Melamine Edge Banding - when to apply it??

[joseph j shields]

I'm building a small bookcase out of plywood for my son's dorm room. Normally I would use iron-on wood edge banding. And then I would apply the finish.

However, this bookcase will have black iron-on melamine edge banding to match the existing furniture in the room (NOTE the plywood is maple veneer).

So my question is.... When should I apply the edge banding??? Before finishing OR after finishing???? Any tips or tricks???

(Note I will be brushing on a water based-poly)

What say you????

Thanks....

-jj

[Bruce Wrenn]

I would put it on before finishing. Run blue tape over it to prevent poly from getting on it. Finish could interfere with bonding. You could make parts over sized, apply finish, then cut to size and edge band.

[David Giles]

How about finishing an oversized piece, then taking 1/8" off the edge and applying the banding to a fresh edge?

[Josiah Bartlett]

Why not just mask the edges while finishing and then apply the edge banding afterwards? Then you don't have to worry about bonding or getting the banding gooped up with finish.

[Dave Falkenstein]

I assume you are applying finish after the bookcase is assembled. I think it would be hard to do a good job of edge banding a bookcase after it is assembled. I would do the edge banding, then assemble, then apply finish.

[Peter Quinn]

Apply before or during assembly but before finishing. Cover with tape and finish away.

[joseph j shields]

Thanks for the tips....

I think I'll:

#1. Apply the edge banding
#2. Assemble it
#3. Tape the edge banding
#4. Apply the finish
#5. Remove the tape before the finish gets too hard

I'll post my results...


-jj