Egde band trimming vs edge surfacing

[sanjay]

Hi everyone,

Need some advice on edgebanding. I am deciding how thick i should edge and my shelves and not sure if i can do this based on my tools. I have both an MFK700 and an OF1400.    I was planning to trim the front of my double thickness shelves with poplar before painting.  My question is,  should i bother with poplar at all, or stick with "thicker" edgebanding and use the MFK700 to trim.  I know there is a thickness limit for the MFK700 horizontally.  Alternatively, if i was to use a thicker edge with popular and make the pieces overhang the double-stack shelves i would need to surface the edge.  In the vertical position, can i use the MFK700 to "surface". i.e. bring the poplar down to the same surface as the shelf? 

Both options will be painted. Not sure if i am just overthinking this!

 

[Birdhunter]

I prefer using a block plane unless I have “miles” of edge banding to finish. A really sharp and well adjusted block plane worked well.

 

[Sparktrician]

I'd suggest that you could use the MFK 700 with the zero-degree horizontal base and the Festool 491666 edge trimming bit.  Be aware that the length of the cutting surfaces is 16mm or 5/8", so you'll have to cut your banding thickness a bit less than that, perhaps 1/2".  Adjust the zero-degree base so that the cutter is perhaps 0.5mm above the shelf's surface and gently adjust the base until the bit just cruises above the shelf when trimming the edging.  Check the setting on a test piece.  Do any final reduction carefully with a block plane. 

 

[woodbutcherbower]

What bird hunter said. And preferably a low-angle one.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I generally do it with the horizontal zero degrees base, adjusting the follower wheel to the point that the cutter is right over (or just slightly short of) the seam. Then I remove that last little bit with a card scraper.
Since you are painting, the thickness of the edging is not extremely important, because you won't see it. As long as it is thick enough to be protective, or allow for a profile of some kind, you can do whatever you want.

 

[sanjay]

thanks everyone for your help. I realized i actually have some face frames i will need to flush up that will be 25m thick.  i suspect the MFK700 wont work in the horizontal mode for this. In vertical mode what is the bit i can use the level the surface of the 25mm hardwood edge to the rest of the shelf?

 

[Axis39]

There are folks (I'm about to do it myself) to modify the horizontal bases to use a longer bit.  Most folks do it with the zero degree base (it makes more sense than the angled one).  You can set it up to cut pretty thick edge banding (or would it be called something else after it gets beyond a certain thickness?).

 

[Crazyraceguy]

There are folks (I'm about to do it myself) to modify the horizontal bases to use a longer bit.  Most folks do it with the zero degree base (it makes more sense than the angled one).  You can set it up to cut pretty thick edge banding (or would it be called something else after it gets beyond a certain thickness?).

Yes, this is usually referred to as the Paul Mercel modification. It comes from his Youtube channel demonstration of this mod. (half inch shy)
I did it to a bit more of an extreme. Mine will take a 5/8" diameter bit with a full 1" cut length.

 

[4nthony]

If the MFK doesn't work out, you could always use the table saw -- if you have one -- with a tall auxiliary fence to trim the edge banding. In theory, you could make the edging as thick as you want (as long as the thickness doesn't exceed the max height the blade can be raised above the table).