Woodworkers use many techniques to lay a finish on the exposed trim edges on plywood. An easy method to try in minor woodworking projects at home is to conceal the plywood edges with an edge banding. This wood veneer shall be made into a flexible heat adhesive tape sized to fit in with a ¾-inch thick plywood edge. The edge banding can be stained like any other type of wood.

To reinforce the wood joints, you need to heat and adhere the edge banding laid on plywood. For that, press the veneer firmly against the work piece using a standard cloth iron set on medium heat. The exerted heat will melt the adhesive and attach the edge banding to the wood. Once done, remove the iron box and use a roller for applying pressure to the edge. This will ensure that the melted glue snug fits just as the wood joint sets up making a thin layer of coating.

The edge band often comes a bit oversized. So, ensure to trim off the slightly protruding portion using an edge band trimmer and by running the device along the edge of the work piece to trim flush. The assistance of wood dowels is necessary for reinforcing the butt joint on wooden furniture, and a butt joint can be straightened by adding the wood dowels. For that, you need to drill countersunk holes of a proper size on either side of the joint and place the dowels into it using a dowel jig.

Simply place jig perpendicularly where you need one work piece to line up with the other one and then drill the hole on wood. Move the dowel jig to the mating piece and then clamp the jig in place. Then, drill the holes into the edge of the plywood, and while you are at it, put a masking tape piece on the drill bit to ensure the pilot holes are of a uniform depth. As a last step in the woodworking project, place the dowels into the holes and try fitting the pieces together. At the same time, see to it that the joinery is lined up and that the pieces fit tightly together on the edge of the wooden furniture.