Many woodworkers worldwide prefer plywood over other materials for their various woodworking projects. The reason is quite apparent: it is versatile, stable, and economical. Besides, you will find plywood of varying grades and thicknesses, providing you with a wide range of options. For example, you can use plywood for making cabinets, bookshelves, and tabletops. Yet, its use has one obvious downside—its edges still need to be finished.
Painting those exposed plywood edges will be a challenge. Besides, if you ever manage to paint those edges, the results will be ugly to look at because the edges could be smoother. So, if you don’t know how to finish the rough edges of the plywood, it will be best to read on.
Ways to Finish the Rough Edges of Plywood
They say knowledge is power, and I agree with this saying. In matters of finishing plywood edges, for example, if you know the methods of finishing those rough edges, you can indeed create excellent projects made of plywood. Below are the useful methods to hide and finish plywood edges:
Using Wood Filler to Smoothen the Edges
One way to smoothen the edges of the rough and uneven plywood to prepare it for finishing is by applying wood filler. Cover the edges with wood filler to have a solid surface to stain or paint on. After applying wood fillers, you can sand the edges to smoothen them.
Of course, you need to spend time and effort sanding the edges to achieve the desired smoothness. Afterward, you can stain or paint it depending on your chosen finish. This method of finishing plywood edges is relatively inexpensive. Besides, it is easy to do.
Using Face Board to Hide the Rough Edges of the Plywood!
Aside from using wood filler, you can also use a face board to hide the rough edges of the plywood. The face board is solid and comes with a smooth surface. You can attach the front plywood edge to a 1×2 using pocket holes. After securing the face board, you can fill and sand the surface to achieve a decent look for the edges of the plywood.
Use Screen Molding
Another way to hide and finish plywood edges is by using screen molding. You can buy screen molding from lumber yards and home centers. Screen moldings usually come in various widths and thicknesses to match the plywood’s thickness. With a brad nailer, you can tack these screen molding on the plywood edge.
Afterward, you can sand the edges to smoothen the points where the edges and the screen molding meet. You can also use a wood filler to hide the nail holes before staining or painting. You can also use a miter saw to butt into place two connecting screen molding pieces.
Using Solid-wood Edging
If you think portions of your sheet could get knocked off, it will be best to use solid wood edging strips. With these edging strips, you can route a profile on the edges to make your project look great. To prepare a solid wood edging, you can rip a strip. The strip should be thick enough to cover the edges and allow you to route it.
To attach these solid wood edging strips, you can use bar clamps to secure them while you glue them. Spread the pressure of the clamp evenly. You can also use brads to enhance the attachment of the strip.
After gluing and clamping, you can wipe the excess glue away. Then, you can use a router to trim the bottom and top edges. Use an edge-trimming bit on your router, or you can plane it using a block plane.
Using Veneer Edge Banding
Another way to hide and finish plywood edges is veneer edge banding. You can use iron-on edge banding for this purpose, and it is easy to use. Besides, you can use this banding for various plywood types. But it is best for thicker plywood pieces because it is easy to attach.
You will usually buy this veneer edge banding in a roll with adhesive on its back. This adhesive doesn’t readily attach. So, you must melt it to secure it. This veneer edge banding usually comes in a thickness of 3/4” to fit various thicknesses of plywood. Just leave a bit of overlay for sanding and snapping off.
You can also buy these veneer edge banding in various finishes. So, you can choose the color that complements your project well. But you can also paint these veneer edge banding.
To trim the excess banding, you can use a block plane or a chisel. Check for any residue of adhesive. Then, sand it off before applying paint.
Use a Joint Compound or Dry Dex
You can also use Joint Compound or Dry Dex to fill the plywood edges. You will like the Dry Dex because it appears pinkish when applying it. Afterward, it will change into white after drying. Before applying it, you must sand the edges. Then, apply a Dry Dex coat onto the edges. It will be best to sand the edges using 220-grit paper before applying the desired finish.
Hardwood Lumber Joined by Biscuits
You can also use hardwood lumber to hide the plywood edges. You can join the hardwood lumber to the edges by biscuit joinery. You can align the hardwood lumber with the edges of the plywood and sculpt matching slots onto both wood pieces. Mark the point where you will make the slots and make those slots. Afterward, you can insert the matching biscuits and glue them. Press the glued biscuits to make them stick together tightly.
Using Tongue and Groove
You may not think of it, but you can also use tongue and groove to hide rough plywood edges. Yes, you heard it right. It is a simple method of hiding plywood edges. You need to attach a hardwood stock to the plywood edges. Nevertheless, you should ensure that the stock complements the plywood to which you want to attach the stock to create contrast.
Start by cutting the groove on the hardwood side. Then, create the complementary tongue on the other piece. Ensure you center the tongue, which should be about one-third of the lumber’s thickness. Thus, if the thickness of the plywood is 3/4″, the tongue should be about 1/4″ in thickness.
Make sure that the tongue and groove match at the center. You can dry-fit the tongue and groove before applying glue to ensure they fit together. After gluing, you can use clamps to press two pieces together.
Conclusion
When you do a woodworking project using plywood, you want the finished project to be as perfect as it should be. The results usually speak more of your personality and skillset as a woodworker. Hence, knowing how to hide and finish the rough edges of plywood is a must if you work with plywood.
The abovementioned methods of hiding and finishing plywood edges will help you raise your level of woodworking a notch. This way, given the abovementioned methods, you will gain more confidence in doing plywood projects, knowing that you can hide and finish those projects.