I just posted about edgebanding contoured shapes but am also looking for a solution for trimming those banded edges without having to go back and do all the hand filing and without burnishing or scratching the banding. I see Festool has a trimmer for this application - their router bit still has a bearing but they also have the "bearing brake" to keep it from damaging the edges. But then I found a "pvc trimmer" from Betterly Tools that intrigued me - their bearing is not attached to the spinning bit so there is not a chance of bearing damage. Has anyone had experience with either of these?https://betterleytools.com/products/pvc-trim-router.html

I have a shop fabricated router jig similar to that that I use a bearing-less slotting bit in for trimming. A bit similar to:
https://ballewsaw.com/whiteside-3094-undercut-bit-3-4ld-1-4cd-1-4sh.html?utm_sourc
e=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwxt_tBRAXEiwAENY8hSfew3BGinMZiroPnHzbZvaMYMm_R
dDLuMBzOjmXI9aQ1J8EJJjK8RoC2ZUQAvD_BwE

Guided by a finger on the underside of the jig or just free-hand.

Hi Stewart,

We have a festool trim router. We have, before we got our new machine, trimmed miles of 2 and 3mm banding with it. I beleive they also have a 1mm bit. Never did we have a problem with bearing damage, the bearing break does its job well. Festool also sells a steel profile scraper to clean up the chatter but once you get the hang of the speed and climb cutting you wont need the scaper.

Lamello profila or lamina.

Use a square bearing.

Leo, I just happen to try Amana's version of that and the bearing wore so quickly (literally after a handfull of passes) that I almost ruined a large counter. I'm not sure if a short life is normal for those thing or if I just happened to get a bum one...That's what sent me searching for something different.

What type and how thick of banding?
We run 1mm pvc. We band then trim with a razorblade. We then trim with special trim router, I believe it’s the one mentioned above. This breaks the edge and gives it a radius that matches what comes off our bander. If it’s dark color we then hit with heat gun to bring color back. I’ll make a video and share later

We run a combination of things - .5mm, 1mm, and p-lam both in standard and vertical thickness. I'm hoping we can just find one combination of tool plus bit that, with minor adjustments, would let me handle all of that. Is that pie in the sky?

You may find a trimmer that will trim it flat but getting the different radius to all machine well with one bit is prety tough, you can sort of offset the tool to make it work. Remeber a tool that does lots of things will never do any of them perfect but a tool that is desiged to do only one thing will do it well every time.

Derrek thanks for the heat gun trick. I didn't know that one.

If you do much contour banding it would be worth getting a stationary trimming machine. We've got a Brandt but I wouldn't recommend it, there have better ones out there. Trim top & bottom with radius in one pass. Is equipped with a saw for cutting the end overhang off, that does a good job. We do mostly 3mm, a bit of 2mm. Always try to get the banding designed for contour. The "dust" pickup on the Brandt is poorly designed. I did a modification that works a lot better.