I am currently restoring a Hope Chest. The “lid” of the Hope Chest was in good shape and I was able to save that, but the body of the Hope Chest was in bad shape and I removed all of the veneer. I have sanded off all of the glue residue from the body. I have just purchased some Mahogany veneer with a paper back. I am looking for some instructions on how to proceed.
Should I have not purchased the veneer with the paper back? I am planning on just using Titebond II, is this OK? Do I glue the veneer and then clamp it?
Looking for some advice.
Thanks!
Dark Magneto
Replies
There's a product called FSV flexible sheet veneer glue which allows you to reposition the piece for up to 10 minutes and it's made for paper backed veneers and laminates. No clamps needed. Available from Woodworkers Supply 800-645-9292
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=116-348
Edited 11/14/2004 11:36 am ET by rick3ddd
Rick,
Thanks for the link...I will check them out.
Anyone else have any suggestions/hints for me? I have never veneered before and am a little "gun shy" on this project.
Cheers!Dark Magneto
Reading and learning how to do searches and you can answer most of your own questions. No new questions out there just new people asking the old questions for the most part.
Paperbacked veneer can be put on with contact cement. The yellow glue would be making a simple project into a complicated one especially if you don't have clamps or a vacuum bag. The FSV has the advantage of contact cement, no clamps but has the luxury of being repositional so you get the best of both worlds. There's plenty of basic books and websites covering beginning veneer work that deals with different levels of skill and what tools you might have available. Often you don't need as much stuff as some articles and books lead you to think you do.
A veneer hammer can be easily made from a block of wood and a piece of steel or brass polished up to a smooth finish. Look at a commercial one and think out of the box for a substitute.
You could use the veneer hammer technique with real hide glue and I've even seen books and articles that explained doing it with yellow glue...
http://sonoraman.proboards23.com/index.cgi?board=Repairs&action=display&num=1094853985 A quote from the site is...
"A little tip on veneering -- if you paint an even coat of YELLOW wood glue (NOT white) on the back of the veneer, and on the surface to be veneered upon, and allow it to dry THOROUGHLY, you can use a hot clothes iron to press the veneer to the surface. Yellow glue melts under heat and will adhere nicely to itself. Always iron from the center to the edges to press out air pockets. If you do get an air pocket, slice the veneer above it along the grain with a razor blade or Exacto knife and press again toward the cut to force the air out. This is a good method to repair loose veneer too. Brush carefully so that you don't ball up a bead line of glue at the point where the veneer is still adhering to the surface (it will show as a ridge when you iron). You can lay-in new veneer to patch chips and runs by laying the new veneer over the area to be patched and cutting through the new veneer and the old veneer at the same time, and holding the blade at a roughly 45-degree angle to the surface. Cut the patch in a long tapering V-shape, or in a long diamond shape if patching away from the edge -- this is called a "dutchman". The long tapering cuts are less visible after sanding and finishing, and cutting at a 45-degree angle allows the patch to drop right into the cut below in the old veneer and still meet with a crisp edge along the cut, like a tapered bung in a barrel. Be sure the grain in the veneer matches what you are patching as closely as possible -- this is not difficult. The entire process is actually very easy and you have to try hard to mess up. Be sure to scrape and sand any glue residue before finishing or the finish won't take where the glue persists. You can also use hide glue and a veneering hammer, more historically accurate and reversible, but this is a bit more complex. "
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Veneering_cylindrical_pieces.html
http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/glues.htm
Edited 11/15/2004 2:17 pm ET by rick3ddd
I do quite a bit of veneer, and as they say, there are many ways to skin that cat.
Here is a summary of adhesives. One could write a book about them.
Yellow Glue. Very good on most veneers. It will creep on you, but that is not a problem for me as the veneer is over-size and I trim to fit. It does not do a good job on burl or highly figured woods.
White Glue. Not as strong as yellow glue but more open time.
Veneer Glue (Contact Cement). There are specific glues, contact cements, sold for veneer. Almost no creep, but not as strong as yellow glue, but tremendous open time. Not good for burls.
Urea Formaldihide. These are 2 part glues with a liquid resin and a powder catalyst, generally mixed 7-1. The catalyst can be colored. These are great for burls.
Make yourself a veneer press. I know you don't want to waste a lot of money on this, so buy 2 pieces of three quarter Melamine and 5-6 8 inch concrete bricks. Spread the yellow glue on the paper backed veneer very thin. I use a credit card with some knotches on it. Glue only one surface. Put the panel under a "veneer press" and top with the bricks. Leave it overnight.
If it can't be pressed, you may have to invest in a vacuum pump rig for about $300, but most of the time for smaller pieces, my Fred Flintsone veneer press does a good job.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
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