Edge Banding for Beginners: Things You Must Know For Perfect Results!!!

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Thanks for your support! Virutex ET6 ET-6 Single Side Edge Banding Trimmer - amzn.to/3qMd4Q1 (Amazon - Earns Commissions) FastCap Pliers Macro Flush Cut Trimmers - amzn.to/47KpPLE (Amazon - Earns Commissions) FastCap Edge Banding Trimmer - amzn.to/3YSuxmD (Amazon - Earns Commissions) FastCap SpeedRoller Pro Laminate Rollers - amzn.to/45JMxlb (Amazon - Earns Commissions) Crescent Nicholson 06992N 10" Knife Double/Single Cut Bastard File - amzn.to/3OPs2ge (Amazon - Earns Commissions) Liquid Wrench M914 Silicone Spray - amzn.to/3KVRwHq (Amazon - Earns Commissions) Edge Supply Birch Pre-Finished 13/16" x 250' Roll Preglued, Veneer Edge Banding - amzn.to/45IkWkj (Amazon - Earns Commissions)

[@snomofilms]

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time 😉

[@davidestep94]

I used to do it the way you are showing, 5/8 years ago I stepped up my game to a virutex benchtop machine and added a power feeder for long lengths and more production. This is a glue pot machine. The selection of tape products is a lot better

[@anneoreilly4900]

Love Matt @Next Level Carpentry - incredible skills and dry humor

[@hunterbashans3986]

I discovered this channel earlier this year and all of your videos I watch help me a lot with woodworking as I am somewhat of a decent beginner builder but lacking in knowledge in a lot of small details/techniques that I learn from watching your vids, you are a very good teacher and I appreciate the quality of your videos

[@michael.schuler]

If you do much edgebanding in a small shop, but not enough to justify industrial machine, consider Virutex G7910 Handheld Edgebander. It's basically a hot air gun with spool and end trimmer. I've been using mine for decades, saves a lot of time. Virutex also makes handy end-trimmer and double edge trimmer.

[@degrom542]

Some really good advice Spencer. I like to put a clear finish on the edge banding afterwards.I use a 3/4'' foam type applicator dipped in a water based urethane.

[@waukeecabinetworks5690]

Two alternate options to try if you have a lot of banding to do.. I am not sure if they are still around, but Freud and possibly other brands, had a relatively cheap (>$400) benchtop edgebander that was nothing more than a heat gun mounted to a small table with fences, feed guides, and rollers to flash the pre-glued tape (on the glue side) moments before you push the part along the fences of the tool to apply the banding. It was great option for our shop and jobsite back in the day and definitely speeds up the process even with needing to still roll out the banding and trim it. As we got busier or when we needed to use banding that we couldn't get pre-glued, we found spray adhesive as about as productive as you can get before investing in a legit edgebander. This process was simple and fast. Make stacks of parts with the edges needing banding flush to one another. After the stack(s) are made, start precutting banding and laying them out in order in front of the stack. Double coat the stack and the banding with spray adhesive all in one shot. After its tacked, start peeling parts off the stack and banding off the table. Apply, roll out, trim, done. Fastcap makes awesome products and I love their roller over a traditional J-roller for ergonomics, but most will find that the Virutex brand double sided trimmer and end cutter is superior to other options out there. Side note: Been following you for years and admire the success of your channel! I was chatting with my brother (last name Balm) a few months back and your channel came up... I didn't realize he's known you even longer! Small world. Keep up the awesome work!

[@InsiderCarpentry]

We go back! I've known him for over a decade going back to the forum days. He has been a mentor to me for a long time. I still bounce ideas off of him when I get into new types of work. He's mentioned his brother that does cabinet before. Glad to make the connection!

[@taylormedia1000]

I should forward this video to my former employer and suggest he use it as an instruction video. I started cold working for a furniture builder and landed in the sanding edge banding department. "One dull box cutter" to cut banding inside finished cabinets. Try cutting 1/16 " edges and 45 degree ends.

[@zephyr1408]

The file, and that flat cutter I am ordering now cause I do a fair bit of banding !

[@russmartin4189]

Great video. You were very thorough. One suggestion. Either use a vise or vises to hold the piece in a vertical position so you can easily apply pressure with the iron in a downward direction. I use two Kreg Mobil Project Ecnters with clamps on the end. I recently edge banded about 500 feet of maple veneered plywood. I apply the banding, use a edge banding trimmer tool to remove the excess, sand with 80 grit, then finish with 150 grit. I go through a lot of 80 grit paper, but it works quickly to even the edge before finish sanding.

[@LifeSurfingDude]

thank you Spencer very useful info. bought some tools you recommended through your links. looking forward to your videos!

[@robertbankhead8661]

Excellent job, some new stuff to learn, like that edger tool!

[@scottservey8744]

You can make iron on veneer by painting on Tightbond on the veneer as well as the substrate and allow to dry, then it can be ironed on. I used this method to re veneer some parts on a 66 Jaguar

[@ralphsullivan8972]

Thank You For all the tips you give.

[@donproctor3445]

as usual very informative video. Again you are wise beyond your years in Carpentry. I dont why you dont have a million subscribers

[@papiwe1]

Thanks ihave done some before but your tips were very helpful.

[@thedge7]

I find separating the 2-side trimmer and using it on one side at a time gives good, consistent results.

[@stevendavis6759]

Great video, thank you so much for telling us where the tools came from.

[@ST-0311]

Good tutorial, with nothing left out. I use a regular J-roller, but that palm roller looks pretty cool. I agree with you about single edge trimmers for banding, but I hadn't seen the chisel method before. Good to know in a pinch.

[@peterc3228]

Dewalt (and probably other manufacturers) make a chisel with a blade on the side too. Might be worth a try if you do a lot of edge banding. Workpiece would probably have to be flat on the table, against a stop, or clamped upright. As you would need two hands to guide it 👍

[@PeakDogs67]

A planer blade works the same way but even better.

[@RICHat22]

Good video. I have all the tools you have shown, with little to no experience with them. Nice tips.

[@donovancampbell7785]

Thanks for your knowledge and your experience. Great videos!:)

[@galenfowler8453]

I really enjoy watching your channel. I have learned a lot from you. Great advice!

[@chiropractorsarnia]

You're the man Spencer. A very 'user friendly' video (similar to all your other videos that I've seen), diction is clear, slow & precise, tools are first class & following the steps you suggest always gives great results. Thnx for doing what you do . . . so well, I might add!!

[@beerymr]

Thanks, Spencer. I came back to this video to see your tool recommendations.

[@MsDayPlanner]

Thank you so much for your video. I'm hoping to cut into a pre-made cabinet, and also trim off the edges of the tops so they will be flush when I'm finished. I had no idea about this step, but used your links for most of the items I was going to get anyway, but your tips really took the guess work out of it. Now if I can just find someone to show me how to cut away wall sections so when I join three cabinets, some shelves will be wider. Still a mystery to an amateur like me, but this really helped a LOT.

[@ShrednESP]

Great tips & tool recommendations. For some furniture projects I like to make my own edge banding but for some cabinets or other projects you can't go wrong with the adhesive back. I agree with purchasing the large rolls. When I have alot laying around I edgeband everything..lol.

[@zbeshears6945]

Legit just built a whole big houses written of frameless cabinets. First time I’ve ever done frameless or edge banding and just kinda learned from trial and error lol Finished them up yesterday.

[@garry5327]

Well done for the full tutorial and like the new bench top 👍

[@kanudecor7188]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing, keep it up!

[@rickcimino743]

Great video and I appreciate the shout out to Matt Jackson from NLC. One thing I think Matt would do that would help the process is that he would put the piece in his flat vice to work on it so that he's not balancing the piece while trying to put on the edge banding. Just a suggestion.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

I noticed that. Unfortunately I don't have a good vice setup right now.

[@SiemensManufactura]

Thanks for your help. I apprecite it!!!!!!!!

[@aspees]

One of the less expensive simple tabletop hot air edge banders is a huge game changer. It allows you to use prefinished tape for prefinished ply. It's worth having just for shelves. I tried one of the Virtux handheld ones and could never get it to work well.

[@MichaelCZUSA]

Excellent video, Spencer. Didn't know about the single-edge cutter. Thanks again... as I trot off to your Amazon store.😁

[@InsiderCarpentry]

I have 3 of them and haven't had any issues.

[@taportnj]

If you can find one, please share where! I can't seem to locate, Amazon is out and manufacturer no longer shows the item... 😢

[@tc9148]

Love it, great tutorial with perfect advice for a tricky install/

[@dbbyleo]

Hey Spencer.. great video. A big fan of the channel. Great contents. Just wanted to add a tip: I prefer to put on my edge banding after the rough cut of my pieces. For example, for shelvings or cabinet sides/tops/bottoms, etc. I'll break down my sheet goods, and rip them to WIDTH. At that point, I'll put on the edge banding along the length. Then, when all the pieces are banded, I cut them to final length. It just saves me from the hassle of cutting the banding flush at the ends... and the ends looks real good and perfectly flushed with the piece. Of course if you have to band all four sides, this won't work perfectly. And yup... that has been my experience with the FastCap trimmer... because going in any direction with the trim means you'll likely going along the grain on one side, but against the grain on the other. I've actually taken the halves apart to trim one side at a time. I'm buying that tool you listed. I'll definitely have to try filing my fresh cut edge.

[@2chipped]

Very informative like always! Old school is baby powder or cornstarch on files,before use.

[@brianhawes3115]

Some things that improved my edge banding were from a company from Italy, veratex, the edge trimmer, that you have, and their end cutter, I was hoping you’d have the festool edge banded, it uses it own glue pucks, and you can apply your own wood strips, so you’ll always have the right species or wood for your project

[@hansangb]

So very practical. Thank you!

[@JP-xr9qg]

Great info, thanks!

[@thetoolman3]

Great tips. I just tried edge banding for some Euro style shop cabinets I'm building. I'm painting them, so I used a sander to flush up the edge banding and a sanding block to ease the edges. If you're using pre-finished plywood, how do you finish the edge banding? I guess you could use wipe on poly. Any other tips?

[@jeffdavis7872]

Use a file card, leave the silicone in the cabinet. Keep the great videos coming.

[@JonDunnmusician]

Hello Spencer! First main question- have you used the 3M peel & stick?: we use it with moderate success-- similar issues with imperfections on lengthwise edges. Question #2- Have you considered making one side firm flush to a flat work surface and just trimming one edge?

[@brianweishahn9131]

I use a double sided tape to stick unglued banding. Works great! I think it's faster.

[@freddyramirez1820]

But why? use wood glue, and iron it on still..double sided tqoe sounds like issues in the future

[@johnisley4578]

Great Advice. Cheers

[@markb.1259]

Excellent video Spencer!! Say one of those pieces of banding somehow became damaged one day down the road. How do you replace a piece of banding? Can you heat it back up and try to pull off the old piece?

[@26apr08]

Absolutely

[@robjeffrey7544]

Thank you!

[@KoreyKendall]

Bought the virutex trimmer in this video hoping it would speed up my edge banding process. The bottom of the blade stuck past the plastic part of the handle and scratched my pre-finished birch plywood every time. Only way I could run it across the edge without scratching was to angle the handle and then it cut into the edge pretty bad. Not sure if this was a manufacturers defect or not but it’s definitely getting returned.

[@jeffponkratz8012]

Nice Job Mr. Lewis. Thank you. I would appreciate your insight on finishing edge-banded plywood. I'm producing frameless kitchen cabinets out of Maple Garnica Plywood and had to edge band. I want paint these edges to match the cabinet doors. I know edge banding may be stained, but how about painting glossy maple edge banding? I'm concerned about peeling.

[@stevehaken]

Nice content. Picked up a trick or two... '=)

[@brilldotnet]

WOW!! great video Spencer, thank you for collecting all this info into one place. One question though - i didn't hear you mention the alternative of using a router table or a trim router with appropriate bit. I admit that I haven't yet gotten good results doing it this way, but I always assumed that it would be the fastest and method that would yield the best results?

[@davids8493]

Hi Spencer, there is actually a specific tool for cleaning up files. It is called a file card. Very helpful. Thanks.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Thanks for the tip!

[@dianesmith5626]

Good job. Thank you

[@davidlynch7666]

My goodness. I literally just put edge banding into my shopping cart and I came here for tips. Perfect timing

[@cleoburrows]

You did two opposite sides on the plywood, but what if you need to do 3 sides. How do you butt the edge banding on the 90 degree edges?

[@FreeLander5280]

Nothing I can't stand more than this task.😂 I don't know why

[@OmarGarcia-bi7jq]

Great video Spencer , if you edge band I really recommend the festool edge bander works amazing i only use it for curved panels because i use it the industrial edge bander for everything else

[@farmcat3198]

You could buy that Festool edgeband setup and really crank those out. You could probably amortize those tools over 10 years and make lots of money with them.

[@peterc3228]

If you can find a non steam iron (with flat surface, no steam holes) it works much better transfering the heat through to melt the glue 👍

[@shawnh3742]

Thanks for the tips made an order unfortunately you favorite cutter is unavailable currently

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Bummer. I probably sold them out. It happens a lot with items like that.

[@jfl-mw8rp]

Pro tip, never use silicone spray in the same building where you spray finish any cabinets or furniture. You'll get fisheyes everywhere.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Good to know!!!

[@jfl-mw8rp]

It can take a week for it to clear the building. It's such a problem that the auto industry paint lines ban many deodorants and personal hygiene products used by employees or wear a air tight tyvek suits. Usually both.

[@scottbertrand2057]

Learned the same lesson in my woodworking shop 35 years ago. We didn’t allow silicone spray to enter the shop after ruining a project..

[@markpetri3405]

I worked in a factory and I heard that if you wanted to piss off the paint crew, bring in a tube of silicone caulk and cut it open and leave it. I never thought much of it, but yeah that would be a disaster.

[@packoutjunkie160]

Great tip.

[@nicoleprefontaine8074]

Impossible to find on Amazon the virutex ET 6. Do you have another possibility?

[@donproctor3445]

have you tried the Fastcap peel and stick edge ban? If so do you like it or recommend it?

[@funnyharleyman]

Not to get off topic, but your work table, is that something you made or purchased with the holes in it? Do those holes have a standard size for using different types of hold downs? Great video, often wondered what one does with the edging for a clean finished look. Thanks, Garry

[@davidcurtis5398]

Worked at a shop where we did a lot of edge banding and had a machine. Saw an operator once that dropped a large coil of banding and it wasn't pretty. I also have a Fast Cap roller along with the sander they make for finishing the edge banding. I like it better than a file. I work the iron the same way as you do in the video and never have I had any problems with bubbles under the banding. Use the roller though!! I'd rather use a vernier saw to trim the ends. I like the box cutter idea better than my saw. Thanks.. I like the chisel method for trimming the edges. Again thanks...

[@Robert-cd2ht]

I need to do this soon and plan to paint or epoxy a gloss finish and have some rounded corners, can I do a continuous edge and what material will work best?

[@seanconnolly903]

Hey! Question. Once the edges are cleaned up what finish do you use for the edges that are now just raw wood?

[@InsiderCarpentry]

That edge banding is actually prefinished. No additional finish work required.

[@rayknightstep9083]

Should the edges of the plywood be sanded? If so, What grit do you suggest?

[@jdpiper2000]

Where did you find the edge banding to match the EV ply?

[@InsiderCarpentry]

It's somewhat of a guess. This stuff was pretty light so it matches some pieces better tahn others. I selected light pieces of ply for my doors and fronts so that it would match the edge banding.

[@m.a.r.services5720]

Nice lesson. Thanks

[@ActinOut]

Little suprised that only a few months after the video, the products in the links are unavailable. Great info as always though. Thank you!

[@stephenreamer4323]

They actually make a card file for cleaning files. Been using one for years.

[@rogerhodges7656]

WARNING: Don't use silicon on anything that is unfinished and will be finished. Silicon will cause fisheye in lacquers and oil based varnishes. This is not a problem for Spencer on this prefinished plywood or on melamine. It is an issue for unfinished wood that will be finished.

[@dougsobel2571]

I dont see any links

[@InsiderCarpentry]

See the top pinned comment or video description. Thanks!

[@andrewhopeck8652]

I'm surprised you don't have a table top edgebander. That might be a little quicker for ya

[@InsiderCarpentry]

I actually rarely have to do much banding.

[@JimReedFingerLakesNY]

Do you have a favorite brand of edgebanding or source for edgebanding?

[@Eliaslopez.333]

Yooo

[@arthuresparza2617]

I avoid silicone spray and I tell anyone that works with me not to use it. It can permanently refinish woodwork, edgebanding etc. You will not be able to touch-up repair the woodwork later without carving out the material the silicone soaked in. Touch-up repair to wood products is typically done with waxes & lacquers. Wax does not stick to silicone.

[@zephyr1408]

I do a ton of cabinets besides other finish stuff? The trend now I see is guys order cabinets and slap their charge on top of it ? Question I told one guy you are loosing a lot of your skills as a finish man if you do not make custom cabinets and just do base, crown , doors ect ? Was I wrong?

[@davearonow65]

Your close up detailed shots are blurry and hard to see. It doesn't really matter though, the meat and potatoes of your points are well demonstrated and you did a very nice tutorial. ANYONE can get started effectively edge banding even if they have never even heard of edge banding after watching this video.

[@jeffjackson3356]

My favorite edgebanding went up 50% in price after this video 😢

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Yikes! It'll come back down I bet.

[@mikeyp73]

Agreed. Silicone should be nowhere near if you plan to paint anything touched with that file. Otherwise, good video!

[@michaeldaniel7012]

I really like your content of your videos. It made me cringe when you sprayed the file with that silicone spray. Wow, spewing that toxin everywhere. Yikes! I have upgraded to an automatic edge bander years ago but I occasionally trim some things by hand and the Veralux end trimmer is far superior than the end trimmer you showed

[@rickysdrywall5288]

This triggers my PTSD. I used to work in a furniture factory making office furniture that comes in a box and you put it together with cam lock screws. I ran the edge banding machine and my main job was to stand at the end of a conveyor and trim the edges of the banding. It was the most boring job I've ever had, the people were just awful, and the place was so dirty, I wouldn't even sit down in the break room.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Yikes! That sounds bad!

[@woodworkbycross]

I love your videos. But I just want to roast you:). If those are drawer boxes always do sides first so top overlaps sides

[@mim2046]

Super bad idea to put silicone on your file. If that silicone gets onto your wood, it will soak into the pours and cause fisheye contamination. I use lacquer thinner or acetone in a squirt bottle and use a file card to clean i t out. Fast cap makes a tool called Fastbreak for exactly what you're using the sanding block and file for. Also, NEVER pull back on the file. With the tail down, it cuts ONLY on the forward stroke. You should also be using a 10" mil file from Plasti-cut. The same exact files used when we do Formica laminates. You can also use a laminate trimmer with a bottom mount bearing router bit to trim the edge banding