Replies

1. 
   AutumnWoods | Mar 02, 2011 12:23pm | #1

   Wow

   Good luck, Bill, that's going to be real fun without a drum sander.  your instincts are right about the planer, at least in my experience.  I tried running through some 1/8" material, even attaching small strips to a backerboard with double sided tape and using light cuts.  They pretty much blew up on me.  Maybe 2 out of 5 were usable.  Maybe you could make something that looks like a long wooden block with handles (like an old wooden jack plane) and stretch lengths of belt sander belts over the bottom.  Half your problem will be getting the veneer to hold still while you sand it, especially since neither side is flat.  As a last resort I would speculate that you could go ahead and glue up the uneven veneer with a slathering of epoxy (which is gap filling).  Maybe clamp it with some cork under a plywood sheet to help apply even pressure.  With some luck, you'll get good adhesion and then now that the veneer is attached to something solid and stable you can proceed to flatten and true the surface.  I haven't tried this myself, but I don't see why it couldn't work.  Hopefully some of the other forum members will have better suggestions.

1. 
   HowardPeson | Mar 02, 2011 05:09pm | #2

   I feel your pain

   Thie is more about what to do next time.  If you run the board your are slicing veneer from through the planer each time you cut a slice off, you will have one side smooth to glue down.  I have just been sanding some veneered panels with veneer similar to what you are talking about.  I used a belt sander with a 50 grit grit belt.  It works ok if you keep the sander moving - it's not perfect but not too bad.  At least I didn't blow completely through the veneer.  I followed with 120 grit then with a random orbit sander and hand sanding.  

2. 
   user-64052 | Mar 02, 2011 07:12pm | #3

   god; I love these replys

   "As a last resort I would speculate that you could go ahead and glue up the uneven veneer with a slathering of epoxy (which is gap filling)"

   ron

1. 
   user-64052 | Mar 02, 2011 07:23pm | #4

   as howard says;

   after each cut , run the outer surface thru the jointer to clean it up so that it is true again. I have run resawn veneers(1/4 sawn w/o) close to .050" thru my planer with no tear out. I just use a  remountable spray foam (lightly) and secure it to some 1" mdf and run it thru the planer. give the top of the veneer a wipe with a cloth with some lacquer thinner on it  and lift it on. give the mdf a wipe with lacquer thinner to clean of old residue and do it again to the next piec. never lost a piece that way

   ron

1. 
   bilyo | Mar 03, 2011 11:43am | #5

   Shop Cut Veneer

   Hey! Thanks for all the great responses.  I guess I really didn't think it through completely when I started out.  I figured that if I split a 3/4" board in half and  then split the two halves again I would end up with the most consistant end result.  That  part of it worked out good.  But I didn't think about how to true it up afterward.  Using that method, I still could have planed the two halves before splitting them.  Just didn't think of it.

   At your suggestion, I tried the belt sander.  I cautiously started with 120 grit and, as I got more confident, worked my way to 50 grit. It worked pretty well with the panels probably flat enough to be glued to the substrate.  Once they are glued is it safe to make very light passes through the planer to flatten the finished surface?

   Howard,  When using the method of slicing one panel off at a time and then planing the board, how do you determine that the last piece will be the same thickness as the rest? Can you calculate your saw kerf and amount planed each time accurately enough to make it come out right?

   Sid, What is the "remountable foam" you mentioned? Is that the same as remountable spray contact  cement use for hobby work? I assume the lacquer thinner soaks through the thin veneer to release the adhesive?

   I'm  working with a Delta 14" with a 6" riser and 3/4 hp motor.  When I started this task, I experiment with several blades I have on hand.  The first was a 1/2" 3 tpi. I've read that 3-4 tpi is best for resawing.  This blade (new and sharp) jumped and chattered too much to make a clean cut (tension set according to markings on the saw) .  So I tried a 3/8" 4tpi and a 1/4" 4tpi. Suprisingly, the 1/4" blade worked  the best. I'm guessing that this is so because of less friction and the realitively low hp of this saw.  Rather than a flat fence, I used a narrow vertical curved face fence so I could steer the cut. Keeping in mind that I will probably only cut veneer occasionally, can anyone recommend a better blade for the purpose?

   Didn't mean to make this so long.  Thanks

1. 
   user-64052 | Mar 03, 2011 12:56pm | #6

   remountalble spray adhesive

   I guess is what I should have said. 3m used to make a really good one,but was fairly expensive. I never used l/thinner to soak thru. It doesn't take much just to release it.

   ron

2. 
   AutumnWoods | Mar 03, 2011 01:07pm | #7

   My preferences

   I like the woodslicer from highland woodworking, it's always given me good cuts and I find the price reasonable.  And don't trust the tension marks on your bandsaw for setting tension, especially with a riser block.  There are other ways of doing it regarding blade deflection and looking for flutter that work well.  Having the guides set perfectly will also help give a better cut.

3. 
   sapwood | Mar 03, 2011 10:21pm | #8

   Maybe, just glue it

   I have successfully glued bandsawn veneer straight off the saw. If your surface is "pretty good" you might be able to do so as well. A scraper (card type or scraper plane) will help take off the highest ridges. Once adhered to your substrate you can plane it to get a consistent and smooth surface. 

   Alternatively, take it to a local millwork shop to have it put through a wide belt sander. They will probably charge you 50 bucks or so.

1. 
   bilyo | Mar 04, 2011 10:43am | #9

   Truing Veneer

   Thanks again for all the advice.  I have finished sanding the glueing surfaces and will go back and just remove the high spots on the top surfaces and finish those after the glue-up.  Sanding was done with 50 grit on a small belt sander and finished up with 120 grit on a RO sander.  I didn't try to get all the 50 grit scratches out.  The sanded surfaces are quite flat and I'm confident they will glue-up  without problem (famous last words). 

   One last question please.  These panels are a good deal thicker than commercially purchased veneer.  Would you still use cold press glue or regular yellow/white carpenter's glue? Or, something else?

   Thanks