What’s the best way to finish plywood edges for a moisture-resistant shelf?

[MarkTH]

I’ve finally started building the custom shelving unit for my garage workshop, but I’m stuck on how to properly finish the plywood edges. I want it to look clean and hold up to some occasional moisture, but my attempts with iron-on veneer tape have been pretty messy so far.

[Paul15]

I ditched iron-on veneer after it bubbled in a damp garage. I went with edge banding—the pre glued edging that you trim and sand. It lays flat, covers the plywood edge cleanly, and you can seal the face and edge with the same finish. Not perfect, but it held up okay through a few humidity swings and a bumped shelf.

[Scott.G]

The tape stuff just never stuck for me, especially where the grain wanted to lift. I ended up painting a thin clear sealer on the edges and calling it done, which hides the rough edge and helps moisture a bit, but it’s not ideal in a workshop that sweats.

[George60]

Is the moisture the real issue here? I mean, maybe the problem isn’t the edge at all. If the garage swings from dry to damp, any finish or glue will fail before you know it.

[AriaGG]

I did a quick test with edge tape from a big box store, had someone heat it on for me, and it looked fine for a while, but the humidity still gave me trouble after a few weeks.