I occassionally make a project out of plywood but I don't like the look of the sawed edges of plywood showing on cabinets etc.   I always paint the plywood but the sawed edges still look ugly.   So I apply a cap strip to cover this distasteful view.   A cap strip moulding is expensive at Lowes or Home Depot so, if I am in an economical mood, I make my own cap strip.   You also have a difficlut time finding cap strip when you need to use 1/2" plywood.   Note: most plywood nowadays is 1/32 narrower than 1/2" or 3/4" so the standard cap strip is usually too wide, another reason to make my own.   Heres how I solve the problem!

I like cap strip that is 1/4" thick and the width of the plywood edge.   I use a 1X6 cut to the length of the longest required cap strip.   I use three tools to make cap strip: bandsaw, jointer, and router with roundover bit.

1	Run the 1x6 across the jointer to get a perfect edge,
2	Mark a 9/32": strip along the jointed edge.
3	Run both sides across a roundover router bit on the router table.
4	Saw the marked 9/32" strip off on the bandsaw.
5	Run across the jointer to get the bottom smooth (jointer set to take off 1/32").
6	Back up to the first step for the next strip until I have enough cap strip for the project.

After the stips are all sawed off, I run them across the jointer to get the bottom of the cap strip smooth.   If I need a 1/2" cap strip, I resaw the 1x6 to 1/2" thick before all the above operations.   The cap strips are ready to trim to length and glue or nail on.

For more pics and info look at Bill's Printer Storage Project and Bill's Computer Table.

In this case my longest required cap strip is 28" so I cut the 1x6 to that length.

Running the 1X6 across the jointer to get a smooth and square edge.

As the board gets narrower I use my home made bench clamp to hold it while I mark (Click Here to See More About the Home Made Bench Clamp).   You can see the marked line down the edge of the 1 by x.

Rounding setup on the router table, this time I'm using a 1/4" roundover bit.   You can make the cap strip look almost any way depending on what kind of router bit you use.

Rounded edge for the top of the cap strip, you can see the saw line on the left side where the cap strip will be cut off.

Sawing the rounded cap strip off.

When I run the cap stips through the jointer I have to keep the safety shield back so I use a wooden dowel.

1/2" and 3/4" cap strips with whats left of the 1x6.

Closer pic of the finished 1/2" and 3/4" cap strips.