michael_schwartz
07-18-2012, 01:27 PM
I have always preferred to apply a 1/4 -1/2" solid wood banding. However this is a habit that is extremely time consuming.
As much as I want a real bander with trimming units I still don't have the room, let alone 3 phase power. I really don't trust the idea of the inexpensive handheld/bench top, hot air edge banders that you see in the hobby catalogs. There are also a lot of other things, I would like to throw money at, such as a spindle for the bot, shaper with power feed, AAA spray rig, larger shop etc so I have to prioritize spending.
I happened to stumble upon an X-Factory listing, for this so I bought it. It is a 1988 Cehisa EP2S glue pot bander, with the automatic feeder. I has an automatic, pneumatic end trimmer, that leaves a 1/2" tail. In addition to coil stock, It will run strips of up to about 2mm thick.
The main thing, is that it is really compact, and I can move it around myself. It runs off about 11 amps, so all it needs is a single 240v circuit. It also uses real, hot melt adhesive. I haven't had the time to really get it setup but I ran a strip of banding, and the adhesion was exelent.
The drawback of course, is that you still have to flush trim both ends, and the top and bottom edges manually. I have a couple of solutions for this, which I may talk about later.
Someday I plan to get a real edge bander but I am hoping this will be a nice stepping stone.
I only paid about $900, before shipping. The bander has been well maintained, and so far I think that all I need to do is to replace a couple of springs. The original dealer, (Adwood) is very much still in business which is a good thing. This isn't bad assuming this machine, retails for about $6k if purchased new.
Of course, in a production setting this would be considered a toy compared to what would even be considered an entry level machine. But then again so is most of the equipment, you will find in the smallest, commercial shops.
As much as I want a real bander with trimming units I still don't have the room, let alone 3 phase power. I really don't trust the idea of the inexpensive handheld/bench top, hot air edge banders that you see in the hobby catalogs. There are also a lot of other things, I would like to throw money at, such as a spindle for the bot, shaper with power feed, AAA spray rig, larger shop etc so I have to prioritize spending.
I happened to stumble upon an X-Factory listing, for this so I bought it. It is a 1988 Cehisa EP2S glue pot bander, with the automatic feeder. I has an automatic, pneumatic end trimmer, that leaves a 1/2" tail. In addition to coil stock, It will run strips of up to about 2mm thick.
The main thing, is that it is really compact, and I can move it around myself. It runs off about 11 amps, so all it needs is a single 240v circuit. It also uses real, hot melt adhesive. I haven't had the time to really get it setup but I ran a strip of banding, and the adhesion was exelent.
The drawback of course, is that you still have to flush trim both ends, and the top and bottom edges manually. I have a couple of solutions for this, which I may talk about later.
Someday I plan to get a real edge bander but I am hoping this will be a nice stepping stone.
I only paid about $900, before shipping. The bander has been well maintained, and so far I think that all I need to do is to replace a couple of springs. The original dealer, (Adwood) is very much still in business which is a good thing. This isn't bad assuming this machine, retails for about $6k if purchased new.
Of course, in a production setting this would be considered a toy compared to what would even be considered an entry level machine. But then again so is most of the equipment, you will find in the smallest, commercial shops.