# Hardwood edging on router table build



## the_nite_owl (Oct 19, 2009)

I am building a router table out of two layers for 3/4" MDF.
I am planning to put an oak edging around the table and wondered if a flat hardwood edge glued on is sufficient or if I should rabbit the top edge of the mdf and the inside bottom edge of the wood so that the oak will have a lip over the MDF. I figure this will make the glue bond stronger and make warping of the MDF less likely.

I was planning to laminate the MDF then add the oak edging and use a flush trim bit to even them up. I will want to put some sealer on the wood as well, do I need to worry about the sealer adding thickness at the edge of the table making a slight bump? Or should I bevel the top of the oak edging down?

Opinions appreciated.
Trent


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Trent

This just my 2 cents..

Why cover up the MDF or put a hard wood edge on it,,the MDF works very well the way it is ....a nice round over edge and a coat or two of Johnson floor wax makes it slick just like anything you put on it..plus you can recoat it anytime you want to..

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the_nite_owl said:


> I am building a router table out of two layers for 3/4" MDF.
> I am planning to put an oak edging around the table and wondered if a flat hardwood edge glued on is sufficient or if I should rabbit the top edge of the mdf and the inside bottom edge of the wood so that the oak will have a lip over the MDF. I figure this will make the glue bond stronger and make warping of the MDF less likely.
> 
> I was planning to laminate the MDF then add the oak edging and use a flush trim bit to even them up. I will want to put some sealer on the wood as well, do I need to worry about the sealer adding thickness at the edge of the table making a slight bump? Or should I bevel the top of the oak edging down?
> ...


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## the_nite_owl (Oct 19, 2009)

*Bare MDF vs laminate*



bobj3 said:


> Hi Trent
> 
> This just my 2 cents..
> 
> ...


I think the laminate will be a tougher more durable surface and it will help seal out moisture and prevent warping.
I am a relatively new hobbyist and my work area is a former one car garage in the basement which I have expanded a little bit but it is also an entrance into the house so anyone and everyone will be traipsing through there, especially in the winter when the back steps or the hill up the driveway are treacherous to navigate with snow and ice. Anyway, everyone walks through there and things are often dumped on any flat surface in my work area so I want to make it durable.
It is also a large table that I am building at 33" deep by 42" wide so the stiffer it is the better. It is being made to fit over the steel frame my table saw came packed in which makes a great base for this router table and the table can pull double duty due to lack of space in the workshop.

I may eventually make a router table extension for my table saw but I need to source some steel to replace/extend the mounts for the rip fence and support the router table. I have a granite topped table saw so I cannot easily support it directly from the end of the table wing.


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## Padawan Learner (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm curious to see how you resolve this. Keep us posted. 

I am planning to steam bend a strip of hickory around the rounded corners of my MDF laminate/formica table top, and butt the bent hickory against it.


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

Sounds like you have a good plan Trent. The laminate and edging will certainly offer more protection in the long run, although a little more work up front. BJ's recommendation is a great idea in a normal one person setting, but with your having to share the space as you described, the laminate may be a better option.


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

Trent, here is a link to some pics of my table. I used two 3/4" pieces of MDF with laminant on the top and bottom. The edging is simply 2 x 4 lumber cut to size, glued and rounded over. To obtain a perfectly flush joint I used a hand plane before rounding over...

Table Pictures


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Hi Trent:

Like a lot of issues here, the issue of hardwood edging elicits many different opinions. 

People like Bobj3 and Pat Warner go without edging.

People like Bill Hylton (_Woodworking with the Router_ and _Router Magic_) put on hardwood edging.

In most cases where edging is applied, the hardwood is jointed and then glued to the MDF core. Then the laminate is applied and one chamfers the edge. The laminate may cover only the MDF or it may cover both the MDF and the edging. Personal choices.

In my case, I have grooved the edging and rabbetted the MDF. I then glued the edging onto the MDF. Next, I will apply the laminate, covering the MDF and edging, and follow that by chamfering the edges (top and bottom.)

Everything here is personal choice. 

Cassandra


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Hi Trent:

On my top, the edging is 1.5 inches square. Lots of thickness here. This allows me to re-surface the edging at a later date, if the need arises. So, if my edge gets banged and dented, I can re-true the edge.

Cassandra


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Let me add to my post 

How do you collect moisture,, cover it with something, plastic,laminate,etc. it's great to have it in the kitchen because you can and will spill things on the top and it gives you time to wipe it up but it the shop you should not put you pop,coffee,hot pots.etc. or anything else on the router table..
The MDF is always open,,like around the router mounting plate for just one spot..that's why the Johnson wax works so great, you can put it around all the edges and keeps the moisture out so to speak..
Look under your kitchen cabinets and you will see the spots from things that have spilled over and have run down under..it just happens.
If you put laminate on the bottom side you just made a pocket for the moisture/water to collect..( plastic bag thing ) the air will dry out the moisture if it can get to it..
Aging back to the kitchen thing,look under your cabinets in the kitchen you will not see the bottom side that have been laminate..they know it takes air to dry it out..

Same thing for the edging,you will have a small crack and it time it will fill up with junk..the Oak or what every will not act like MDF, it will move or shrink , to me it's just something you add to cover up something or to match the base wood stock..
It just takes a bump with some stock and the edging has a crack in it,that will fill up with router dust in time..once the glue drys up it's free to move..and in time it will..look at a book case that has edging on it..and that's made out of plywood.. the plywood is very stable but the wood edging is not..that's why many use plastic edging to match the plywood/MDF/PB/etc., it's very stable also.. not the glue on type but the push in slot type..

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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

BJ... do you always have to be so logical? 

Your post makes perfectly good sense and very hard to argue against :agree:


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

the_nite_owl said:


> I am building a router table out of two layers for 3/4" MDF.
> I am planning to put an oak edging around the table and wondered if a flat hardwood edge glued on is sufficient or if I should rabbit the top edge of the mdf and the inside bottom edge of the wood so that the oak will have a lip over the MDF. I figure this will make the glue bond stronger and make warping of the MDF less likely.
> 
> I was planning to laminate the MDF then add the oak edging and use a flush trim bit to even them up. I will want to put some sealer on the wood as well, do I need to worry about the sealer adding thickness at the edge of the table making a slight bump? Or should I bevel the top of the oak edging down?
> ...


Trent, as you can see there are as many opinions on router table edge treatment as there are routologists (maybe more)! <g>

To more specifically answer your question, the reason for putting laminate or edging or wax on the MDF is to control the rate of moisture absorbtion but even more importantly, to ensure that whatever is absorbed is absorbed slowly and evenly. This is the reason why, if you're going to formica (or otherwise add a finish to) the top, you should also do the bottom. Whether or not hardwood / MDF edging would require rabbeting for good adhesion, the answer is "no", as the hardwood would be edge-glued to the MDF (which has no "end grain" to fight). Adding a rabbet will not add strength. Some people use V-shaped edging bits or biscuits but the value there (IMO) is more for alignment than anything else. If you add hardwood to the edge I recommend installing it so its slightly proud of the table top and then using a plane or chisel to pare the edging down level with the top.

As to adding sealer on a rabbeted surface, I'd cut the rabbets so the top installed a little proud (see above) so a film-thickness wouldn't matter. If you have aaccess to a 23ga air pin nailer, it will make a good near-invisible clamp to hold the edging on until it dries.

Do you need to seal the exposed surface of the hardwood? Probably not, but if you do you could use wax or any film finish that will restrict the passage of moisture from the air.

As to whether or not to add edging.. it's one of those "Ford vs. Chevy" questions, where people on both sides feel how they feel very strongly but objectively, it probably doesn't make a hill of beans difference.

That said, I installed 1/4" maple on the sides of my table. I did it because I *wanted* to; because the appearance appealed to me. Your mileage may vary...


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Well said, Jim!

I went with laminating top and bottom, to give the top a resilient, smooth, light-colored surface and to equalize the moisture levels on the two surfaces.

As for rabbetting the MDF and grooving the edging, I did it to primarily maintain vertical alignment between the MDF and edging, independently of the glue. Also, I suspect the 1.5 inch square red oak edging is not likely to bend much due to the top sagging. Besides the rabbetting and grooving add more glue surface area.

I especially like your comment, "I did it because I *wanted* to; because the appearance appealed to me." There are choices to be made and we make them because we *want* to.

Cassandra


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## the_nite_owl (Oct 19, 2009)

Thanks everyone for your comments, good points on both sides.
I will laminate and edge for the reasons I stated and for the one I did not but BigJamAK pointed out above, I just want it. 
I am a relatively new hobbyist and not only do I want the satisfaction of creating my own router table a part of me wants others to be impressed by it so that I can show off my developing skills. Once I get a bit more skilled and confident maybe I can drop the flash but I do appreciate aesthetics. 

Cassandra, did you rabbit the top of the table or the middle? I have seen it done both ways.

Thanks everyone.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Phenolic table top

Amazon.com: CMT 999.500.02 Industrio Router Table System with Precision Fence, Phenolic Insert, Cabinet, Zero Clearance Inserts, Centering Tool and Insert Plate with 2 Aluminum Rings: Home Improvement


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

the_nite_owl said:


> Cassandra, did you rabbit the top of the table or the middle? I have seen it done both ways.


 Hi Trent:

I rabbetted the top and bottom edges of the MDF core. I routed a matching groove along the middle of the red oak edging, to mate with the MDF.

When I get home tonight, I'll post a picture or two.

Cassandra


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Edge Banding Router Bit Sets
see video on web page how to use them..

I should note just about any match pair of bits can be used the same way as long as they are wide enough to use on the 1 1/2" thick stock...like the pair of bits below..

MLCS roman ogee and edge banding router bits

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## the_nite_owl (Oct 19, 2009)

Cassandra said:


> Hi Trent:
> 
> I rabbetted the top and bottom edges of the MDF core. I routed a matching groove along the middle of the red oak edging, to mate with the MDF.
> 
> ...


I can picture it.
I have a nice piece of hard maple I will be using. Only 1" but it will have to do.


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## Mike Wingate (Apr 26, 2009)

Add the wood strips. Then you are sure of sealing the edge, and having a smooth edge to run any jigs along, or ensuring a true edge to butt up to. I was going to flat dowel mine, but I think I may have just butt jointed the sides, then added a slight roundover.


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Hi Trent:

Here are a couple of pix.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I chamfered the edges of the MDF, to allow space for excess glue to go, per suggestion from another Router Forums member.

In the picture with the edging, one should notice that the height of the oak is greater than the MDF. Once the edging was fastened to the MDF (glue set), I then flush trimmed the oak to the MDF, giving a smooth junction for the laminate to bridge.

Cassandra


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

As for the bits that I have used on my top, the rabbeting and grooving were done with a Freud 12-118 1/2"w x 1-1/4"d bit (1/2" shank.) The chamfers were done with a Freud 20104 90-degree V bit (1/4" shank.) I didn't bother buying specialty bits for my build.

The edge banding bit sets would have made the job easier, but one can cope without.

Cassandra


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## the_nite_owl (Oct 19, 2009)

Cassandra said:


> Hi Trent:
> 
> Here are a couple of pix.
> 
> ...


Good point on chamfering the MDF, I had not thought of that.


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

Hi Trent:

It was Ralph's suggestion (http://www.routerforums.com/table-mounted-routing/13229-almost-beginning-build-my-table-edging.html). I would have missed it, if Ralph hadn't pointed it out.

Cassandra


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## bygolly (Jan 4, 2009)

I attached a hardwood edge on my table with pocket screws on the underside of the table. I planed the top edge even with the laminate and then rounded over the edge. Oh, I also used glue along with the pocket screws. I am confident that it will last the life of the table.


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