# Edges on birch plywood. Do they need to be edge banded if going to be painted?



## noone (Mar 6, 2012)

I have a few shelves I am building for inside the cabinets. I will be priming the bare wood with BIN and then painting with acrylic latex enamel. Do I need the edge banding or can I bypass this step?

Thoughts?


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You don't have to. The ply layers will probably show through
the paint a bit. Inside a cabinet this is often acceptable.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

I typically band plywood, even if it gets painted. The way I see it, the alternating end grain and edge grain is going to expand and contract at different rates over time. Even though this represents a negligable amount, it is usually enough to telegraph through the paint over time.

Some people use a filler, or spackle to coat the edges. That's okay, but it seems like a lot more work than if you have access to a commercial edgebander. I mean it takes like 10 seconds to band a board on one of those. Why wouldn't you do it? Better, faster, cheaper = lower contribution and greater profits.

Even with pre-glued banding and a clothes iron, it doesn't take much effort to band and trim the edges.


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## noone (Mar 6, 2012)

I was going to make a fence for my router table to flush trim with. Once the fence is made, and I was thinking about making it with some melamine, this seems like it will be faster and more accurate to flush trim edges on panels and shelves than doing it by hand with a block plane or card scraper. Am I on track here?


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## Charlie5791 (Feb 21, 2012)

I just finished putting together some shelves for the pantry cabinets I'm building. 3/4 inch 11-ply birch plywood. I zipped off a couple strips of pine, 3/4×3/4 and glued them to the front edge only. I'm not banding the whole shelf. Nobody sees it. Lemme run out to the shop and get a photo…



















That what you're looking for? Only took a few minutes. These are actually getting poly, not paint, but same idea.


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## dhazelton (Feb 11, 2012)

I've also used beaded screen moulding (which you used to be able to buy everywhere) as the edge band of a shelf. Just do what floats your boat. I'd think popping a strip of wood onto the ply would be quicker than all that puttying and sanding.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

Adding an iron-on edge wouldn't take long. Maple veneer edging has a close grain and paints well. 
I would do this rather than take a chance on having to sand down the primer, re-prime, sand down, possibly re-prime again.
Then again, BIN dries quickly and you can get a good thick coat on it. Sands down glass smooth.

It's your call really, I suppose it depends on how good the edges are to start with.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

Malamine doesn't take paint very well. It will hold if you can scuff it up pretty good.
A wood veneer is better.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Another way to do it, quick and dirty with no special tools is
rip some 1/4" thick strips of something like poplar that takes
paint well and glue it to the edges. I'd just shoot some
brad nails in to hold it and fill the holes later, then trim it
down with a flush trim bit or hand plane. You can round 
over or bevel the edge too - just shoot the nails in the
center.


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

I agree with the* "Hot Iron Edge Banding". *It's Quick, Efficient and looks good after Finishing it all. i.e. Everything looks the same.

All that "Filling, Sanding, Priming, Etc." would probably take three times longer and Maybe after Finishing it MIGHT not match 100% depending on the Finish applied.


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