Thread: help veneered chipboard edges

Are the shelves for storage in the shed or for show in the house?

If the former, I wouldn't bother edging the stuff



ian

No in the house Ian

Glenn

Unless you reinforce it, a mitre joint is not all that strong — I don't think I'd want to trust it for a set of shelves.
Assuming you can get elm (or similar) to match the veneer, I'd put solid wood edging on all the exposed chipboard edges and mount the tops inside the sides — think how Ikea does their shelving.

If you can't get matching wood then I think you'll want to paint the shelves some nice opaque colour, in which case an iron on veneer tape is probably good enough to hide the egde.


ian

Glenn,

This month's Fine Woodworking has a short Q&A article on this problem. They recommend setting up the table saw to slice of a bit of the veneer from the ply and glue that to the exposed edge. That way you get an exact match of colour and material.

I thought it was a great idea.

Have also seen strips of solid timber used. In your case, it would be good to find some elm or something that is a very good match with the existing elm veneer.

Tex

Originally Posted by Tex B

Glenn,

This month's Fine Woodworking has a short Q&A article on this problem. They recommend setting up the table saw to slice of a bit of the veneer from the ply and glue that to the exposed edge. That way you get an exact match of colour and material.

I thought it was a great idea.

Me too. I didn't ask the question, but I'll file it away in my "when I need it" category.

Thanks Tex and Glenn

Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by ian

Glenn

Assuming you can get elm (or similar) to match the veneer, I'd put solid wood edging on all the exposed chipboard edges and "mount the tops inside the sides"? — think how Ikea does their shelving.

ian

Not sure what you mean Ian. the shelves are low 550mm to use as a sort of table as well as support a metre high boat shape set of shelves that my son made in wood work. I didn't like the idea of cutting mitres as it sounds too hard.
I was going to put in one shelf near the top CD size and a piece on the top so it will have exposed edges. I was thinking it would be as much work to make a wood top as stick timber all the way around. And yes I have Elm about 2 cubic m maybe more I have a portable mill and used to work as an arborist.

Originally Posted by glenn k

Not sure what you mean Ian. the shelves are low 550mm to use as a sort of table as well as support a metre high boat shape set of shelves that my son made in wood work. I didn't like the idea of cutting mitres as it sounds too hard.
I was going to put in one shelf near the top CD size and a piece on the top so it will have exposed edges. I was thinking it would be as much work to make a wood top as stick timber all the way around. And yes I have Elm about 2 cubic m maybe more I have a portable mill and used to work as an arborist.

Glenn

can you post a pic of the design (maybe sketch it onto a piece of paper and then post a photo?)


ian

I just remembered I have some elm veneer in the roof I have never used can I just cut this in strips and stick it on with PVA?
Glenn

yes

Originally Posted by glenn k

I have some elm veneer in the roof I have never used can I just cut this in strips and stick it on with PVA?
Glenn

as Bob said YES

if you haven't done this before,
cut the strips a few mm wider than the chip board is thick and 30-50mm longer than the edge you're veneering
I find masking tape every 50mm or so makes for an adequate clamp
you'll need to trim the excess off after the glue dries using a sharp chisel or a bearing guided edge trimming router bit, if you have one


given the depth of the shelves, I'd glue a stop onto the CD shelf so that stuff doesn't get pushed in too far



ian

Thanks very much Bob,Tex and Ian,
It's good to get an idea of what to do.
The elm veneer is not attached to the chip board very well any more looks like the glue brakes down in the sun over time(through the sky light over ten years) so have decided to use the backing which is quarter sawn american oak wich looks good. Have just finished cutting and it's great to get that chip board out of my way after ten years.
The stop sounds like a great idea too Ian and I will use Texs idea for the edging as I don't have any oak here.

Iffin' it were mine... I would use a piece of "real wood" and use biscuits to align the edging to the flimbsy material, something like this.