bending veneer

[Rob Mitchell]

I am looking for a good method of attaching veneer to a small cabinet I have made. The cabinet is 14"x6"x16"deep. I rounded the corners with a

1/4" radius roundover bit, then attempted to wrap the veneer around the case.

I started by carefully gluing the 'top' of the case. Then I wet the veneer and heated it with an old iron while bending it. Once bent I glued it with some polyurethane glue I'm experimenting with (don't really like it)

This method would have worked very well, but the veneer was a bit too stiff and parts of the grain started to 'pop'. If the radius had been

1/2" I think it would have worked.

I've got the veneer on, but it is marginal quality.

Any good methods for bending veneer around a 1/4" radius corner successfully? What glue is best? Should I try dry heat? Water? Or is it not possible to put the grain in this direction?

The wood I used was Australian Lacewood. It was very high quality (from A&M Wood Specialties) and thicker than I am used to from buying oak and pine from Home Depot.

TIA Rob

[TeamCasa]

Heat a section of aluminum tubing (.085"min) with a propane torch from the inside, keep it hot and gently work one side of the soaking wet wood over the tube and carefully bend it over the radius until it is the shape you want. Clamp into a mold and let set 14 hours.

This is the very short version but DAGS for guitar builders and steam bending and you'll get a better explanation.

Dave

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