In the manufacture of furniture from laminated chipboard (chipboard), the edges of the parts without processing have an unsightly appearance. To bring them in order, furniture edge and profile are used. It is more convenient to work with them on special equipment, but you can also achieve good results with your own hands at home.
Types of furniture edges
One of the most popular materials for the manufacture of furniture is chipboard. Its disadvantage is the ugly edges that remain when cutting the part. These edges are masked by the furniture edge. They make it from different materials, respectively, it has different properties and price.
Such an edge can also be obtained independently.
Paper or melamine edges
The cheapest option is paper edges with melamine impregnation. The paper is taken in high density, impregnated with melamine to increase strength and glued to papyrus paper. Papyrus can be single-layer (cheaper) and two-layer. So that the melamine coating does not wear off, everything is covered with a layer of varnish. To make it easier to trim the parts, an adhesive is applied to the back of the melamine furniture edge. When working, it is only necessary to slightly warm this composition and press it well to the end.
Paper or melamine edge. the cheapest, but also the most short-lived option for finishing furniture ends
The thickness of paper edging tapes is small. 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm. the most common. It makes no sense to do thicker, and it will turn out expensively.
This type of edge differs in that it bends very well and does not break when bent. But its mechanical strength is very low. the edge is quickly worn away. Therefore, if it is used, then only on those surfaces that are not subjected to stress. For example, on the back of shelves, countertops, etc.
PVC
Recently received widespread polyvinyl chloride is also used in the manufacture of furniture edges. From a mass painted in a specific color, a tape of a certain width and thickness is formed. Its front surface can be smooth monophonic, and can be textured with imitation of wood fibers. The number of colors is large, so it’s easy to choose the right one.
Furniture edge PVC is the most popular material used by both home craftsmen and professionals. This is due to the relatively low price and good performance:
- High mechanical resistance.
- Resists exposure to chemicals (household chemicals, for example).
- Moisture-proof material protects the ends of the product from moisture.
- PVC is an elastic material that allows you to process curved surfaces.
- It is well processed with the help of simple devices, which allows you to get a good result even at home.
Different edge thickness looks different
Furniture edge PVC is available in different thicknesses and widths. Thickness. from 0.4 mm to 4 mm, width from 19 mm to 54 mm. The thickness is selected depending on the expected mechanical load or the appearance, and the width is slightly larger (not less than 2-3 mm) than the thickness of the workpiece. There is a PVC furniture edge with adhesive applied, and there is no. Both can be glued at home (more on this below).
This type of edging material has also disadvantages: a not very wide temperature regime: from 5 ° C to 45 ° C. For this reason, furniture in the street should not be left in the winter, and when gluing with heating, you must be careful not to melt the polymer.
Made of ABS (ABS) plastic
This polymer does not contain heavy metals, is characterized by high strength and durability. A disadvantage can be considered a high price, because it is used extremely rarely, although it has excellent properties:
- It is resistant to high and low temperatures, therefore, when gluing, you can use glue with any melting point. Slight shrinkage when heated is about 0.3%.
- High mechanical stability.
Several options for edging tape made of ABS plastic
This type of edge can be matte, glossy, semi-gloss. There are also options that mimic different types of wood. In general, this material is more convenient in operation and more durable in operation.
Veneer edge
Veneer. a thin section of wood, painted and molded in the form of a tape. This furniture edge is used in production for gluing veneered product sections. Working with this material requires certain skills, and the material is expensive.
Video: Trimming For Home Need Or Not
Veneer is not the most popular material for cutting
Acrylic Edge or 3D
Made from clear acrylic. On the back of the strip is a drawing. The layer of polymer located on top gives it bulkiness, which is why it is called a 3D edge. Used in the manufacture of furniture in an unusual design.
Acrylic gives the picture volume
Furniture edge profiles
Finishing the edge of the furniture is possible not only with edge banding. There are also furniture profiles that are attached mechanically. They are of two sections. T-shaped or U-shaped (also called C-shaped).
A groove is milled under the T-shaped furniture profiles in the machined edge. A furniture (rubber) mallet is hammered into it. The edges are trimmed at 45 ° to make the angle look attractive. It is brought to perfect condition with fine sandpaper. This type of profiles is produced from PVC and aluminum, with the same installation method they look very different, and the differences are significant.
T-profile for edging furniture
In width they are under the chipboard 16 mm and 18 mm. There are also wide ones, but they are much less common, since they work with such material less.
C- or U-shaped profiles are most often mounted on glue. They smear the edge, then put on a plastic profile, well pressed and fixed. These PVC profiles are soft and hard. Rigid ones are worse to bend and paste over them with curved edges is difficult. But they have great strength.
Sticking a C-shaped furniture profile does not cause problems
If you still need to “plant” a rigid C-shaped furniture profile on a bend, it is heated with a construction hairdryer, then it is given the desired shape and fixed with masking tape until the glue dries.
DIY furniture edge
There are two technologies for gluing furniture edge bands. The first is for those with glue on the back. In this case, you need an iron or a building hair dryer. The second is for sticking tapes without glue. In this case, you need a good universal glue that can glue plastics and wood products and a furniture roller, a piece of felt or a soft rag so that you can firmly press the edging to the cut.
To get such an edge at home is real
A little about how thick the edge to glue on what details. According to GOST, those edges that are not visible can not be glued at all, but basically they try to process them so that moisture is less absorbed into the particleboard, and also to reduce the evaporation of formaldehyde. Melamine tape or 0.4 mm PVC is glued to these edges. The edges of drawers (not facades) are also treated.
It is better to use 2 mm PVC on the front ends of the facade and drawers, and 1 mm PVC on the visible sections of the shelves. The color is chosen either in the tone of the main surface or in contrast.
How to glue the edging with glue yourself
The adhesive is applied to the melamine edge, sometimes it is on PVC. If you choose PVC, it’s easier to start with thin ones. they are easier to process, any melamine ones are easy to glue.
We take an iron and a fluoroplastic nozzle on it. If there is no nozzle, a dense cotton cloth is suitable. so as not to overheat the tape, but to melt the glue. A construction hair dryer is also suitable for this purpose. We put the iron on about the “two”, while it is heated, cut off a piece of tape. Length. a couple of centimeters more than the workpiece.
We put the edge tape on the part
We apply the edge to the part, level it, smooth it. Small pieces should hang from both sides. We take the iron and, through the nozzle or rag, iron the edge, warming until the glue melts. Warm up evenly over the entire surface. After the whole edge is stuck, let it cool. Then we begin processing of edges.
The edge can be cut with a knife, with both a sharp and a dull side. Someone uses an ordinary metal ruler, someone is more comfortable with a stainless steel spatula.
So, we take the tool chosen by you, we cut off the hanging edges of an edge. They are cut close to the material. Then cut off the excess along the part. Melamine and thin plastic are perfectly cut with a knife. If the PVC edge is thicker. 0.5-0.6 mm or more, difficulties may already arise. Such edges can be machined with a hand mill, if any. This guarantees a good result in a short time. Processing will last longer if you use sandpaper, but the result can be no worse.
You can even use a trowel with a hard blade
One important point: when gluing thin edges, the cut of the part should be even, without protrusions and depressions. The material is plastic, due to which all defects are visible. Therefore, preliminarily walk through the slices with sandpaper, then carefully dedust, degrease. Only then can it be glued.
Chrome tape PVC (no glue on the back)
With this method of self-gluing PVC edges, you need universal glue and a piece of felt or a rag. We read the instructions for the glue, we perform all the actions on the recommendation. For example, for the Moment glue it is necessary to apply to the surface and distribute the composition, wait 15 minutes, press the glued surfaces strongly.
Apply glue and wait is not a problem. To tightly press the edge to the cut, you can use a wooden block wrapped in felt. Instead of a bar, you can take a construction grater, fix felt on its sole too. In extreme cases, you can roll dense fabric in several layers and thereby press the tape to the surface.
Strongly pressed, leaning with all the weight
The selected tool is pressed to the laid edge, pressed with all the weight, pressing it to the surface of the chipboard. The movements are stroking. So iron the entire edge, achieving a very tight fit. In this form, the part is left for some time. so that the glue “seizes”. Then you can begin to process the edges.