Edging for plywood projects
When you work with plywood you'll want to add an edging strip to finish off projects and there are a variety of options.
21/08/2018
the family handyman
Plywood is an excellent product for using as an alternative to wood when building your own furniture, cabinets, etc. Plywood is a strong and durable board product that is considered eco-friendly and has a wide range of uses and applications.
The only downside of using plywood for making furniture is that you need to cover up the edges, unless of course you prefer to have these visible. There are several options that you can use to cover up plywood edges and we've included some of the easiest and best below.
EDGE BANDING
The easiest method for applying an edge banding to plywood - and other board products - is to use edge banding. Edge banding is normally sold per roll and is available at your nearest Gelmar store and comes in a variety of wood veneer or PVC variants.
When selecting edge banding to finish off your project you can choose between pre-glued and unglued. The pre-glued edge banding already has a thin layer of adhesive applied to one side of the banding, and this is secured onto the edge of your projects using an iron.
When choosing the unglued edge banding, you will need to use a contact adhesive to apply the strip to the edge of your boards. Follow the recommended instructions for proper application and make sure to press down firmly when applying the edging strip.
THIN VENEER
If you have the right tools it's easy to make your own edge banding for finishing off plywood projects. Thin strips of wood can be cut to fit along the edge to cover up the plywood and finish off your projects.
Use wood glue to secure the wood strips onto the edges of your board and apply strips of tape to the edge while you leave to dry overnight.
TRIMMING
Whether you apply pre-glued, unglued or wood strips to the edge of the board, you're going to need to trim away any excess. For the thin veneers or PVC edging strips it's easy to cut these off with a sharp utility knife, but for thicker strips you will need to use an Edge Trimmer or router. You should be able to buy an edge trimmer at your local Builders or hardware store.
HARDWOOD EDGING
There will come a time when you want a more professional finish for your plywood projects, and you will want to use a solid wood edge to finish off plywood boards. While you can simply glue a thin strip of hardwood onto the edge of the boards, there are other methods for attaching a hardwood edge to your projects. Check out a couple of videos we've included below for more information on this.
