Q:

I don’t have a vacuum press, but I’d like to try my hand at some of the designs in Craig Thibodeau’s recent Master Class on tabletops (“Better Way to Add Stringing and Banding,” FWW #228). If I use nice hardwood plywood as the center panel and add solid-wood edging all around, can I still add a decorative banding?

Nick Johnson, Wells, ME

A:

Definitely, but the process is a little different. Rather than taping a shopmade banding to the central field of veneer, your best option is to use premade banding, and install it after applying the edging. Premade banding is thicker than veneer, which makes the banding easier to install and level afterward without fear of sanding through the veneer on the plywood top. Cut the recess with a router and an edge guide, and square up the corners with a chisel. You’ll need to fit and miter the banding pieces before gluing them in. Start at the corners to make sure the pattern meets seamlessly there. Trim the pieces to length near the middle. The eye is drawn to the corners, so people won’t notice if some squares near the middle are a bit narrower than others. After you glue in the pieces, flush the bandings close to the surface with a block plane, scrape them flush, and finish-sand them. By the way, I use a vacuum while sanding to keep the colored dust from migrating into areas where I don’t want it.

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