# Edge Gluing Hardwood covered Plywood



## Blivingwell (Feb 11, 2008)

*Question: * I find myself using a lot of hardwood covered plywoods and spending a lot of time glueing hard wood strips to cover the exposed plywood. In my earlier projects I biscuited 3/4inch stips onto the ply. I found that my biscuit joiner cut holes that were a little larger than the biscuit and I would have to futz around tring to get the ply and the strip perfectly alligned during the clamp up. Since then, I found that i like the look of thiner strips i.e. 1/4 or less, and I can no longer use biscuits. Now I just glue on the strips and the task of alligning the two pieces is even harder, especially when the strip is got a slight crook in it as often happens when the fiber tenson is released when I cut the strips.

Does anyone have a fast, effecive, or precise method of laminating hardwood strips to plywood?


----------



## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

Just glue wider strips and use a router to flush them up. Quick and easy. It adds the same amout of time
always so you can predict exactly how long it will take.


----------



## Blivingwell (Feb 11, 2008)

I have to admit I tried this, but have not yet built a router table, and found that as I ran the length of the 4 foot board I rocked the router a bit (only the 3/4 inch face to steady the router) and ended up gouging the strip. Help.


----------



## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

If you do two pieces at once, clamp a 2×4 between the pieces to create more surface area for the router
to rest on. If only doing one piece make something to give you more support.


----------



## Blivingwell (Feb 11, 2008)

nice one, i will give it a try


----------



## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

Try ripping about 10 inches off of a nice factory edged piece of plywood and screw it to a 2×4 and clamp that
to the single piece of plywood you are edging. That should work.


----------



## Rich_S (Oct 26, 2007)

There are a couple things you can do…1) for the alignment issue and to create more gluing surface you could use a set of edge banding router bits to create the thick edge banding and the matching profile in the edge of the plywood..2) for trimming if you are having trouble using a router to flush trim then use side rabbet hand planes (like a Stanley 98 and 99 pair or Lie Nielson 98 99 pair)..you would be amazed at how fast and precise you can trim down the excess with these..plus you can set the depth so you only are trimming the edging and not even touching the plywood..now if your doing 1000 feet of edge banding at a time then that would be a different matter


----------



## TampaTom (Feb 15, 2008)

I've recently seen a lot of router bits that cut matching profiles for applying edge banding to plywood. That might be an option if you were up for that…


----------



## alindobra (Oct 3, 2007)

Brent,

Having the same problem you do, I purchased router bits to cut matching profiles on wood strips and plywood. They work well but you need a beefy router table. The main advantage is the fact that the pieces fit so snugly I can just put glue and knock them in without too many clamps.

Alin


----------



## matter (Jan 30, 2008)

I either T&G the pieces, or use splines.


----------



## JoshIndy (Jun 22, 2010)

I know this has been posted for a while (2.5 or so years almost) but no one posted the method i like to use. I will take a piece of hardwood, notch it out then glue it to the front (maybe pin nails). the hardwood ends up looking "L" shaped and the plywood fits into the L. You just need to be very precise in cutting the notch in the hardwood or you end up needing the router to flush trim it.


----------



## oldworld124 (Mar 2, 2008)

I use the Burgess edging system. I have two sets. one for 3/4" plys and another for 1/2" plys. This system is excellent for many applications. I use it when veneering over MDF. I can put the desired wood edging and then apply the veneer. This makes sure the edges are going to be strong and have much less possible chipping of the veneer through the years.

Below are some examples of router edging systems.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=50698&cat=1,46168,62157&ap=1

http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2009/05/burgess-edge-router-system-review/

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bit_edgeband_ogee.html

http://www.holbren.com/edge-banding/


----------



## zonkers (Aug 18, 2010)

I second Gary's way. Works great for me. I think Woodsmith mag has a free router base plan on their site. It's basically two pieces of ply fastened at 90 degrees that replaces the router base. It has a relief cut out at the 90 for the bit. With the ply your trimming standing on edge one face sits on the edge of the ply and the other rides down on the side face.


----------

