Trimming Melamine Edge Banding

[Kevcoleman]

To add on to my previous post about cutting melamine do you guys have any tips/recommendations for trimming melamine edge banding.  I have tried the hand held trimmer and its very difficult to leave a completely flush cut.  I also have tried a straigt cutting bit in a router and while its alot easer it leaves a small overhang.  I have tried two seperate bits thinking the first one might have been dull and while the second one gave a slightly better trim, it was still not perfect.  Also I have tried using a razor blade and that seems to work ok but is a lot of work and difficult to not tear into the melamine.  Any tips or techniques would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mastercabman]

i usually use a hand trimmer.then i use a file to clean the edge.hold the file at an angle.if you are doing a lots of edge banding(production work)i suggest to get a edge bander.but it is a lots of money.

 

[Kevcoleman]

Thanks. I'll give the file a try. i was lucky to pick up a wood tek edge bander off ebay several months ago in anticipation of this project for around 125 and after I adjusted it, it works great and makes quick work of edge banding all the drawer pieces,  much easier than using an iron

 

[The Dude]

Kevcoleman, no fear on the edge bander.  They are not as expensive as you might imagine.  That statement is all relative of course. 

Peace Dude!

Timmy C

There are some Festool Dealers that are also Jet and Powermatic, Saw Helper, Triton, Grex, Fein, Kreg, and Amana Router Bits and Saw Blade dealers.  ;D

Jet Edge Bander

 

[ccmviking]

The "euro trimmer" router bit is beveled and so the further out of the router you bring it the more of a chamfer it will put on your trimming.  So it will leave a little bevel and not an overhang.  It also has a square teflon bearing that's not so prone to building up with glue and gunk like a round bearing is while doing this work.  I use mine in the little Bosch Colt Trimmer.

Chris...

 

[stvrowe]

Kevcoleman, no fear on the edge bander.  They are not as expensive as you might imagine.  That statement is all relative of course. 

Peace Dude!

Timmy C

There are some Festool Dealers that are also Jet and Powermatic, Saw Helper, Triton, Grex, Fein, Kreg, and Amana Router Bits and Saw Blade dealers.  ;D

Jet Edge Bander

Tim - I have had a Freud edgebander (similar to the Jet) for the past 10 years or so.  For anyone considering such a purchase, I would like to point out the following:

• The heat gun quality and heat production is outstanding.
• The pressure roller must be perpendicular to the table in all directions otherwise, your edgeband will trail off the edge of your workpiece.  This is most noticable when banding long pieces.
• Glue is always balling up in the guides.
• Glue is always getting on the pressure roller and is a pain to keep clean.
• Glue is always getting on the outfeed fence and a literally a drag on your edgebanding operation.  This is the biggest nuisance IMHO.

Now knowing the above, if I had to do it over again I would probably opt for the following:

Virutex Edgebander

Hey!  Wait one minute!  We are Festool owners, nothing less than a $25K+ Brandt will do.  ;D ;D ;D
Steve

 

[The Dude]

Steve, love the comment that 25K or nothing else will do...how appropriate for Festool owners.  I concur that "you get what you pay for" MAY come into play here.  However, I will say this, I have sold several of these machines to various cabinet shops, and I have not heard of any of the issues that you describe.

LOL...I wonder if a Freud and Jet were to charge perhaps $25K for the very same machines they would work better for you?

Timmy C

 

[woodshopdemos]

I use a hand or power trimmer but leave a little to be removed by block plane and file.

Here is a how to page:  http://www.woodshopdemos.com/ss-p3-13.htm

 

[Tom Ryan]

John --

That link doesn't work for me.  I have found your site very, very helpful, so I'd appreciate the correct reference.

Tom Ryan

 

[Dave Rudy]

The "euro trimmer" router bit is beveled and so the further out of the router you bring it the more of a chamfer it will put on your trimming. 

Chris, Can you provide manufacturer and dealer or online source for the bit?

Thanks

Dave

 

[Kevcoleman]

Whiteside and amana make the router bit.  Here is a link to the whiteside at Amazon.

 

[ccmviking]

That's the bit...  A little better description (much the same though) at woodcraft.  90+ % of the bits I own are Whiteside. 
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=8083

Chris...

 

[Dave Rudy]

Thanks

 

[Mirko]

I don't use any fancy gizmos but use a wide plane Iron, then hit it with a dull piece of sandpaper on a block.
works every time, nice and flush. To trim the ends I stand the board up on its edge, and use a utility knife
to slice through it from the glue side. if you hold the blade close to 90 deg it will ride along the edge of the board and remove the
edge flush. Of-coarse put a sacrificial piece of wood underneath it.

Mirko

 

[richard.selwyn]

At the risk of getting flak from across the pond, use the FESTOOL laminate trimmer - OFK 500 or OFK 700.  Wonder why they don't sell them in the US?  I use the 700 but sometimes wish I had the very handy 500, which is similar to the Makitas etc you have in the States.

 

[John Beaton]

I've had really good luck with a tool from Woodworkers Supply called a Ceramic Edge Trimmer. They make square and chamfer cut version.  They're just little bitty things that use a v-shaped ceramic cutter (double ended).  They create a very clean edge, last a long time, and are really pretty easy to use.

 

[Dan Clark]

At the risk of getting flak from across the pond, use the FESTOOL laminate trimmer - OFK 500 or OFK 700.  Wonder why they don't sell them in the US?  I use the 700 but sometimes wish I had the very handy 500, which is similar to the Makitas etc you have in the States.

Richard,

Envy?  Absolutely!  Flak?  I doubt it.  Every time you and others post about Festool and other great "across-the-pond" products, you raiseawareness of the inadequacies of the Festool USA product line.  For example...

My opinion of belt sanders?  They are masochistic tools that serve to tear gouges in your nice wood work.  Ah, but what happens when you use them with a "Sanding Frame"?  Uh...  What's a sanding frame?  Oh, THAT's a sanding frame!  (Am I ignorant or what!)  Hmmm...  Maybe a belt sander might be useful after all!

Keep up the great work!  Maybe we in the good ole US of A will catch up eventually!

Dan.

 

[woodshopdemos]

I use a hand or power trimmer but leave a little to be removed by block plane and file.

Here is a how to page:  http://www.woodshopdemos.com/ss-p3-13.htm

way back in July, I specified the page without the .htm ending. It now works.

 

[Roland Chung]

I bought one of these a while back.  It does a pretty good job.  I thought that it was kind of pricey, but it really speeds things up for me and it's way cheaper than a real edgebander with trimmer.  The bit can get loaded up with adhesive, but it solved the problem that I had with the small bladed trimmers - scuffing, tearing and following the grain of wood edgebanding into the work.  Since I've been using this one, I haven't had to take an edge off with the table saw and redo it.
http://www.utterguys.com/xcart/product.php?printable=Y&productid=27420&cat=37&page=1