Replies

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Dec 31, 2008 07:56pm | #1

   Solvent based contact cement is all I use and many of the commercial cabinet makers only use solvent based. Over the years, solvent based has be proven to be much more reliable and long lasting. In the large shop I was involved with, we would only use waterbased contact cement if we were working in a customer's home and they had a concern about the odor.

   Just be sure to follow the directions regarding ventilation.

   Howie.........
2. 
   RickL | Dec 31, 2008 09:21pm | #2

   http://www.vacupress.com/veneerglue.htm

   Unibond urea resin is a better choice for veneers. Contact cement isn't the preferred for veneer work. Doesn't last as long. You won't find contact cement recommended in any professional shop for veneers or in the veneer text books. Not long lasting.

1. 
   saragosa | Jan 01, 2009 01:04am | #3

   Is urea resin water based? If it is it will swell the wood and warp it.

1. 
   boilerbay | Jan 01, 2009 06:33pm | #4

   Yes, it is water based. There is higher proportion of resin to compared to water. Weldwood is nominally 5:3 and 5:2.
   Unibond, Weldwood (et al)doesn't distort wood any more than the tension of the veneer itself which is often countered with opposition veneering. Solvent based is used for commercial work and there is no concern on commercial lifespan as long as it will outlast the company that used it. ie - for kitchen counters (Formica etc) where the rule of thumb now is to swap out a kitchen every 15 years.
   Higher end commercial furniture shops like Henredon, etc still use urea and some actually use hide. The downside is the long clamp time. Good manufactures plan that in.Boiler

3. 
   bigfootnampa | Jan 02, 2009 06:58am | #5

   For small areas like you are dealing with the iron on system is often good.  You can put on two or three very thin coats of white or yellow glue (hide glue wworks too) to each surface and then iron them together (the heat reactivates the glue... which then sets as soon as it cools).  You might be able to minimize the warping by using a very thin coat of glue for the first coat or two.  I just suggest it as possibly worthy of a test for your application.  Nothing really wrong with the contact cement but as others have said it is less than ideally permanent.  The glue dries very quickly when applied to an open surface like this and you can recoat fairly quickly but it is best to wait overnight before ironing (I have pushed that envelope though and successfully).

1. 
   saragosa | Jan 03, 2009 03:03am | #6

   Ever try laminating 1/8" of ebony? Some woods are extremely absorbent and expand enormously. I just tried this with UniBond and 3/32" ebony and bloodwood sandwich. You can't believe the results. It buckled so much it distorted the small clamps and split the lamination in half.I'm gonna have to stick with the contact cement. For years I used epoxy but now I'm highly sensitized to the crap and can't even get near the stuff without my skin boiling. Fortunately my work is not highly stressed. Not even stressed at all, but thanks for the imput.

1. 
   bigfootnampa | Jan 03, 2009 05:58am | #7

   I haven't tried ebony , no, but I don't think your experience with the unibond sandwich is a very good test for what would happen if you tried the iron on system that I described... no clamps are used at all, the hot iron sets the veneer in place within seconds.  The process is similar to dry mounting for a photo or other artwork.  Those systems use a hot melt film for glue and in the iron on veneering system you just create your own films already adhered to the veneer and substrate surfaces.  I have had poor results with it on large areas because of thermal expansion... but it works great on small areas.

2. 
   Rich14 | Jan 03, 2009 03:59pm | #8

   I agree with the iron-on suggestions. The glue is applied and let dry. Any warping should settle down after the glue dries, especially if you apply a very light coat to first seal the wood, then more glue on that sealing coat. There is no differential tension caused by bringing two different woods together with wet glue.But, it may not be possible to get enough heat through the thickness of the veneers you are using. The iron-on method works best for thin veneers, whatever the glue.I have had very good results gluing tropical hardwoods using Gorilla urethane glue. I have glued thick and thin veneers of lignum vitae, ebony, koa, teak, bubinga, blood wood, padauk, cocobolo in every possible combination with no problem of adhesion and no warping problem such as you've had.The gluing surfaces need to have adequate moisture for the urethane glue to activate. You could simply moisten (wipe with a barely moist rag) both sides of the veneer, to balance the wood movement, an hour or up to a day before glue up. Open time is very long and clamping time is every bit of 24 hours.The glue squeeze-out cleans up beautifully with acetone if gotten before it starts to set up (about an hour). Acetone leaves the wood absolutely clean, without any glue stain whatever. I get just tiny beads of squeeze-out (which begin to foam a few minutes after clamping) by controlling the glue film using a notched spreader, a thin (about 1/8") strip of wood about 2" wide with 3/32" notches every 3/32".Rich