What is an edgeband and what is it for?

This is a tape made from various materials designed for gluing to the ends of parts. It serves to decorate the end parts of future products, in our case it is an edge for chipboard.

It is usually glued with glue. There are several basic types of edging.

Types of edge for chipboard.

Today, there are several main methods for decorating the end parts of furniture made of chipboard or chipboard.

Melamine

The simplest type of edging for chipboard is a melamine edging, which can be fixed using a conventional

iron or hair dryer. When gluing it to straight, flat surfaces, you can use an iron and a cloth, provided that glue has already been applied to the edge.

There is a melamine edge without glue, it requires its preliminary application before gluing.

If you are pasting complicated parts with radii with this type of edge, it is better to use a hairdryer, it allows you to melt the glue and not damage the edge on rounded surfaces.

Pvc

The second most common is the PVC edge, it is more resistant to mechanical stress in its structure than melamine, since it is made of a more elastic and harder material, and the thickness of such an edge is greater.

But when attached to the end, it requires more effort. Usually, such an edge is glued to the ends of the chipboard parts using a special machine, but very often if you make furniture with your own hands, there is no such possibility, so you can glue such an edge yourself.

To do this, you will need all the same hair dryer and glue and own strength and patience, since you need to press it for some time after gluing so that it sticks without gaps.

Also, for trimming uneven sections of this type of edge for chipboard, you will need a fraser, since it is impossible to carefully cut it with a hand knife.

The PVC edge is a more modern material from all other types and has a more pleasant appearance.

Mortise

There is another type of edge for chipboard, which is attached to the ends furniture parts using a groove milled in them. Such an edge has a T-shaped appearance, which is inserted into the groove with the necessary edge.

And then with the help of an ordinary mallet it is nailed down. The advantages of such an edge are also on the face, since it has a rather solid structure.

The only drawback of such an edge is that it often interferes with a comfortable seat at the table, since it creates a protrusion on the edge of the table surface. There are also cut-in edges without such a protrusion.

There are also other types of edging in the manufacture of furniture, it all depends on the material used for the production of cabinet furniture. And the parts themselves, for example, very often in the manufacture of facades, a metal profile is used, which is sawn off to the size of the facade and hammered into a groove previously milled into the part.

When making furniture from veneered MDF, the same veneer is used as an edge.

But as an edge for chipboard, the three types of edge described above are most used.

Today we will analyze a more professional technique for gluing an end decorative edge. It is hot-melt edging with a hair dryer. Naturally, not possessing professional equipment, we will disassemble in an amateur manner, accessible to any garage master.

For work, we need a 2 mm PVC edge with hot glue applied to it - it is applied with a special roller in the form of a mesh.

It can be purchased in furniture stores by footage. If the store does not sell an edge with an applied adhesive layer, then it can be applied in furniture shops for an additional fee (as a rule, it does not exceed 5 rubles per meter running meter).

• In addition to the edge itself, we need a thermal gun (aka an industrial hair dryer),
• as well as an edge milling cutter with a molding shaped milling cutter with a ball bearing installed in it.
• Additional elements are a cloth glove (one is enough) and a felt block.

Let's move on to considering the technique itself. It is better to set the hair dryer to medium values ​​(about 300-400 degrees Celsius).

We fix the workpiece on the workbench (horizontally if it is large and vertically in the clamp if it is small). To begin with, we warm up the tip of the edge band - it should soften a little and acquire elasticity.

While the glue has not hardened, we apply the heated edge to the end of the workpiece. Press the attached edge with a felt block tightly to the part for 10-20 seconds until the glue cools.

Then, directing the flow of hot air into the gap between the part and the edge band, we warm up the last one, by 10-15 centimeters in length,

after which we put the hair dryer aside, take the bar and roll the heated tape with sliding movements.

This manipulation is repeated over and over again. In this case, it is not worth overheating the edge (it should not acquire pronounced plastic properties). If only to a minimal extent - the edge starts to reach towards the workpiece - then it’s enough to heat, you need to press it. This moment comes with experience.

It is important not only not to overheat, but also not to underheat. In the first case, the edge will acquire excessive plasticity and can move in waves. In the second case, it simply will not stick.

Now we move on to the next stage, which is rather difficult at first, - this is the processing or pasting of the corner radius (and the outer one is easier to glue than the inner one). I described, >>.

In this case, the edge must be just overheated so that it can be easily molded along the profile to be pasted.

After warming up, when the edge has softened, we quickly press the edge to the surface, trying to come along the entire corner.

At first, it may not work, that is, you must first practice.

After you have glued the entire edge tape, we proceed to remove excess, that is, overhangs. From the ends, you can cut it off with a pruner or simply break it off, having previously scratched it with a sharp object (I usually use 1 method).

The overhangs on the edges are removed with a special edge router.

It is quite problematic to do this manually, due to the large thickness of the edge. The cutter cuts off the excess while at the same time rounding off the remaining edge.

Excess glue, which is often not removed with a cutter, can be scraped off with a simple metal ruler.

Often, after removing the overhangs, prominent places of "non-gluing".

Personally, I usually get them at the corners. How to deal with them? We again grab the hairdryer and warm up the unsealed area from the outside, trying to blow a stream of air into the slot.

Warm up for 5-6 seconds, put the hair dryer aside and press the area tightly with a felt bar to the surface of the part for 20-30 seconds.

This is usually enough to glue the edge and remove the gap.

Now all that remains is to polish the milled edge, which has a rough structure.

To do this, we make several vigorous movements along the cut edge of the edge.

At the same time, the felt heats up a little, melts the PVC, which smooths out all the irregularities.

And photo finished work(this will be a table top with a rounded corner).

This technique is used even in small professional workshops when processing radius parts, because large stationary automatic edging machines, as a rule, do not have the ability to stick edges on roundings, and not everyone considers it profitable to purchase small specialized units (at least in a furniture workshop, with with whom I cooperate, this is exactly the case).

Furniture edges are used during the manufacture of various items from laminated chipboard, MDF, chipboard. They play a decorative role, hiding the cut, which looks quite unpresentable. Also, the use of tape material protects against the evaporation of toxic substances. Although currently modern technologies used in production, have significantly reduced the content of harmful substances, it is still better to be insured.

A wide variety of furniture edgebands are now on sale. They are sorted by cost, material and installation method. It is also worth noting a wide range of colors that open up great possibilities for decorating surfaces. However, each type of furniture edge can have both advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a closer look at them.

Appointment

Before considering what types of furniture edges are, you need to find out what they are for. As mentioned above, the tape material performs a decorating function. Also, when using it, you can protect a sheet of chipboard, MDF, chipboard from deformation. As you know, such a material is compressed wood chips. Under strong mechanical stress, untreated edges can begin to crumble, and the furniture edge acts as a protective shell. Also, importantly, panels made of artificial material quickly absorb moisture through the cuts. This can lead to severe swelling. The inner layers of wood chips are a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms, bacteria, fungus, insects. Upon penetration, they accelerate the decomposition of the material. Surprisingly, at first glance, a simple edge can prevent all of the above problems.

Scope of application

Where are furniture edging applied? All interior items made of materials such as chipboard, MDF, laminated chipboard are processed with edging tapes. Let's take a look at which ones.

Classification

All furniture edges are divided into several types.

Melamine edging

The simplest and cheapest tape material is melamine edging. It is sold on spools. The price for one running meter starts from 1 ruble. Attaches to the surface only with glue. It is sold separately. The edging is made on the basis of paper. In order to endow it with protective properties, manufacturers impregnate it with melamine resin. There are two types on sale: single-layer and double-layer.

Advantages:

• A wide range of colors.
• When gluing, no special expensive equipment is required.
• Installation is carried out using a conventional iron.
• The material is not very rigid, therefore it easily repeats the required shape.

Disadvantages:

PVC furniture edge

This type of edge is made of polyvinyl chloride. There are only two types - 2 and 4 mm thick. Thicker tapes are used in places that are subject to increased stress. The front surfaces of furniture are faced with thin options. The cost of PVC edgebands varies from 10 to 20 rubles per running meter.

Advantages:

• Large selection of colors.
• Polyvinyl chloride is not flammable.
• High level of wear resistance.
• Durability.
• Maximum protection of the ends against mechanical damage and moisture penetration.
• Resistance to all kinds of substances (acids, alkalis).

Disadvantages:

• Complexity of installation. The only mounting method is with specialized machines. For this reason, it is impossible to fix the PVC edge on your own.
• Rigidity. This criterion can be attributed to both advantages and disadvantages. Due to the rigidity, it is quite difficult to make the surface to be treated smooth. However, it is she who significantly increases the protective properties of the edge.

ABS edge

The most dense and reliable is ABS (furniture edge). The price for this type starts at 30 rubles. "ABS" stands for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. It does not pose a danger to humans at all, since it does not contain chlorine. It is used to process the ends of various pieces of furniture, but their cost will be slightly higher. This difference pays off quickly, as the ABS edge is not as durable as the options described above.

Advantages:

• Good color fastness. For a long time, the surface does not fade and does not lose its original appearance.
• Has a soft structure.
• Easy to cut.
• Does not accumulate electrical charge.
• Does not emit toxic substances during heat treatment.
• No fine chips are generated during cutting.

But this type of edge has no drawbacks. The only thing that can be considered a disadvantage is the high cost in comparison with the previous options. But the negative impression of such a price quickly passes, since in terms of quality, reliability and durability, furniture tape can only be compared with metal types.

Features of the U-shaped edge

Furniture edge U-shaped is used mainly for items that will be constantly exposed to moisture. Also, thanks to its special shape, it perfectly protects against mechanical damage. U-shaped edge tightly wraps around the surface on both sides. With its help, you can cover small chips, since the side faces have a gap of several millimeters. Fastening is carried out with glue. It is recommended to purchase an edge that has a matte surface inside. It is easier to stick, and most importantly, it lasts longer.

The gluing process

Now let's look at how to glue the furniture edge yourself. For this, you can use only one type - melamine. This solution is most relevant for upgrading old furniture... It is important to understand that paper-backed tape will only perform decoration functions.

Tool:

Step-by-step description of pasting the end:

• Measure the length of the face to be machined.
• Cut the edge a few centimeters longer.
• Treat the surface with glue.
• Attach edge evenly.
• Run through with a hot iron.
• Using a rag, press the edge tightly against the end.
• Trimming the edges is done only after the glue has completely set.
• Sand the surface to remove minor inaccuracies.

Chipboard is the most suitable material for the production of reliable and high-quality inexpensive furniture. In order to hide the not too aesthetically pleasing internal structure of the product, edging is performed from the end side - the installation of special decorative panels made of melamine, PVC or others available species synthetic plastics.

Why else do they trim furniture?

In addition to the most obvious goal - to provide an elegant appearance, furniture edging performs several more equally important tasks:

Where to trim

Furniture manufacturers often trim only the visible parts of the end surfaces. From the point of view of economy, this looks quite understandable, but taking into account the above facts, this approach can turn into certain problems - a protective edge should be present in all places where there is an open internal structure of chipboard.

If you purchased furniture with unprotected edges, you can easily do their edging yourself at home. To do this, you do not need to have any special equipment - the edge can be glued with an ordinary iron.

Do not be lazy to spend a few minutes on this operation - you will reliably protect yourself and your furniture and significantly extend its service life. Next, we will analyze in detail how to properly glue the edge tape with your own hands.

Edging materials

Edging of exposed furniture surfaces can be done using different decorative elements, differing in the quality of the material, appearance and, accordingly, cost.

How to glue the edge with an iron

Edging in production is done with a tape with a clean base. The adhesive composition is applied to it during installation at a high temperature, which ensures the formation of a thin even layer. In order to glue the edge, several rollers are used, pressing it tightly to the base of the chipboard. Then special cutters cut the tape to the size of the part, remove the remnants of glue and base material and grind the joint until a smooth and beautiful surface is obtained.

You can also glue the edge at home. To do this, you need to use a tape with an already applied adhesive. Further, the process largely repeats industrial edging, since it is carried out in the same way:

You can find out more about the process of gluing the edge on chipboard in the video below:

It is somewhat easier to glue the U-shaped profile to the end of the chipboard. We have already discussed this method earlier. Such an edge is much stronger than melamine, it bends quite easily and reliably protects against damage.

The presence of micro-gaps between the edge of the U-profile and the front surface of the chipboard does not allow it to be glued in the kitchen or in the bathroom, therefore, edging with this material is mainly used for office furniture.

Chipboard edging, of course, is best done in the factory. In production, you can order a tape from any material, including plastic, PVC and other modern composite materials. Edging on the machine will provide perfect evenness and accuracy of decorative cladding, but it requires certain costs. If the main task is to keep within a predetermined small budget, applying melamine tape with your own hands will allow you to combine acceptable quality and minimum price.

After cutting the chipboard into furniture parts, a special edge must be glued to the ends of the products. It will protect parts from dust, moisture, aggressive detergents and cleaning agents, and will also give the product a finished aesthetic look.

The TORNADO edgebander of the Austrian company PAUL OTT GmbH allows high-quality processing of laminated chipboard ends. The appearance of the future furniture depends on the correctly glued edge.

Furniture production "CHAYKA" uses a furniture edge manufactured by the German company REHAU. The standard collection of REHAU RAUKANTEX edge decors is selected and optimally matches the collection of leading manufacturers of laminated chipboard and plastics.

Types of furniture edge

MELAMINE EDGE- made on the basis of paper impregnated with melamine resins. Thickness 0.3 - 0.4 mm. A rather thin and fragile material that cannot protect furniture designed for active use in a humid environment, such as a kitchen or bathroom. When using melamine, one must be prepared for the fact that the slightest roughness of the chipboard ends can be seen through the edge. It is most often used for finishing the ends of furniture parts that are not visible from the outside. Popular due to its low cost.

PVC EDGE- made of polyvinyl chloride, one of the most common plastics. Thickness 0.4 and 2 mm. Has increased wear resistance, durability, resistance to mechanical damage and aggressive chemicals. Absolutely harmless. Not flammable. Reliably protects the ends of furniture parts from moisture, dust, mechanical chips. It is widely used among furniture makers when creating high-quality beautiful furniture.

ABS EDGE- made of acryl butadiene styrene. Thickness 1 mm. It has increased shock and wear resistance, resistance to all kinds of chemical solvents, high and low temperatures, durability and plasticity. Due to its excellent environmental performance, it can be used for the manufacture of children's furniture and in medical institutions. Unlike PVC, ABC edgebands can have a glossy and high glossy surface. The edging is available in solid colors only.