Easily Apply Edging Tape

Hey everyone, Ethan here, and today we're going to be talking about edge tape and how to apply it. Now, edge tape is just like regular veneer that you get in full sheets. Now the main differences are that it comes in rolls cut down specifically for sized edges, and it has glue on the back for easy application. You use edge tape when you have a piece of ply that you want to cover the edges with so it looks like one solid piece of wood. A perfect example of this is when you're doing shelves. Right here, I have two pieces of ply, veneered on both sides, that I want to cover up the front so it looks perfectly seamless. First, I'm going to take my shelf over to the table saw, cut it down, and make sure my edges are all clean. Now, I'm going to grab my veneer, make sure it's the right size and species for my shelf. You're going to want to make sure you have a little extra on each side. Don't worry, we'll cut this off later. Once you have your edge tape all set, you're going to need to grab your tools. You have here your utility blade, a block of wood, and a card scraper. Now for heating up the edge tape, there's two options. One is the heat gun. I usually use this for pre-finished material or for smaller applications. The other option is an iron. I usually use this for longer applications or for any regular veneer that I'm working with. Today, we're going to be using the iron. Now all irons are different, so I can't tell you exactly what to set yours to, but for example, I like to set mine up pretty high, almost to the top, but not quite there. Now while your iron's heating up, you're going to take your edge tape and measure it out for the length of your piece. You're going to want to leave a little bit of an edge here and a little bit of an edge here for later. Snap it, and you're onto your next step. Center your veneer on the wood, making sure you have a little overhang all around. Then you take your iron, and you start ironing it. Now again, all irons are different, so I can't tell you the exact amount of time that you want to spend on each section, but just know that you want to keep it on there long enough for the glue to melt, but not for the veneer to burn. Now follow the iron with your piece of wood to make sure it's pressed all the way down. You can see here, the glue heating up. You just want to get it soft enough that it spreads out onto the plywood edge, and then grabs when it cools down. Now, when you finish up your edge, you come back with your block, fold over that edge, fold over this edge, and make sure you're pretty tight against your ply. Then, you're going to put this away for a little bit, let it dry, and then you'll come back to it. Alright, now we're back. Our glue has dried, and we're ready to cut. Grab your card scraper and run it along the edge, Go in downward motion, making sure you're not cutting into the sides. If you're just starting out, go in small motions, but once you get the handle of it, you can do a full run in one pass. Now that your edges are all flush, go over it with a piece of sandpaper. Any one that you have in the shop will do. I like to take an old random orbital pad, fold it in half, put it between my fingers like this, so I can get the corner of the wood right here. Now remember to leave your tabs on here because when you're sanding, you don't want to go over and break your corners. Once all your edges are clean and broken, come back with your blade, and we'll take off the ends. I like to nick one side, and then come back to the other side, and go all the way through. That way, you prevent tear out on your off side. Alright, now you come over to this side, nick one side and come back over. There you go. Sandpaper again. Take down your edges. And look what you have here, a seamless piece, a beautiful shelf. I hope that helped. If you have any questions, let me know. Happy to answer them. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.