Q.
I edged a bunch of cabinets about two weeks ago and they have been sitting around my non-environmentally controlled shop. I noticed the edgebanding coming away from the edges.
It happened after a rainy day followed by a sunny, normal-humidity (low) day. The edgebanding was applied with a HolzHer 1402 Express with the cartridge glue system. I ironed the edging back down, but these cabinets are going to be delivered unfinished and I am worried about a recurrence.
Is there anything I can do at this point, and might anyone have any suggestions on the cause, or what I can do to prevent this in the future?
Are you "pulling core" when you remove an edge? You should be.
Is it the entire batch, or an occasional edge?
Is it the beginning or trailing ends of the banded piece? Or along the length?
If you can narrow the field, there are direct causes for each problem. Please remember, nozzle applicators do not spread the glue across the full face of the edge. Instead, they lay lines and rely on the pressure zone to spread the glue under the band. This makes speed and heat a little more critical. You have to keep the glue hot enough to spread under the band.
I have had some more of the banding give way, but the stuff that I have ironed down has stayed down, so I'm thinking it might be my temperature settings on the edgebander. I raised the temperature and have run about 50 shelves (wood veneer) through it. I hope the problem does not repeat. I also bought a carton of Dorus glues. Someone told me they swear by the stuff.
Number one: The brand of glue you use is crucial. We have a HolzHer 1435 and the only glue it will ever apply is Dorus. I have tried many others, but nothing performs like Dorus.
Number two: If you ever run plastic laminate on your bander you need to prime the back of the laminate. This is due to something in the manufacturing process of the laminate. All laminate comes with a greasy or waxy film on the back side that is not always noticeable, a "release agent" required by the manufacturing process. I have never had p-lam edging that was primed come off.
