I am starting to build a veneered hall table and would benefit from some advice. The table will be completely veneered over a substrate. I have done a fair bit of veneering, both with a vacuum press and with hide glue and hammer, but usually only of panels, tops and shelves. My uncertainty has to do with veneering the front apron, which will have openings for 2 flush drawers (per attachment). Since the drawers are flush the veneer at the edges of the openings must be straight and have crisp edges. The apron will be formed as a frame with a centre stile as per the attached picture. I am wondering whether I should form the apron, veneer it and then attempt to cut out the drawer openings in the veneer or instead veneer each of the rails and stiles prior to glueing up the apron.
If anyone can help me decide which way to go I would appreciate it.
Thanks / Al
Replies
Al,
If you can spare the veneer, or can reuse the cut-outs, I would veneer over the openings of the assembled frame, then cut out the openings. Using a router with a flush trim bit should create a nice crisp edges, though you will need to do a bit of careful chiseling or sawing to clean up the corners.
Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Thank you for the suggestion Chris. I can certainly spare the veneer, and will give this a try with some scraps to see how it goes. I am not sure what time zone you are in, but from my perspective it looks like you responded at 1:00 a.m. so thanks for that also. / Al
Al,
I'm on the West coast, in the Pacific Timezone. I replied just after 10:00pm my time.Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
The veneer=and-cutout process may be simpler than you think. It is traditional (IMHO) to use a cock-bead to protect the veneer edge from breaking off during drawer opening and closings. The width dimension of the cock-bead will give you kerf and cleanup room.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Thank you Frosty. This gives me something to think about. My client wants a very simple look and the veneer is wenge, and I don't have any wenge lumber so I will have to see what I can prototype for a match (I really don't know what a cock-bead is but I am guessing that it is molding that is attached to the apron outlining the drawer opening. I'll google "cock-bead", trying to keep away from the adult rated sites.)
My thought on protecting the veneer edge from the drawer bottom was to either leave the drawer runners slightly proud of the apron opening, maintaining a consistent gap with the drawer sides and top, or edge the drawer opening with a very thin strip of wood whose exterior edge would be on top of but flush with the veneer.
Thanks again for your helpful suggestion. / Al
Al,
I have done pretty much the same thing, only I used a solid board for the apron and not a stile and rail configuration.
I used hot hide glue. I brushed the glue on the apron and then dampened the face of the veneer and laid it in place. To re-liquify the glue, I warmed some pieces of melamine in the oven and placed aluminum foil between those blocks to prevent them from sticking while clamped.
I only let the apron in the clamps long enough for the glue to gel; if you leave the veneer over the openings for too long it will curl/distort and could pull the veneer away from the edges. I then put the apron face down on a cutting mat and with a very sharp knife, I carefully cut out the openings. I was able to use the veneer from the openings to veneer the drawer fronts, resulting in a perfect match.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
Edited 3/27/2008 11:19 am ET by RMillard
Thanks Richard. I think that your suggestion is the way I will do it. In fact I am also constructing the apron from a solid board, but after I slice off the top and bottom, and then cut the end and middle pieces to leave the drawer openings I figures I was pretty well left with rails and stiles except with horizontal long grain on the stiles.
I am assuming that my shop steam iron at medium heat will also work to re-liquify the hide glue, and then a couple of minutes in the vacuum bag.
I also took a quick look at your web site .... beautiful furniture.
Thanks again
Al
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled