Clean up edge banding using your tablesaw
When edge-banding plywood with solid stock, completing the corner joints can be a nuisance. Cutting off the jutting excess banding with a handsaw can leave scars, and sanding seems to take forever. Here's a way to clean up that excess.
Make the opposite edges of a scrapwood spacer block parallel to each other. (The exact width of the piece doesn't matter, but a few inches is all you'll need.) Now, set up your tablesaw fence to remove just a whisker more than the blade's width from the end of one edge so it looks like the spacer block shown in the drawing at right.
Without moving the fence, lay your spacer block against the fence and a piece of scrap against the spacer block and push both a couple of inches into the blade. If the scrap makes contact with the blade, move the fence a tiny bit closer to the blade. Finally, set aside your test scrap, replace it with your edge-banded workpiece, and run the banding through the saw as shown. Touch up the end of the joint with a sanding block.
-- Chuck Hedlund, WOOD® magazine staff
After using this set up you still have to clean up the saw marks on the edge banding.
2/4/2011 05:05:13 PM Report Abuseusing afile works without marking and safer
10/21/2010 03:25:22 PM Report AbuseWhy not just use a Japanese or dovetail saw.
10/14/2010 10:52:36 AM Report AbuseWell, how about if you guys acknowledge the concept and implement it in a way you consider safer. The concept is sound... it's a like a short jointing setup in reverse. Sounds like some of you are forgetting the task is just to trim off the little bit of 1/4" thick edge banding. The thing about the tip I found is it refers to a test setup that "looks like the spacer block shown in the drawing at right" but they forgot to include that drawing. Oh, well...I understand what it showed.
7/23/2010 10:15:02 AM Report AbuseBuy and learn to properly use a PLANE guys... please! I'll be done before you even finish making the jig.
7/22/2010 05:08:00 PM Report AbuseAgain, a couple of screws and a block of wood so you can clamp this to the rip fence and keep your thumb away from the blade.
7/22/2010 02:23:52 PM Report Abuseyup ok..but my scrap piece would be a lot longer and my hand would be farther back.
7/4/2010 10:32:03 AM Report AbuseNOT ONLY IS THIS DANGEROUS BUT, YOU RISK YOUR THUMB, SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF THE SIDE BANDING WHICH MIGHT BE TO DEEP TO SAND OUT
5/11/2010 08:06:11 PM Report AbuseWow! I can see another law suit in the making.
5/9/2010 09:23:57 PM Report AbuseIf the fence and spacer block are proper, then the only think to do is freeze the spacer and advance the workpiece into the blade. A dedicated spacer block is what you need.
5/8/2010 11:37:19 PM Report AbuseHe's only trimming the very end off of the edge banding,NOT running the entire board through the blade.The picture DOES look dangerous at first,IF you don't read the story and comprehend what it says.I see no need to run the two set-up pieces "a couple inches into the blade" You shouldn't need to exceed the thickness of the banding very much to determine if it hits the side banding.
5/8/2010 01:41:18 PM Report AbuseDUHHHHH, must be a novice on the job. Send 'em in for an eye exam before they loose an index finger or thumb. (aladnlas)
5/8/2010 11:52:46 AM Report AbuseI am employed in a hospital, pictures like this will keep me employed!!
5/8/2010 06:16:36 AM Report AbuseI agree! One slip and bye-bye thumb
5/7/2010 01:53:04 PM Report Abuse