Router options for edge banding

[Michael Kellough]

It takes some set-up to get it right. It is very easy because of the 1/10mm height adjustment screw.  Once you are there, with a larger diameter cutter, I get perfect results. You can dial the follower wheel to hit right at the seam line and never dig into the ply veneer.
Though I don't really recommend it, you can also climb cut with it too. This will stop any kind of tear-out, but you have to be aware of how much you are removing and it has to be very little.

I sure wanted something like that earlier today when trying to set depth on a Makita cordless router with it’s crude rack and pinion system. Trying to set the cutter depth to match an existing chamfer was hit or miss.

 

[Bob D.]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

For any type of wood edge banding, you can't beat a dedicated lipping planer. I have the Virutex and highly recommend it. I've always found routing in to be awkward, much easier to have the whole tool sit on the face of your board.

When I got my first MFK700, I had never even heard of a lipping planer. At that time, I'm still not sure if I would have gone that way, because I wouldn't have thought I needed it that much. Turns out that it really might have been better, but I was already in on the MFK. It works for me and I am quite used to it.
As far as the thin material, it just depends. 1mm PVC or wood veneer, I usually go with the chisel method. I use a 2" wide one that is essentially dedicated to that. For thicker PVC or wood edging, MFK.

It takes some set-up to get it right. It is very easy because of the 1/10mm height adjustment screw.  Once you are there, with a larger diameter cutter, I get perfect results. You can dial the follower wheel to hit right at the seam line and never dig into the ply veneer.
Though I don't really recommend it, you can also climb cut with it too. This will stop any kind of tear-out, but you have to be aware of how much you are removing and it has to be very little.

I sure wanted something like that earlier today when trying to set depth on a Makita cordless router with it’s crude rack and pinion system. Trying to set the cutter depth to match an existing chamfer was hit or miss.

The repeatability of the adjustment is part of the beauty of the MFK700 and the downfall of a lot of the more common trim routers. The Makita, Rigid, and even somewhat Bosch Colt, are a bit vague for super-fine adjustment, though they all have more total range of adjustment than the MFK.
The MFK is so repeatable that you can take the horizontal base off, bit out, swap to another base and bit to do what you need. Then put the other ones back in and trust it to be exactly where it was, dead flush edging.

 

[Steve1]

I have had the exact same problem as the OP.  But this thread has inspired me to come up with a solution. 
See below the jig I made for my OF-1010-R. 
Works like a charm.  The blue knob is used to adjust the bearing height flush to the datum surface.

 

[Michael Kellough]

[member=65451]Steve1[/member] Nice job! With this rig the bearing isn't needed right?

 

[Steve1]

[member=65451]Steve1[/member] Nice job! With this rig the bearing isn't needed right?

Theoretically, the bearing on the flush trim bit is not needed.
I found the bearing handy when setting the cutter height --- I just put a straight edge across the datum surface until it just rubbed the bearing.   
But I suppose you could set up the height without the bearing too. 

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The bearing will save you when you get to the end of your part and the leading edge of the rig "falls off" of the end, otherwise it would dig in. You would need a much wider followers to stabilize it without a bearing on the bit. It could be done, but I imagine it would get cumbersome at some point though. Maybe a piece connecting between the followers would help without so much added mass?
This would make the plate much more like the MFK, but also having the limitation of not fitting into an inside corner. You are always held back by the size of the router base itself.

 

[tango63]

MFK 700 does have its limits on the depth of routing (or the size of the router bit).

OF1010 allows such functionality, however. Start from here:https://www.festoolusa.com/accessory/486058---up-of