Edge in furniture production necessary to protect the end edges of the product from chips, cracks and other damage, and it also protects against moisture and formaldehyde vapor.
You will learn about what types of edges there are, as well as methods for gluing them and how to glue the edges with an iron and hairdryer from this article.
Types of edges - why are they needed?
- The most common type is melamine edge with glue on paper based . Used for finishing interior areas of furniture. Available, inexpensive, but not the best quality option. Does not tolerate moisture and wears out quickly. Easily glued at home with a simple iron.
- T-shaped flexible profile - is a T-shaped strip, it is inserted into a slot in the side of chipboard or MDF. It is convenient to replace the damaged element in the future without disassembling the furniture. Installation requires a milling machine.
- PVC edging - reliably protects the ends of furniture from damage, is wear-resistant and resistant to moisture. To glue PVC edging, you will need an edge processing machine, so using this type of edges at home is difficult.
- ABS plastic is an eco-friendly option without chlorine. Prized for its resistance to high temperatures and physical damage.
All options can be divided into two subtypes - edges without glue and with glue.
Average cost of a profile per linear meter:
- PVC thick 0.4 mm – about 25 rubles,
- PVC 2 mm thick - about 40 rubles,
- Melamine material for chipboard - about 25 rubles.
In our country, they actively use products from the company Rehau, which offers large selection color solutions, as well as different tape widths from 15 to 45 mm.
To simplify the work, you can use various specialized furniture programs, which will calculate how much material is needed to glue the edges.
PVC edge - how to glue it step by step at home
To work you will need:
- iron or hair dryer,
- and of course buy PVC edges with glue
- hard roller,
- newspaper or paper sheet
The material is heated to make the glue sticky. Heating is performed with an iron in the “Synthetic” mode.
- The profile is applied to the end so that it overlaps the end of the section.
- Next, the iron is used to heat again through the newspaper. Since the glue dissolves quickly, the process is quite active, and it is convenient to move the iron along the PVC edge.
- The edge itself must be carefully pressed and ironed until it sticks along its entire length.
- Gluing with a hair dryer. Instead of an iron, you can use a hair dryer. The PVC edge is heated from the adhesive side and when the composition becomes sticky, the material is applied to the end of the desired area, clamped and gently smoothed.
- Gluing with Moment glue. This method is suitable if there is no adhesive layer on the edge. The quality of the end is checked manually, sawdust, debris, and dust are removed until the surface is clean. Then glue is applied to both the material and the end and wait until it sets. After this, apply and press. Using a roller, roll the area so that the glue sets faster.
VIDEO
How to remove excess material
If it was not possible to carefully glue the edge the first time, the procedure will have to be repeated. To do this, apply glue to the area again and clamp the profile using a roller or manually.
Since the width of PVC edges is usually taken with a margin, you need to carefully remove the excess along the edges. To do this, use the usual stationery knife or file. Take it with both hands and press on the protruding fragment. As a result, the excess parts break off and an edge remains that matches the width of the area.
Shutdown
After everything is glued, all that remains is to sand the uneven surfaces with sandpaper.
How to glue an edge to chipboard - description
Melamine edge is best option for use at home when it is necessary to restore old furniture With minimal costs. If the furniture is expensive, it is better to turn to professionals who use other more expensive and high-quality materials.
Let's consider how to glue edges to chipboard tabletops at home.
EXCELLENT VIDEO ON THE TOPIC
For work you will need the following materials:
- skin,
- sharpened knife-jamb,
- wallpaper roller,
- melamine edge,
- hair dryer or iron.
Algorithm of actions:
- choose the operating mode of the iron so that it does not heat up too much and does not burn the chipboard and at the same time ensures proper melting of the glue,
- Process the edges of the chipboard for gluing with sandpaper, remove irregularities,
- measure the profile,
- heat it with an iron and press it tightly to the area using a roller (if there is no adhesive layer, you will need to apply glue to the edge yourself, for example, “Moment” glue),
- cut off the overhanging edges of the edge with a knife.
It is necessary to cut at an angle along the edge, slightly bending the material. Then all that remains is to sand the edges so that there are no burrs or irregularities left.
If the cut of the edge and the chipboard part itself are slightly different, stain will help correct the difference.
If the part has a complex shape and the edge of the surface is characterized by complex relief, it is not always possible to glue the material evenly the first time. In such a situation, it is worth turning to professionals so as not to damage the product.
Types of edging glueWhich glue to choose for edges
Furniture production professionals actively use hot melt adhesives for edges. They are convenient if production will be put on stream, and it is required as high quality results and fast speed.
Hot melt adhesives are thermoplastics, which means they become very elastic when heated and quickly harden when cooled. The ethylene polymer with vinyl acetate included in the adhesive is responsible for these properties. The disadvantage of using it is the need to use special equipment, namely appropriate machines or hand guns for applying glue to parts and heating it.
- IN living conditions PVC glue is often used, which glues paper materials well to various surfaces. Homogeneous without lumps light color The mass glues surfaces well, but is afraid of moisture. It does not require the use of additional equipment, therefore it is convenient for use by non-professional craftsmen.
- Will fit universal adhesives“Moment” and “88-lux”, which will reliably glue the material to the surface of chipboard and PVC. After 3-4 hours the product can be used. Adhesives are inexpensive, safe and available.
- From professional furniture glue for edges it is worth noting products from Kleiberit. The company offers hot melt adhesives for cladding, for gluing material using the soft-forming method (if the surface is embossed), as well as for cladding.
Everyone knows a fact that often occurs when edgebanding is the melting of PVC edges, especially for edges up to 1 mm thick.
There is a problem of wave-like formation on edges with a thickness of 2 mm after scraping, peeling of the edge from the part, lumpy edges of 0.4 mm, whitishness of the edges and many other problems.
It is necessary to understand what the reason is in each specific case more deeply than to attribute everything to the quality of the edges.
So first we should consider edge banding process, namely the reasons for the appearance of defects at this stage in detail, we are talking about the use exclusively PVC edges.
The process consists of several stages:
Gluing
Trimming
Milling overhangs
Cycling
Polishing
Gluing PVC edges.
Regardless of the type of machine, edge gluing is done using melt glue.
The likelihood of marriage occurring at this stage is very high. In order to avoid problems, you must:
Carry out the most suitable settings by trial and experiment
Select a suitable hot melt adhesive, taking into account the type of machine and operating temperature
Take into account the parameters of laminated chipboard (humidity, friability)
The edge melts when glued.
If you use a feed speed of 2 - 5 m/min, you should apply an edge that is more heat-resistant, and it must be taken into account that the permissible temperatures declared by edge suppliers are reduced if the adhesive is applied directly to the tape and not to the part. We recommend changing operating temperature glue bath.
After gluing the 0.4 mm edges, surface roughness appears:
A very common problem, which is also not always related to the quality of the edges. As a rule, it consists in the incorrect selection of hot melt glue.
The fact is that the density of chipboard greatly affects the gluing process, and depending on this parameter, you need to choose the right hot melt adhesive. Lumpiness on the surface appears at a low density of chipboard with the simultaneous use of unfilled melts.
The problem can be corrected by using a filled adhesive with increased consumption. In this case, not only the bumpiness will disappear, but the bonding strength of the surfaces will also increase.
When gluing it forms uneven surface due to indentation of the chipboard structure:
This problem is easily solved. Simply move out the additional pressure rollers.
The seam between the edge and the end of the part is too noticeable.
When gluing PVC edges with a thickness of 1 mm, 1.8 mm, 2 mm or more, it is recommended to use an unfilled hot melt adhesive, then the seam will be as thin as possible and almost invisible, in addition, it is necessary to carefully select the tone of the glue to visually merge the adhesive seam of the edge and the chipboard.
The edge is melted on curved parts.
This problem is also worth looking at from the point of view of the type of equipment used and the type of adhesive.
For example, for manual machines, when the part moves around a stationary gluing unit, it is recommended to use melts with a wide temperature range.
For equipment with automatic feeding When the workpiece moves around the gluing unit at a constant speed of 10 - 30 m/min, adhesives with a small temperature range can be used. The use of polyurethane adhesives is recommended when the adhesive unit is manually moved around the product and the adhesive is applied directly to the edge tape.
Overhang milling, scraping.
After removing the overhangs, a wavy end remains on the edge.
This problem occurs when the tool (cutter knives) is dull or the rotation speed is insufficient for uniform removal.
Increase the cutter speed and reduce the edge feed speed. The same thing can happen when scraping: a “wave” on the edge is formed if the scraper (knife) is not sharp enough.
There are chips on the edges of the edge.
Chips on a PVC edge after milling do not mean that the edge material is very hard or the chalk content is very high.
They may indicate that the rotation speed of the cutter is set incorrectly and the knives need to be adjusted or sharpened. Perhaps the problem is both.
Polishing.
In order to ensure that the edge is well polished and all remaining chips, glue, etc. are removed, we recommend polishing along the radius with a cloth polishing wheel and applying a release liquid to the surface of the chipboard.
Conclusion:
Based on the above, we recommend that when changing suppliers, you do not immediately attribute poor edgebanding to .
In order to make sure that the edge is not suitable, you need to check its use on several modes/machines, check whether the temperature and feed speed are set correctly, take into account the composition of the glue and much more.
Of course, the quality of the edges primarily influences the cladding process, based on many years of experience in supplying edge tapes, we recommend that when choosing materials you base your choice not only on cost, but also on other characteristics.
So, in order not to spoil the product/part at the edge banding stage, you must:
Choose a reliable partner for the supply of edges
Pay attention to how long the importer has been working on the market
How many suppliers/factories does the importer have (to avoid quality differences from batch to batch).
We offer to solve your problems at the edgebanding stage.
You will be able, without reconfiguring the equipment, to use the “LUX” edge, and save without loss of quality by using the “STANDARD” PVC edge. ().
We are happy to solve any problems that arise, and in case of a color change in the warehouse program/in production, we will accept a full refund.
We will be glad to become for you not just a supplier of edge materials, but a reliable partner who strives to help develop your business.
When furniture starts to peel at the edges, you need to fix it as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be damaged and will have to be removed protective film and replace it with a new one.
Chipboard when cut is unsightly and is also exposed to moisture, so the edge must be sealed.
The veneer edges are peeling off and wooden furniture, but more often in furniture made of laminated chipboard with melamine or plastic edges.
When cutting a board, edges are formed on which raw wood is exposed - chipboard, which must be covered. Depending on which edge the manufacturer uses, there are various options repair.
Glue-on edgings made of melamine and plastic are available in a variety of decors.
Melamine edges
Most cheap option- melamine edges, which are made of the same material as the film that covers the chipboard. Melamine resin is a very durable material which can withstand high temperatures.
Therefore, melamine edges usually come with a layer of hot melt adhesive, which can be activated at home using a regular iron. Tape with an adhesive layer is applied to the edge and from the front side, preferably through blank slate paper, ironed with a warm iron until the hot-melt adhesive spreads across the tape and sticks to the surface of the edge.
Melamine edges are thin and have a layer of hot-melt adhesive on the reverse side, while plastic edges have a thickness of up to three millimeters and without glue.
To properly glue a melanin edge, you need to have experience in practice and the result will not always be perfect. The edge is very sensitive to mechanical stress and is not waterproof (depending on the material and glue used).
Special irons are made for gluing melamine edges, but at home you will only need a regular iron clothes iron.
Plastic edges
More durable edges are made of ABS plastic (as well as PVC or PP), which, like melamine, is used for decorative edges of products from wood materials, such as chipboard, MDF panels, or porous honeycomb structural boards.
The plastic edges are uniformly painted, and the back side is coated with an adhesive agent - a primer, which ensures that the glue sticks.
As well as edgebands that are used to protect a straight edge, there are plastic strips that are suitable for shaped parts. You can also use veneer. But the front edge can be glued with a wooden strip.
Melamine and plastic edges are flexible, so they can be glued to curved surfaces.
ABS tapes are usually glued with special equipment, but this does not mean that even an amateur cannot handle it. Manually gluing the edge is also possible, even without special tools, only requiring the use of certain adhesives such as two-component dispersion adhesives, polyurethane adhesives or contact adhesives.
ABS is a thermoplastic that softens when heated, so it is not made with a layer of hot melt adhesive and therefore cannot be worked with in the same way with an iron as when repairing melamine edgebanding.
Edge repair
An edge made in an industrial environment is always glued with hot-melt adhesive, regardless of what material it is made of. Gluing with hot melt adhesive is the fastest and cheapest technology for gluing edges.
The melted adhesive is applied to the edge just before gluing, so it doesn't matter even if the edge is plastic. Thus, we assume that each edge industrial production contains hot melt adhesive.
A layer of hot melt glue can be carefully applied to a peeling edge or even a plastic one using a hot melt gun equipped with a flat tip.
If the melamine edge has come off, we can try to activate the remaining glue using an iron. If the tape does not stick to the edge, you will have to use contact adhesive. Apply a thin layer of it to both surfaces, leave for ten to fifteen minutes, then press the tape to the edge.
We will glue the plastic edge in the same way, with the only difference that it cannot be ironed with a hot iron. Because faster than the remaining glue on the back side would melt, the edge itself would melt. Therefore, the glue on the back side will be melted using a hot air gun.
If the tape does not stick, we will again use contact glue or special polyurethane glue.
There are various cutters and scrapers for cleaning edges; practitioners recommend a chisel, a metal file and sandpaper.
Applying new tape
When gluing an edge, a tape is used that is longer and wider than the edge itself. We glue the melamine tape using an iron, and glue the plastic tape with contact glue.
After the glue has dried or cooled, trim off any excess that extends beyond the edges of the edge. For melamine, a safe knife or chisel is sufficient; there are also special knives.
The plastic edge strip can be glued manually and professionally.
It is more difficult to work with plastic tape, given that it is intended for professional processing. Thickness of two to three millimeters requires the use of a special hand tool. cutting tool or cutters.
The tool can be a copying cutter or a forming cutter, with which we create a rounding on the plastic edge. The edges of the edge can be cut at an angle with a wood scraper. We do the same when gluing veneer or wooden slats.
Edge gluing process.
To attach an edge without a layer of hot-melt adhesive, you need contact or special dispersion glue, a brush, screw terminals with leading edge attachments, MDF or chipboard backing, top cutter or edge cutter, copy cutter or bearing cutter.
For pieces of furniture made from laminated chipboard, untreated edges do not look very aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the formaldehyde resin that holds the chips together in the slab can become a source of harmful fumes. To avoid these problems, use a special furniture profile or edge. For gluing edges it is usually used special equipment, but you can cope with this task yourself at home. So, edge for a tabletop with glue - how to glue? Let's talk about this.
Types of furniture edges
Laminated chipboard is one of the most common materials in furniture production. Furniture edge Designed to mask cuts that occur after cutting the required parts. For making decorative strip use different edges. They are made from different materials. Their properties and prices are also different. Before gluing the edge to the tabletop, let's look at the main types of materials.
Paper with melamine
Melamine-impregnated paper edging is the cheapest option. For its production it is used thick paper impregnated with melamine and varnished. For ease of edging on reverse side The films are coated with an adhesive coating. Working with the material is extremely simple: you need to heat it up and press it well against the furniture end.
Important! Paper edging is not only the cheapest, but also the most short-lived type of finish.
Most common thickness paper tape- 0.2 and 0.4 mm. There is no point in using a thicker edge, and the price will increase significantly.
Important! Paper tapes bend well and do not break, but their mechanical strength is extremely low. For this reason, paper edge is used with back side shelves or countertops - where there is no heavy load.
PVC
Durable and practical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has also found application in furniture production. A ribbon is formed from a polymer mass painted in one color or another. The front surface can be smooth or textured (imitation of wood fibers). There are so many color options that you can choose the right one without much difficulty. At the same time, the price of PVC is more than affordable.
It is very easy to glue PVC, which is why home craftsmen often use it. You can achieve good results using simple devices. The advantages of PVC tape include:
- High strength.
- Moisture resistance.
- Chemical neutrality to household chemicals.
The thickness of the furniture edge is 0.4-4.0 mm, with a width of 19-54 mm. There are tapes with or without glue applied.
Important! Polyvinyl chloride also has a significant disadvantage: it does not have a very wide range of operating temperatures (-5 - +45 degrees). Therefore in winter time furniture should not be left outside for a long time (for example, when moving). Care must also be taken when heating the material before gluing so that it does not melt.
ABS (ABC) plastic
It's environmentally friendly safe material, which does not contain harmful impurities. It is durable and practical, resistant to significant temperature changes. It has one drawback - its relatively high cost.
Important! ABC tape can be matte, semi-matte or glossy. There is a furniture tape that imitates various varieties tree.
Veneer
This is the thinnest piece of wood, processed and shaped like a ribbon. It is used for finishing the edges of veneer products. The material is not cheap and quite difficult to use. The sticker of this material requires certain skills, so it is advisable to turn to the experts.
Acrylic
A pattern is applied to the back strip of the tape, and a transparent acrylic layer creates a three-dimensional effect. Therefore, it is also known as 3D. This option is suitable for furniture with an original design.
Profiles
In addition to edges, a special T-shaped or U-shaped profile is used for finishing furniture. For T-shaped profiles, a groove is formed in the edge. The profile itself is hammered into the groove using a mallet. There are 14 and 16 mm profiles made of plastic or aluminum. Installation of a profile with a U-shaped cross-section is carried out using special glue.
Important! The disadvantage of this type of finish is that they are of little use for curved surfaces.
How to glue an edge to a tabletop with your own hands?
There are 2 methods of gluing:
- The first one refers to materials with an applied adhesive composition.
- The second concerns gluing tapes without an adhesive layer.
Important! In the latter case, purchase a universal glue that glues edging, wood and plastic equally well.
Now about what thickness of material to choose. According to GOST canons, edges that are not visible do not need to be processed. But it’s better not to be lazy and edge all the cuts. This is necessary to avoid the absorption of moisture from the chipboard and the evaporation of formaldehyde:
- To treat inconspicuous areas, use PVC tape 0.4 mm thick.
- On the “front” edges, 2 mm thick polyvinyl chloride tape is used.
- For shelves - 1 mm.
Self-attaching tape with adhesive composition
Start working with thin edges. First, let's look at the installation of melamine or PVC tape. Let's look at how to glue an edge on chipboard with an iron. To do this you will need scissors and a regular iron with a fluoroplastic attachment. The procedure is as follows:
- Cut a piece of tape with a margin of 1.5-2.0 cm.
- Place the iron on the “deuce” setting.
- Place the edge on the surface to be treated, level it so that small pieces hang over the edges.
- Iron the ribbon through the iron attachment. If there is no attachment, you can use soft textiles.
- Once dry, trim the edges. To make them look as smooth as possible, process them with a hand router.
Important! Trimming the edges must be done with the utmost care. The material is thin, all defects are very noticeable.
Edging with PVC tape without adhesive
To stick PVC tape without a special layer, you will need universal glue for PVC edges on furniture (for example, “Moment”) and a piece of soft textile:
- Don't forget to read the glue instructions first.
- Now apply glue to the tape, wait the time specified in the instructions, then connect the surfaces to be glued.
- To press surfaces more firmly, use wooden block or soft cloth.
- Press the tape with stroking movements to ensure better adhesion.
- After the glue has completely hardened, you can align the edges.
Video material
There are no particular difficulties in sealing furniture sections. The main thing is to choose the best option for the material and apply it correctly, and you now know how to do this, thanks to this review.
Over time, my furniture required repairs, on one door kitchen cabinet The edge has come off, and a piece of the edge has completely broken off on the shelf.
First, you need to decide to change the entire edge completely or choose the same color and texture from a furniture fittings store. If the edge has simply come off, it can be glued back in place. This is done simply, heat the iron, place a sheet of snow-white paper on the edge and press very hard with a hot iron for 2-4 seconds. It is important to use paper without inscriptions and drawings, otherwise they can be used on furniture.
In the photo. The edge of the door has come unglued; to fix it you need a hot iron and a sheet of paper.
In the photo. We place a sheet of snow-white paper on the peeled edge and press it with a hot iron.
In the case where the edge is cracked or it is impossible to find a suitable piece to replace the area, deliberately remove the old edge and stick on a new one. To remove the old edge, we use a hot iron, which we heat up the edge with, and a chisel, with which we remove the heated edge.
In the photo. In this case, the edge will require complete replacement at the entire end of the cabinet.
If a small piece of the edge breaks off, then first select an edge that matches the color, then use a construction knife to trim the edge of the edge. Next, cut out a piece of suitable size and glue it through the paper with a heated iron. When the edge is glued, we trim the edges with a construction knife and clean it with a file.
In the photo. We straighten the edge where it was broken, then cut out a new one.
In the photo. We select suitable size the latest PVC edges.
In the photo. We glue the new piece of edge using a hot iron.
Using this method, you can repair new and old furniture, and also paste over the ends of furniture assembled by yourself, fortunately in furniture fittings stores on at the moment large selection of colors and sizes of PVC edges.