Veneer edge banding on a rounded edge?

[FroDaddy]

I'm looking at the price between birch laminated ply from home depot versus buying veneer to laminate a large piece of MDF, and the ply is cheaper. I've used the birch laminated ply before on an entertainment system and the results were satisfactory. I used some composite plastic edging for the entertainment system, so I haven't used veneer edge banding yet.

The speakers will have a painted black center, while the sides will be stained laminate. So the top, bottom, front, back of the speaker will be made first out of MDF and painted black. The sides will be made separately out of birch laminated ply, and will sandwich the MDF once completed. So, if you're looking at the front baffle you will have a painted black center with stained wood sandwiching it.

This means that the edges of the ply will be exposed all around, which is where the edge banding comes in. That normally wouldn't be a problem, but the front of the speakers require a vertical roundover. So how realistic is it for veneer edge banding to be installed on a rounded edge? How about the "joint" between the ply veneer and the edge veneer?

Thanks

[David_D]

My experience is limited but, from an engineering aspect, I think you would find it difficult to bond 1" wide edging around a 3/4" radius even if the veneer grain is going in the correct direction. Maybe with a vacuum press. My opinion is you may be better off jointing in a 3/4" solid Quater Round or If you have a nice tight lamiate ply, It may make some nice patterning with a round over cut right into the edge.

My $0.02
-David

[Martyn]

I agree with David. Instead of a vacuum press, you could make an edge-clamp by routing a 3/4"cove into a piece of wood, but by the time you've allowed for the thickness of the edge-banding and figured out how to deal with the joins, you could have glued solid birch along each edge, flush-trimmed it, and then rounded it over. Quicker, easier, a better job, and one that will never come unstuck!