Easier way to trim edge banding, using a Multi-Tool

[keith204]

For the few of you who make your shelves out of melamine and hate trimming edge banding as much as I do, here's what I've been doing that is quick, easy, and low-risk.

Put a scraper blade on an oscillating multi-tool, and go to town.

 

[ctb]

And for those of us that don't have an oscillating tool a sharp chisel does the job faster without having to waste electricity. Nice video though.

 

[keith204]

Whoa, I haven't even thought to try that. I thought the method was to get close with a knife, then use a router flush trim bit. I hated all the melamine chips flying around. A chisel... so simple but that makes sense.

 

[ctb]

I usually use a 1'' chisel run at an angle along the top. It's a good and fast method. Chisel does have to be sharp though.
I've got one of those two sided melamine trimmers, a virtreux, but it doesn't cut as close as a chisel.

 

[alinc100]

https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/1-95-lh-bronze-edge-plane

 

[JR 42]

There are a bunch of simple inexpensive edgeband trimmers out there, like this one:

http://www.rockler.com/fastcap-quad-edge-banding-trimmer

I like the chisel idea. Thankfully I don't have to trim any edgeband, though.

JR

 

[engineer2]

Good I idea! An oscillating tool would probably be great across wood veneer grain.
I just did a table and used the manual tools you can buy anywhere and they worked fine, but you have to be careful. You still have to finish up with a sanding block.

 

[Firstram]

I use a old 13" planer blade. Dull and wrap 4" of one end as a handle and hold the body of the blade flat against the panel with finger pressure from the other hand. Holding the blade at a 45° angle pivot down thru the edging then slide forward for the next bite. Hard to explain without demonstrating but it works. It takes practice and once mastered there is no quicker way.

 

[keith204]

I use a old 13" planer blade. Dull and wrap 4" of one end as a handle and hold the body of the blade flat against the panel with finger pressure from the other hand. Holding the blade at a 45° angle pivot down thru the edging then slide forward for the next bite. Hard to explain without demonstrating but it works. It takes practice and once mastered there is no quicker way.

Very clever!

 

[The Cobbler]

a good sharp hand plane blade works well too

 

[dnschmidt]

The problem with the chisel or plane iron concept comes into effect when you're using real wood edgebanding. The grain of the wood screws up the trimming as it might dive into the wood you don't want to remove if the grain is tending downward. For plastic all is well with the chisel method for real wood a router with a trimming bit with a bearing works much better.

 

[ctb]

For real wood edgebanding I use the low noise approach, a blockplane with an adjustable mouth then finish sand.
Nothing against power tools, I just hate using them when there is a quieter alternative.