How to edge a cabinet at home by yourself?

Recently, I've been preparing for my new home and plan to do the edge banding of the cabinets by myself. After careful preparation, I'll start working right away.

I. Edge banding steps:

I prepared the necessary tools before sealing the board. 15-20mm pure white ABS edge banding strips (because of its relatively stable nature and greater environmental friendliness), hot melt glue gun 

and hot melt glue stick, pencil, ruler, scissors and utility knife, sandpaper, roller and cloth, trimming knife.

After everything is ready, it's time to measure the length that needs edge banding. Measure the lengths of the top, bottom and left and right sides respectively with a ruler, and record the data. If the 

edge of the cabinet door has a curve or a special shape, it needs to be measured in sections. According to the just-measured length, use scissors or a utility knife to cut the edge banding into a size 

slightly longer than the edge of the cabinet door. Usually, I will cut out an extra 5-10mm to avoid insufficient length due to cutting errors.

Before edge banding, I also needed to carefully clean the edge-banded cabinets and simply sanded them with sandpaper to avoid edge banding failure due to unevenness or bubbling. If there are 

stubborn stains on the cabinet that are hard to clean, you can also choose to wipe them with detergent or alcohol.

While wiping the cabinet door, I will plug in the hot melt glue gun and start preheating. After about 5 to 10 minutes, when the glue stick is completely melted, edge sealing can begin. Take one edge of 

the cabinet door as an example. Start from one end and apply hot melt adhesive evenly along the edge of the cabinet door with a glue gun. It should be noted that the amount of hot melt adhesive 

should be appropriate. If too much is applied, it may overflow from the edge and contaminate the surface of the cabinet door. If the edge banding is relatively wide, a glue line can be applied to the 

middle and both sides of the edge respectively.

Align one end of the cut edge banding with the edge of the cabinet door (with the reserved excess part facing the outside of the cabinet door), and slowly press from one end to the other with your 

fingers or a roller to ensure that the edge banding closely adheres to the cabinet door while expelling the internal air. If you encounter the corner of the cabinet door (or the junction between the top 

and bottom and the left and right), you can use scissors to make a small diagonal cut on the back of the edge banding when it is about to reach the corner (at an Angle of about 45 degrees). It is 

convenient to bend and fit the edge banding strips to avoid wrinkles.

After the pasting is completed, wrap a flat wooden board (such as a waste wood strip) with a roller or a clean cloth, and press the surface of the edge banding strip firmly, especially at the edges and 

corners, to ensure that the hot melt adhesive adheres fully. Wait for the hot melt adhesive to cool slightly (about 1-2 minutes to avoid burning your hand), then use a utility knife or edge trimmer to 

gently cut off the excess edge banding along the edge of the cabinet door (the blade should be at a 45° Angle to the surface of the cabinet door to prevent scratching the door), and finally sand the 

edge of the edge banding with sandpaper to ensure a smooth transition with the surface of the cabinet door.

Ii. Precautions:

Temperature control: The temperature of the hot melt adhesive should be appropriate. If the temperature is too low, the bonding will not be firm; if it is too high, it may burn the edge banding or the 

surface of the cabinet door (it is recommended to use an adjustable temperature glue gun, with the temperature set at 180-220℃).

Edge banding matching: PVC edge banding is suitable for melamine board or density board cabinet doors, while solid wood edge banding is more appropriate for solid wood or multi-layer board 

cabinet doors, ensuring material matching to enhance aesthetics and durability.

Avoid bubbles: If bubbles appear during pasting, immediately prick them with a needle or a blade, then apply a small amount of glue and press it down firmly.

Standing and curing: After the edge banding is completed, it is recommended to let the cabinet door stand for 24 hours until the hot melt adhesive is completely cured before use to avoid frequent 

opening and closing causing the edge banding strips to fall off.

Iii. Common Problems and Solutions

1. Edge banding strip detachment: Insufficient glue or too low temperature

Reapply the hot melt adhesive, increase the temperature of the glue gun and press it firmly

2. Uneven edges: The cutting or grinding is not fine enough

Carefully sand the edges with sandpaper and re-cut the edge banding if necessary

3. Glue overflow: Excessive glue application

Use a clean cloth dipped in alcohol to wipe the spilled glue while it's still hot

4. Corner wrinkles: The edge banding was not cut diagonally or pressed improperly

Cut the edge banding at an Angle at the corner. When pasting, bend it slowly and press it firmly

Four. Tips (Congratulations on finding a treasure by now!)

If it's your first time edge banding, when buying edge banding strips, remember to choose the ones with hot melt adhesive! Don't buy the glossy ones, or they will stick and make you question your life.

2. Tools can also be an electric iron or a hair dryer set to the highest temperature. Burn slowly along the edge. Don't worry.

3. Immediately after ironing, use a hard card (don't use a bank card, use a membership card) or a used towel to scrape it flat vigorously. If there are still bubbles, make a small hole to release them.

4. Finally, use a utility knife to trim the edges. Be careful with your hands! Don't make it look like a crime scene!

Ok. Let's take a look at our final product. Congratulations on learning a craft and becoming a master of edge banding! Isn't it very fulfilling?