EDGEBANDING FAQ

I just received some iron on edge tape. What temp setting should I use? Will I have to buy my wife a new iron if I use hers?

-Dave Smith

• I just finished ironing on over a 150 ft of Cherry edge banding on a Murphy bed that I am making. Set your iron on "Cotton" or high and it is recommended that you use a piece of butcher paper or foil to protect the sole plate on the iron. To be truthful I just ironed on the tape without the protective paper or foil. The iron I use has Teflon sole plate and did not pick up any of the heat sensitive glue. When using the iron move the iron slowly along the tape to heat the adhesive, but fast enough to avoid burning the wood. It is not tricky, and with a little practice you should do just fine.

-Jerry Wilson

• I too, just finished a Murphy bed this weekend. Jerry must have made the queen-size bed, because my single took only about 80 feet of iron-on edge banding. I used one of those disposable mesh dish cloths folded in half to protect the iron from glue and the wood from burning. I also used the Cotton setting on a regular iron. I noticed that the heat tended to curl the tape at the edges slightly (maybe I was getting it too hot), so I limited the length of tape ironed at one time to the length of the cloth. Then I removed the iron, and continually smoothed and pressed the tape with the rag as it was cooling to make sure the entire surface stuck. I still had a couple of spots that needed re-heated at the end of the job. If you tap the tape and it sounds hollow, just re-heat that spot. Be careful when trimming away excess tape because the cut can 'run' on you. If you don't have a special trim tool (I didn't) just use a ruler or something else flat to hold the tape down firmly to the surface while cutting. What a great invention this pre-glued tape stuff is! Have fun :-)

-David Firestone

• I use the Cotton setting and don't bother with the extra cloth. At first I burned the edging a little, but the touch comes quickly. Through a bit of fortuitous timing, my wife's cordless iron broke a few years ago and is permanently stuck on the Cotton setting. I bought her a new iron and kept the broken one, which makes for possibly the most convenient applicator tool short of a dedicated edge-banding machine.

-Michael Raugh

• Try this: Go to your local hobby shop and ask for a Monokote iron used to put shrink plastic on R.C. aircraft. Works great and they also have cotton covers made to fit.

-Curtis