What is involved in attaching a sheet of teak veneer to a plywood board. Can one simply glue and weigh down the veneer, or are clamps necessary to achieve a good bond? The application here is actually refinishing the teak benches in the outside cockpit of a sailboat. The top layer of teak from the original teak plywood benches has detached and broken up. I would rather not remove the benches to do the job, hence my requests about doing the job, in place. Any recommendations for a good marine type glue to do the attachment?
Applying adequate pressure over the whole area of the bond, for a period appropriate for the adhesive being used.
I like to use hot hide glue for veneering, because it allows me to use "hammer veneering". I apply the veneer and press it down by working it with a squegee-like "hammer". As hot hide glue has very high tack as soon as it cools, this traditional process gives a good result from very short working or clamping times. I'd not good for long-term water resistance though.
For other adhesives; waterproof boat-building resorcinols, everyday PVAs, or even instant-use tube hide glue, then you need to clamp it. The ease of doing this depends on the shape - a flat board is easier than a curve.
For flat boards, and for some simple curves, then you can use a clamped "caul". This is a sheet of plywood, MDF or even heavy fabric which is clamped down or pulled tight. A flat board needs to be stiff enough not to raise a bubble, a convex curve needs a flexible caul with adequate tension (sewing a sleeve on one edge, insertign a wooden batten and pulling it tight with clamps can be workable.
For complex shapes, use a vacuum bag. Vac bagging is pretty easy, but you need a vacuum pump. You also need a vacuum pump that is happy to run for some hours, pumping out a closed bag. "Blower" pumps and vacuum cleaners won't do this. A fridge compressor may overheat or arc. Best thing is a lab rotary pump, easily found S/H via eBay. You only need a minimal vacuum - just a few psi below atmospheric.
The bag itself is made from heavy polyethylene and duct tape. It's really pretty easy to make your own. Clever bits like fabric reinforcement, elastic panels for compound curves, or quick-loading zipper fasteners are nice, if you happen to need them.
If you're vacuum bagging, then check the strength of your buck beforehand. There's a lot of force involved with a vacuum bag and the time to find that your buck collapses under load isn't when you've got a fresh glue-up in there !
Whatever you use for general woodworking on a boat. Powdered phenolic or resorcinol resins like Cascophen (or your local brands) ought to do it.
I'd expect you could make a 3/4" plywood caul to clamp this veneer down. Make two, make them oversize, and drill a lot of bolt holes around the edge. You can clamp them up with coach bolts and wing nuts, at about 4" spacing. Then you turn it over to do the mirror-image side.
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