Sharp edges on interior formica

[ShinyPete]

We just did 9 nights in our "Pete" out of the last 14 days, including 4 nights with our grandson who's a little over 3 now, and quite active. He loves camping in Pete, in fact he named the new coach for us last October. Now for the topic of this post..............

I am always looking for improvements to make to Pete, our '14 Flying Cloud 27FB Twin. With our grandson aboard this week we were reminded of just how sharp the edges and corners are on virtually all of our counter, door, and sidewall formica edge banding. So sharp in fact that you can get a pretty nasty scrape or even a cut if you hit one of these edges just right (insert active 3 yo here.....) I've done it and so has my wife, so it's not just the 3 yo. You can bump or run your finger along a countertop edge or door edge and get cut!

So, short of adding this to my punchlist of warranty items I need to get worked on, what do ya'll suggest? Is there a safe way to "file" "sand" or "polish" all of these sharp formica edges? Without messing up the color? We keep reminding ourselves and our grandson to "move slow in Pete", but these edges have to be addressed no matter what. I appreciate your suggestions in advance!

[wahoonc]

Got a close up picture of the offending edge? We used to use a angle bit in the laminate trimmer and then use a formica file to clean it up. Sounds almost like someone is skipping a step or two in the manufacturing process.

Aaron

[Roadrunner]

You are absolutely right about the sharp edge breaks with formica. I have built a number of galley's and cabinets in our home. When building the tops, I'll face the plywood with a hardwood such as maple (light in color), mahogany (dark red in color), or some other hardwood. At this point I will formica the top and face. The last thing I will do is run a router over the top with a 45 degree bit. This will soften the edge and leave a very nice contrasting band between the two pieces of formica.

Bob
Indiana, PA

TAC PA-5
WBCCI 4871

[dkottum]

I very carefully used a fine file on the corners just barely enough to remove the point, but do not get into the underlying plywood which could become wet and expand or separate.
I left the edges not chancing screwing something up.

[Tim A.]

When we bought our 2002 19' Bambi new, I spent about a week filing off every sharp edge on the edge banding and formica. The result? A luxurious feel to the cabinets ever since.

Having worked with a lot of formica and edge banding in the years prior to getting the Airstream, I was very familiar with the problem. Getting a non-sharp trim with a router is almost impossible and I had always used a file for touching up my own projects. A fine-cut mill file used at a slight angle to the offending edge will smooth things out. Do it gently and feel the results with your fingers until everything is smooth and not sharp.

Tim

[Joe Palmieri]

If you are a little leery of doing damage with a file you can achieve better results with #320 sand paper and a block of wood. Easier to control and leaves a smoother finish.

[ShinyPete]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I will try a couple of areas both ways and go from there..........

[Len n Jeanne]

Hear, hear. Our cabinetry edges are mostly tucked out of the way, but I once badly gouged the sole of my foot, when I slept one night with the tray-table down over the foot of the bed and lifted my foot too high. I'll never leave it down like that again.

[tjp]

Originally Posted by ShinyPete

We just did 9 nights in our "Pete" out of the last 14 days, including 4 nights with our grandson who's a little over 3 now, and quite active. He loves camping in Pete, in fact he named the new coach for us last October. Now for the topic of this post..............

I am always looking for improvements to make to Pete, our '14 Flying Cloud 27FB Twin. With our grandson aboard this week we were reminded of just how sharp the edges and corners are on virtually all of our counter, door, and sidewall formica edge banding. So sharp in fact that you can get a pretty nasty scrape or even a cut if you hit one of these edges just right (insert active 3 yo here.....) I've done it and so has my wife, so it's not just the 3 yo. You can bump or run your finger along a countertop edge or door edge and get cut!

So, short of adding this to my punchlist of warranty items I need to get worked on, what do ya'll suggest? Is there a safe way to "file" "sand" or "polish" all of these sharp formica edges? Without messing up the color? We keep reminding ourselves and our grandson to "move slow in Pete", but these edges have to be addressed no matter what. I appreciate your suggestions in advance!

you can use a fine bastard file or one specifically for plastics. down ward strokes are the key to avoid chipping. you can also use sandpaper with a sanding block and finish with 220 grit paper. you'll find that the laminate "grows" over time and will need to be re done . just remember to work down from the face