# Plywood Edges



## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

Hey guys and gals. Long time no post. I am making a corner bookshelf for my daughters playroom and using 3/4" ply. Normally I would just edge band the plywood but since I am painting this project and not staining, I was wondering if there are any techniques for making the edges smooth with out the need of edge banding or veneering. I just don't want to see the ply through the paint when I am done.

Any suggestions, or should I just stick with edge banding?

Thanks,

David


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I can't think of anything faster, easier and more reliable than some form of edgebanding.


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## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

what about wood putty to fill in the porous edges?


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Wood putty doesn't work. Each ply soaks up the paint differently and so the plys always show unless you use illegal lead paint and layer it on really thick.

Easiest way is to do an edge banding.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Prime it. Bondo the edge lightly. Sand, reprime, paint.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Tony B said:


> I can't think of anything faster, easier and more reliable than some form of edgebanding.


+1. You can use an iron on, which is very fast and simple.












 







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## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> +1. You can use an iron on, which is very fast and simple.
> 
> 
> 
> I was thinking of trying this. Fast and simple is what I'm going for here. My wife has been asking for this shelf for a year and I kinda just want to get it done. Time has become hard to find after we had our second child.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

djonesax said:


> I was thinking of trying this. Fast and simple is what I'm going for here.


Apply it with a hot dry iron, followed with a wood block a bit wider than the edge of plywood. To remove the overhang, use a mill file almost flat to the plywood, but with a slight angle towards the tape. Using the file with the handle slightly ahead of the tip (not 90 degrees), file off the edge with push strokes only. IOW, don't pull the file up against the tape edge. File off the tape edge towards the plywood. 

You are actually using the edge of the file to rasp off the overhang.












 







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## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

Thanks,

I'm going to try this tomorrow.

David


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

sawdustfactory said:


> Prime it. Bondo the edge lightly. Sand, reprime, paint.


 I cut a piece of plywood that had bondo once. It was painted and I didn’t even know it was plywood until I started cutting it


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## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

Thanks for the tip, it turned out pretty good. There is one place where I have a tiny gap, where the veneer moved as I was sliding the iron. I didn't notice it until I was almost finished, I figure I'll just putty it. It's so tiny, no one would notice but me anyway.

Here are some pics of the unfinished product. Not sure why the images are rotated... weird.

David


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

The cabinet came out good. Just a suggestion. Cabinet ends traditionally have the grain running vertically. Cabinet shelving has grain running along their length, not front to back. 

It just looks better. Another plus, is when you edge band the front edges you aren't finishing off to the veneer's end grain which can be rough and splintered. Edge banding on long grain will finish much smoother.












 







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## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

cabinetman said:


> The cabinet came out good. Just a suggestion. Cabinet ends traditionally have the grain running vertically. Cabinet shelving has grain running along their length, not front to back.
> 
> It just looks better. Another plus, is when you edge band the front edges you aren't finishing off to the veneer's end grain which can be rough and splintered. Edge banding on long grain will finish much smoother.


Thanks. I would normally have cut it that way but since I was painting it, I figured I would save the guy at HD from having to cut the sheet in half first, thus resulting is twice the number of cuts. I don't have a panel saw at home and running a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch ply over a table-saw is tough by yourself. hopefully after I sand and paint it, I wont notice it.

You bring up a good point about the jagged edges. I had to putty and send them to make then look right.

All in all I'm happy with it so far.


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## djonesax (Mar 3, 2008)

My phone took a terrible picture but here is the finished product.

I tried a razor and a file for removing the excess veneer. For me the file was the way to go for sure. It was quick, easy, and left a nice edge. My technique was that I kept it almost parellel to the surface but I also moved the file along the edge at slight angle, so that I was less likely to file one spot lower than another.

Thanks for the advice.

David


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## Streamwinner (Nov 25, 2008)

Great project and I'm glad it worked out for you.

Just FYI, I finished two plywood bookshelves this past summer and used Elmer's putty on the edges, sanded, then painted over it. Worked perfectly.


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## aaronhl (Jun 2, 2011)

Thanks for the pictures! That looks pretty nice!


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## eagle49 (Mar 22, 2011)

laytex chalk?


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## Double (Feb 17, 2010)

I can't tell from the picture but did you create a "false top" in the area where you trimmed down from the top or is there open space under there?

I'd like to build a very similar bookshelf.


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