I am looking for a router bit that I know exists but can not find. It cuts a minute concavity into the edge of plywood to compensate for glue expansion when gluing up a solid wood edge so the joint is nearly seamless.
-Bill
Bethpage, NY
Edge Banding?
Our Expert
Actually, the glues used most often forwoodworking, white and yellow, do not expand as they dry; so there is no need to allow room for expansion. In fact,the opposite is true. For the strongest bond, it is important that the mating surfaces in a joint make contact. This is true for every type of joint whether it is a dovetail, mortise-and-tenon, or simply a wood strip to conceal the layersin the edges of plywood.
When glue is applied it is absorbed into the cells of the wood to create abond. And the greater the surface area for glue, the stronger the joint.
Amana has two bit sets specificallyfor edge banding. Sets no.55466 and 55468 areeach designed to increase the glue surface area over an ordinary butt joint. In addition, the unique profiles on these bits ensures a perfectalignment during glue-up.