Solid Wood Edgeband Trimming - MFK 700 or OF1010 for hobbyist

[Bugsysiegals]

I used 3/4" on some shelves for a home made 8020 MFT table.  I ended up finishing them using a table saw fence jig and hand plane but it took some of the clear coat off the prefinished side which was alright for that project but not going to work for non shop cabinets.

I was planning to use 3mm strips for vanities, dining, kitchen, laundry, etc. but not sure whether I should be using thicker or not.  Thanks to Hans I have a book to read soon and perhaps it has some guidelines to follow.

 

[RKA]

In case you (or someone else) are curious about why they even use the 1.5 degree base on the MFK700 (because it didn't dawn on me until I watched a video of it in action), it's to avoid the need for a depth/plunge adjustment for the bit so you don't cut into the plywood.  With that 1.5 degree tilt all you need is a microadjustable height adjustment for the fence.  The bit can still extend beyond your edgebanding and over the plywood.  Adjust the fence height so the bit just low enough to kiss the plywood, raise it a few tenths and you're off to the races.  One adjustment does it all.

 

[Cheese]

1. I used 3/4" on some shelves for a home made 8020 MFT table. 

2. I was planning to use 3mm strips for vanities, dining, kitchen, laundry, etc. but not sure whether I should be using thicker or not. 

Given the above, the take-away is the 1 1/2º base will not work for the 3/4" material unless you modify the MFK base.

However, it will work for the 3 mm strips.

What advantages have you seen when using the 3/4" thick edge banding?

 

[Bugsysiegals]

1. I used 3/4" on some shelves for a home made 8020 MFT table. 

2. I was planning to use 3mm strips for vanities, dining, kitchen, laundry, etc. but not sure whether I should be using thicker or not. 

Given the above, the take-away is the 1 1/2º base will not work for the 3/4" material unless you modify the MFK base.

However, it will work for the 3 mm strips.

What advantages have you seen when using the 3/4" thick edge banding?

The 3/4" banding was only for appearance as my outfeed table is made of 8020 and I thought it would like nice having Maple shelves wrapped with a thicker Walnut edge.  These are my first cabinets and read 3mm is ideal but really have no idea what the standard is for solid edging.

 

 

[Cheese]

The 3/4" banding was only for appearance as my outfeed table is made of 8020 and I thought it would like nice having Maple shelves wrapped with a thicker Walnut edge.  These are my first cabinets and read 3mm is ideal but really have no idea what the standard is for solid edging.

Here's some information from Richelieu. They sell the stuff in 5 different thicknesses with 3 mm (.125") and thicker being considered "Thick".
https://www.richelieu.com/us/en/cat...ing-common-species/1188271?sort=&nbPerPage=48

FWIW...I was playing with my MFK 1 1/2º base yesterday and while it's marked in .1 mm increments, because it's driven by a screw thread, it is infinitely variable for height.

If you're absolutely sold on using 3/4" banding, then the 1010 can be used with the Angle arm, Chip guard and Edging plate for edging up to 28 mm thick. However, these attachments basically turn the 1010 into a 0º router base so caution is a must to avoid messing with the top surface.

 

[Bugsysiegals]

The 3/4" banding was only for appearance as my outfeed table is made of 8020 and I thought it would like nice having Maple shelves wrapped with a thicker Walnut edge.  These are my first cabinets and read 3mm is ideal but really have no idea what the standard is for solid edging.

Here's some information from Richelieu. They sell the stuff in 5 different thicknesses with 3 mm (.125") and thicker being considered "Thick".
https://www.richelieu.com/us/en/cat...ing-common-species/1188271?sort=&nbPerPage=48

FWIW...I was playing with my MFK 1 1/2º base yesterday and while it's marked in .1 mm increments, because it's driven by a screw thread, it is infinitely variable for height.

If you're absolutely sold on using 3/4" banding, then the 1010 can be used with the Angle arm, Chip guard and Edging plate for edging up to 28 mm thick. However, these attachments basically turn the 1010 into a 0º router base so caution is a must to avoid messing with the top surface.

Thanks for sharing.  I'm not sold on 3/4" banding for the cabinets, I'm fine using 3mm, but for the shop cabinets specifically I would like to stay with a Maple/Walnut theme of cabinets.  I'd like to do edges of doors/drawers, applied ends, perhaps inlays, etc., similar to below. 

Cabinet 1

Cabinet 2

I've not done inlays, read the MFK is great at them but do have SawStop with Incra fence if that matters.  Will Paul Marcel's mod to the 0 degree base give enough length for making cabinets similar to above or will the OF1010 be the better choice for them?

 

[grobkuschelig]

You can also go up to 28mm with the MFK with 0° base and the 500368 surfacing bit.
Might work as well, especially for shop projects.

I will do this on an edge-banding project in the coming months, but have to finish a couple of other things first, so I can currently not comment on the feasibility of the approach.

 

[Bugsysiegals]

You can also go up to 28mm with the MFK with 0° base and the 500368 surfacing bit.
Might work as well, especially for shop projects.

I will do this on an edge-banding project in the coming months, but have to finish a couple of other things first, so I can currently not comment on the feasibility of the approach.

Thanks for sharing!  I created a jig that screwed to the bottom of my OF1400 which allowed the bit to hover over the edge banding vertically but did not like the results.  Either the plywood wasn't completely flat or the MDF jig wasn't but it wasn't consistent thus I feel the horizontal approach, preferably with bearing, is probably going to deliver a much cleaner and consistent edge but YMMV.

 

[Cheese]

Will Paul Marcel's mod to the 0 degree base give enough length for making cabinets similar to above or will the OF1010 be the better choice for them?

The #1322 Vortex cutter he recommends has a cutting length of 25 mm.

If this were my decision, I'd go for the MFK with the 1 1/2º base modified to take the #1322 Vortex. That way you can use any edge banding up to 25 mm wide (or something just under that width) and not worry about messing up the top surface.  The Vortex cutter is nice because it is a solid carbide tool with a helix so I'm sure it produces a wonderful surface finish.

 

[Bugsysiegals]

With that bit wouldn’t you have to trim in vertical orientation?  Every video I’ve seen so far is trimming in horizontal ... does vertical actually provide a good finish compared to horizontal?  With the OF1400 and jig I made for vertical it definitely did not.

 

[Cheese]

With that bit wouldn’t you have to trim in vertical orientation?  Every video I’ve seen so far is trimming in horizontal ... does vertical actually provide a good finish compared to horizontal?  With the OF1400 and jig I made for vertical it definitely did not.

No, you’d use it in the horizontal position. The helical flutes will shear the wood fibers nicely. If used vertically, I’d expect a lot of chip out unless using a backer board.

 

[Bugsysiegals]

No, you’d use it in the horizontal position. The helical flutes will shear the wood fibers nicely. If used vertically, I’d expect a lot of chip out unless using a backer board.

Wow, that's a wide bit ... would it fit with Paul's mod?  Would I be able to use the feeler bearing still and adjust the horizontal plate enough to offset that wide bit?

 

[Roseland]

I had exactly the same dilemma.  I already had a OF1400 and two other routers, but wanted to do edge banding.

The Festool Edge Banding accessories also fit the OF1400, but it's so heavy and unwieldy that it's hard to get good result. Also there is no chip catcher for the OF1400.

I got the OF1010, and am delighted with it.  I typically use a 1 1/4" long 1/1" diameter bottom bearing bit for edging, and it is much more versatile than the MFK.

Good luck!

Andrew

 

[Bugsysiegals]

I had exactly the same dilemma.  I already had a OF1400 and two other routers, but wanted to do edge banding.

The Festool Edge Banding accessories also fit the OF1400, but it's so heavy and unwieldy that it's hard to get good result. Also there is no chip catcher for the OF1400.

I got the OF1010, and am delighted with it.  I typically use a 1 1/4" long 1/1" diameter bottom bearing bit for edging, and it is much more versatile than the MFK.

Good luck!

Andrew

Thanks for sharing Andrew!

 

[Bugsysiegals]

What about inlay work such as below ... is the MFK able to better cut these with stability?

View attachment 1

These 2 may not be considered, probably through cuts, but considering the style of accenting woods like above in perhaps basic to advanced ways, is it easier for this kind of work with the MFK 700 than OF1010?

View attachment 2
View attachment 3

 

[Cheese]

Wow, that's a wide bit ... would it fit with Paul's mod?  Would I be able to use the feeler bearing still and adjust the horizontal plate enough to offset that wide bit?

Wide...? it's only 8 mm in diameter. Why use the feeler bearing, the height of the bit above the surface is adjusted by the MFK height adjustment dial to within thousandths of your needs. Using bearings for proper offset alignment are usually used in vertical applications.

 

[Bugsysiegals]

It says it’s 28mm wide and cutters are 7mm tall.  That’s pretty big to be running horizontal don’t you think and will only cut 7mm so it would take multiple passes for 3/4” banding. Are we talking about the same bit?

500368 Router Bit

 

[Cheese]

That’s pretty big to be running horizontal don’t you think and will only cut 7mm so it would take multiple passes for 3/4” banding. Are we talking about the same bit?

No, not at all. That's a planer bit used to surface large areas, that's the reason for its large diameter. You need this bit shown below with a helical geometry that will smoothly slice the wood fibers.
https://www.vortextool.com/1322.html

[attachimg=1]

I forgot to add, if you were unhappy with your previous results of attacking the edge banding from above with a vertically oriented router bit...that planer bit will really upset the apple cart.  [big grin]

 

[Bugsysiegals]

Thanks, that makes much more sense now!

I believe I read only the 0 degree base can be modified, is that correct?

 

[Cheese]

I believe I read only the 0 degree base can be modified, is that correct?

No, both bases can be modified. In Paul's demo he's specifically modifying the 1.5º base.

Here's something that may be of interest. Modifying the base is the third article.
http://www.halfinchshy.com/search/label/MFK-700