Homemade Edge Banding

If you’re building a project from fir plywood and you need edge banding that’s an exact match, check out Sue Barlow’s revolutionary idea. On a table saw, cut 7/8-in. wide strips of the same ply-wood you’re using for the project. Then rotate the strip 90 degrees and slice off a 1/8-in. thick strip for the edge banding. This tip lets you be creative—you can cut off long grain strips to match the wood surface, and then cut strips with cross grain to create a “fold-over” effect on the other two edges of the plywood. Caution! Use a hold-down stick and a push stick when sawing narrow pieces on the table saw. Note: This tip doesn’t work well with hardwood plywood; the hardwood veneer is too thin.