Attaching Veneer

[GrayFox]

I need to attach some veneer to a plywood substrate. The veneer pieces I have are not wide enough to cover the substrate, so they must be joined on edge. I have run them thru the jointer and have a good tight joint.

The question is what to use as the adhesive. I am worried that contact cement adheres so quickly that I won't be able to butt the 2 pieces together for a tight joint. Yellow glue is an option, but do I need to worry about glue bleedthru to the surface? My veneer is between 1/16 and 3/32" thick.

[Mark Hopkins]

[A Dog Named Stain]

contact

Tape the two pieces together and then apply it. My personal favorite is Franklin hide glue . No need to worry about what kind of finish you'll put on, never get bubbles or creep.

[Andy Dingley]

Traditional hide glue, used hot in an electrically heated pot (old stockpots can be used). It smells, but it's still good stuff for veneering.

Failing that, liquid hide glue in a tube isn't bad either. Doesn't have the increased grab on cooling that hot glue does, but it saves messing around with a pot.

Read "Tage Frid Teaches Woodwork" for a good introduction to traditional veneering.

You'll want to find or make a veneer hammer, and use a card scraper for finishing afterwards. If you're using tape for alignment purposes, make sure it's proper veneer tape you take off afterwards by soaking. Masking tape can really damage veneer if it choses to stick to a loose fibre.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

[Frank McVey]

Hide glue. Gives you the option of reactivating the glue or completely re-doing it if you screw up. Depending on the thicknes of your ply, you may have to put a balancing veneer on the undersurface to avoid cupping.

Cheers

Frank.

[ddi]

Use veneer tape to hold the veneer together. The tape goes on the outside and you sand it off.

DO NOT USE WATER BASED CONTACT CEMENT W/ PLYWOOD.

It will raise the plywood grain , and destroy the look of the veneer. I learned my lesson once.

[George Eversole Jr.]

I recently had the same dilemma. Finally decided on plastic resin glue (DAP brand) for the long open time, creep resistance, and flexibility after cured. The first batch is in the clamps right now , hopefully it will turn out fine.

-ghe

[GrayFox]

I've never heard of veneer tape. What is it? Where does one obtain some?

[A Dog Named Stain]

It's a water activated tape available in both perforated and solid. You wet it, apply it and as it dries it shrinks a bit pulling the pieces together.

your veneer is applied and dried, you sand or scrape it off.

[Slowhand]

Yeah, what he said. I've used contact cement, yellow glue, and hide glue. I happen to like the plastic resin glue the best. From the fwiw dept. SH