Finishing Edgebanding for Frameless Cabinets
More tips and tricks for finishing wood edgebanding. December 14, 2009
Question
How do you finish the edgebanding on frameless cabinets when you can't use the pre-finished stuff? Are you rolling it out and pre-painting it and then putting it on the bander?
Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor L:
I really try to find a PVC match if at all possible, but in the few cases I can't, we band, sand, wipe stain and stack and spray the parts before assembly.
From contributor B:
Same as above.
From contributor G:
If you'd like to pre-finish your edgebanding, try wrapping it spirally around a sonotube. I've always found that stacking panels to stain and spray edges allows leaks between the panels, causing stain or lacquer to get on the faces.
From contributor J:
Like contributor G says, some bleeds through and you need to use some thinner to clean it up. The drawback to wrapping around a tube and spraying is when you trim it flush to the panel, you are left with a white line. Plus and minus to each method. I, too, always try to find a matching PVC, but I have done the stack and spray method with pretty good results.
From contributor P:
I always use wood edgebanding and finish it on the cabinet, careful not to get it on the unfinished interior birch. But if I do (and I usually do), my assistant will sand it off prior to sealing. It's so quick and easy I can't imagine another way.
From contributor G:
I agree with contributor P. Use a touch-up gun dialed down or neck your regular gun down to a small circle and be careful where the overspray goes. Use a shield, if necessary. Way faster.
"The drawback to wrapping around a tube and spraying is when you trim it flush to the panel, you are left with a white line."
A touchup marker pen fixes that fast.
From contributor D:
I cut a stack of 8' strips of melamine, say 23 1/2" or 12", edge them with wood and sand. Then I stack them flat on a bench so the edging is all on the same side and line the sheets all up. I lay an 8' piece of scrap MDF on the top so as to not overspray on the melamine. I spray stain them all at once and then spray 1 thin coat of sealer, then 2 topcoats. I have done as many as 20 sheets at a time like this. Works great. Once all is dry you can cut them to the length to make the cabinets. That said, I still prefer to use Olon or Teknaform Polyester edgebanding.
From contributor W:
We made a drum from some 30" duct that we got when we bought our spray booth. It will hold about 300lf of tape.
Click here for higher quality, full size image
From the original questioner:
Thanks - I have always stacked it too, but I use pre-finished plywood, so wiping overspray is real hard. I will try the tube method on a sample and I will also look harder at a PVC match.
From contributor P:
I don't spray on stain for the taped edge, but wipe it on, small rag around a finger, dip and go. Sometimes with a wet stain it may bleed a little, but finished ply or unfinished it is easy to clean. It can't be any easier.
