Sunday, February 14, 2010

Shelf Banding

Pardon the rather freakish distortion of this picture, makes you wonder what the heck you're looking at doesn't it?  I wanted to share how I edge band my shelves, it's a lot more than an adhesive strip of veneer put on with heat and pressure.  I made this banding from 5/4 Oak by first planing the edge of a wide board, then shaping the triple bead detail on the shaper.  This was followed by ripping them on the table saw. This process is then repeated to make banding for the 12 shelves plus a couple extra for insurance.  You can see that there's a dado cut into the banding and then a rabbet cut on the edge of the plywood shelf.  I'm using a Gold Bond Plywood which is heavier but very stable due to the MDF core.  Since the veneer on the ply is probably less than 1/64" thick I'm always reluctant to sand the edge where it mates with the banding.  My technique is to have a scrap piece of plywood with the identical rabbet cut on it mounted on my workbench.  I then use a #7 plane to bring it as close to the same level as the plywood without hitting it.  They are then glued/clamped and we're ready to go.  In the background you can see the two cabinets that make up the bookcase.  With the high humidity we've had lately it has taken my finish a little more than 24 hours to dry before rubbing in the next coat.  Getting close to scheduling the installation.

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