ForKa 200 manual edgebander

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Anybody use one of these? For light use, like two kitchens a year, would this be a good edgebander, or should I look at something else?

http://usa.felder-gruppe.at/admin/upload/machine_details/mdt_img_448_1_13.jpg

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Just bumping this thread in case someone new has any feedback.

[Jamie Buxton]

Two opinions for you....

* For just two kitchens a year, I'd stick with just an old clothes iron. $5 at your local second-hand store, $20 if you buy it new.

* I dislike veneer edgebanding. Because it is so thin, you can't round over the corners at all, or you go through the veneer. Sharp-edged corners feel bad to the touch, and they ding too easily. About the only place I'll use veneer edgebanding is on the carcass boxes of Euro-style kitchen cabinets. Those edges are almost never touched, and are not exposed too much to dings. With that limited use it mind, the old clothes iron looks like the much better deal than the Felder.

[Jim Becker]

I picked up a Freud used and it's a very functional and easy to use tool. I like the fact that it's like moving a workpiece in a shaper or router table when applying the edge banding. Tricky to store, however!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Jamie, the iron is a bit less cost yes.... Honestly, I don't know how much I'd use it. I want to make some euro style cabinets for the shop, and for a sewing room project for the LOML, but other then that, I don't know. Maybe the iron makes a lot of sense. It's not a new shiney toy though.

Jim, I'm not familier with the Freud, I'll google.

Thanks guys.

[Craig Coney]

Steve,
A second vote here for the Freud. I also made on out of a hot air gun and a laminate roller.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I just googled the Freud, and I think I have seen Norm use one of those maybe? Looks familier anyhow. It does look a little trickey to store, but simple and effective. Might give that a try. Price was $297 on the new one I saw, is that reasonable?

Scratch that price, try $287.49.

[Jim Becker]

Steve, that's not a bad price for new. I know several local small cabinet shops that use the Freud edge bander. It's small and simple, but a lot easier to use than just an iron. Given I usually work mostly in solid stock, I never imagined I'd use mine as much as I do, but it comes in handy for a lot of "little things" in addition to cabinetry work. A recent example was capping the interior partitions in my tack trunk project.