How much edge banding do I need?

Name the edges: L1, L2, W1, W2

Every rectangular part has two long-grain edges and two short edges. A common shorthand calls the two edges that run along the part's length L1 and L2, and the two along its width W1 and W2. The count gives a compact code: a shelf banded on its front edge is 1L, a side banded on its front and top is 1L1W, and a door banded all round is 2L2W.

Write the code on the cut list next to each part. It tells you, the bander or the cut shop exactly which edges get banding, and it is the base for the total.

The formula

1. For each part: (number of L edges × length) + (number of W edges × width).
2. Multiply by the quantity of that part.
3. Add up all parts. That is the net length.
4. Add overhang: about 1 in (25 mm) at each end of every banded edge, because banding is applied long and trimmed flush.
5. Round up to the rolls sold, and keep a few feet spare for a bad start or a split piece.

Worked example: one base cabinet

Twelve banded edges with 1 in of overhang at each end add 24 in, so you need about 298 in, or just under 25 ft. A 25 ft roll would leave nothing for mistakes, so buy 50 ft. Three of these cabinets need about 75 ft.

Roll lengths and widths

Iron-on, pre-glued banding for home shops is commonly sold in 25 ft and 50 ft rolls. Banding for edgebanders and larger jobs comes in long rolls, such as 250 ft and 500 ft. Lengths and packaging vary by brand, so check the label before you compare prices.

For 3/4 in plywood, banding is sold in 3/4 in and 7/8 in widths. Since most 3/4 in plywood is really 23/32 in, a 3/4 in band leaves a hair of overhang on each face; the 7/8 in band gives more room and is easier to line up, at the cost of more trimming. Use the width your trimmer handles well.

What to band, and what to skip

Band every edge you see: front edges of sides, shelves, tops and bottoms, and all four edges of doors and drawer fronts. Skip edges that go against a wall, sit inside a joint or hide behind a face frame. Toe kicks are usually covered by a separate kick board, and backs need no banding.

Band before you drill hinge cups and before final assembly when you can: a flat part on the bench is far easier to iron, trim and sand than an edge inside a finished box.

Let Cortaplan add it up

1. Under Parts, tap Edges on each part and pick the banded sides; the code, like 2L2W, shows next to the part.
2. The Edge banding figure in the result is the net total, in feet when the unit is inches and in metres otherwise.
3. Enter the Edge banding price per foot (per metre in metric) under Cutting settings, or a sheet Price under Sheets, and the Shopping list appears with the length to buy: 25 mm of overhang added at each end of every banded side.