Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Feb 17, 2009 12:44am | #1

   Dressing the back of the veneer just means smoothing and preparing it to accept the glue.  The veneers he is using were sawn and are relatively thick and might need smoothing.  The toothing plane or toothing scraper uses a blade that cuts shallow groves--at least a dozen per inch I'd think.  It's a traditional technique with veneering and creates a surface that is both smooth overall, but has very shallow grooves that help the hide glue pull the veneeer to the surface.  Toothing blades are available for both cabinet scrapers such as the old Stanley 80, or the modern reproductions, or for use in block planes.  Check firms that specialize in hand tools. 

   Bending plywood is a specialty plywood designed to be particularly flexible, generally only in one direction.  He is using it to help distribute the force of his clamping.  I would think most plywood that thin would be sufficiently flexible. 

   The cauls you would have to make yourself.  They would just be blocks of wood shaped with a concave surface that mates with the convex surface of the veneered apron and which is used to help apply pressure evenly to the veneer. 

   A slicing guage is one form of marking gauge that uses a knive blade instead of a pin.  He suggests using two separate ones so they don't have to be reset.  These are use to mark out the cutting lines for the knuckles, making the marks deep enough so that they help prevent tearout.   

1. 
   dogbert | Feb 18, 2009 06:36pm | #2

   Steve,

   Thanks a "million" for the information. I am a moderately experienced woodworker graduating to expert with building the Federal Card Table. I will probably make a few mistakes in building this piece, so undertstanding terminology and speciality tools is essential to keep the frustration level low.

   Best Regards,

   Lew Sherman alias Dogbert

1. 
   sawdustdad | Feb 19, 2009 12:55am | #5

   That's a great project. I was not up to the inlay work, so my version is "just" plain mahogany.

   
1. 
   Ron01960 | Feb 19, 2009 08:09am | #6

   You can find several videos here, Roy Underhill. several interesting segments on 18th century veneer methods including a toothing plane. Its the 2008 season. enjoy
   Ron http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/schedule/28season_video.html

1. 
   dogbert | Mar 04, 2009 06:19pm | #12

   Hi Ron,

   You are right. The videos are very helpful, interesting, and very impressive.  I was amazed to see one fellow slicing veneers from a block with a hand saw. Wow! and  I am concerned about doing it accurately on the table saw. Thanks for adding to my resources by referring me to this site. I probalby will not sell my power tools, but maybe I will be a little more confident in hand tools in the future.

   Lew 

2. 
   dogbert | Feb 21, 2009 04:14am | #8

   Hi Sawdustdad,

   Thanks for the encouragement. Your table looks really good. Hope I can do as well with a little in-lay added. How did you do the table top edge? The instructions in the article are a little complicated and I do not have the scraper and blade he recommends.

   Lew

1. 
   sawdustdad | Feb 21, 2009 04:36am | #9

   The table edge was done on a shaper with a multi-beading bit.

2. 
   Frank Vucolo | Feb 18, 2009 09:45pm | #3

   Hi Lew,

   As for ebonized pear veneer. That just means a "black dyed" veneer. It's just wood veneer dyed black through and through so that no matter how you slice it gor stringing on inlay, it reveals a solid black surface. Aong other places, you can get that from Constantines on the internet http://www.constantines.com. Type black dyed into the search box and it will come up.

   Since I assume you will be using this for stringing or in a pack to make banding, I don't know that pear is essential and suspect that any black dyed veneer from a reputable source should work.

   Good luck,

   Frank

1. 
   dogbert | Mar 04, 2009 05:50pm | #10

   Frank,

   Thanks so much for the information on questions I had on the Federal Card Table. Your suggestion to contact Constantines for the ebony veneer is very helpful. I was not aware of this company. They also carry other veneers I will need. Your resonse to my questions, as well as responses from other woodworkers, have been very helpful in getting started on this table and helping me acquire some knowledge and skills that I did not previously have.

   Regards,

   Lew

3. 
   cwalvoord | Feb 18, 2009 10:45pm | #4

   Lew,
   That is a great project. I have studied that article as aspects of it apply to the series of round tables I am working on. The curved cauls are shop made pieces of wood used to clamp the veneer tight to the apron while the glue dries. Depending on the thickness of your veneer you may or may not need them. In the attached photo I am gluing pretty thick shop sawn veneer to a circular apron that is much smaller in diameter than your demilune table and thus definitely needed the cauls. In fact, I had to soak the veneer in hot water, pre-bend them around a form with straps and let them dry overnight to get them to curve this tight (10" diameter circle) You should not have to do this but know that it is an option.

   Good luck and have fun. Post some pics when you finish.
   Chris

   
1. 
   dogbert | Mar 04, 2009 06:06pm | #11

   Chris,

   Thanks for the information and advice. I feel a little dumb with regard to cauls. Thinking a caul was a marketed shop tool, I checked all the woodworking cataloges I had and searched the internet. When I realized I didn't know what I was looking for, I checked the definition of caul on Wikopedia. That's about the time your message came. Well, it's all a learning process and a positive one at that. I'll send some photos of the finished product, but don't look for them any time soon. I am a  slow worker.

   Best Regards,

   Lew

4. 
   eddiefromaustralia | Feb 19, 2009 10:43am | #7

   Hi Dogbert,

   Slicing gauges may well be slitting gauges, as I know them, or they may be a knife with a fence so that they cut a constant thickness.

   Google "toothing plane blade" and it should bring up an image.

   An alternative is to use a hacksaw blade and scratch up the back of the veneer, or your saw blade. Toothing blades just make a fine scratch pattern over the reverse side of the veneer to help the glue key in and bind to the timber.

   Cheers,

   eddie

   edit: wording - was horribly wrong - distracted during original post.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 2/19/2009 12:59 pm by eddiefromAustralia

1. 
   dogbert | Mar 04, 2009 06:30pm | #13

   Eddie,

   Thanks for replying to my inquiry on the card table and especially for saving me a lot of money. A good toothing plane is in the range of US $100 and I would have limited use for one in the future. A used hacksaw blade has been saved from the landfill. To be honest, I didn't really understand what the author was suggesting; maybe I would have when I started working on the veneer. Be that as it may, thanks for adding to my knowledge base and helping to make this project more fun.

   Best Regards,

   Lew (alias Dogbert)