. I made a curved top piece for a crib a few years back and it was all I could do with clamps to get the 1/2" thick X 1-1/2" pieces to bend, no matter how long they were steamed.

[Matt Ocel]

When you say "gentle curve" what is the radius?
I have always mitered the corners into 3 pieces (actually 2-22 1/2 degrees-or 4 depending on how you look at it)then belt sand into a curve.


Always finish after.