Veneering

I am about to make new cabinets for the kitchen. I am thinking of all drawers for the bottoms, with the drawer fronts being applied veneer. Each bank of drawers would come from the same veneer piece with the grain running vertically so the grain will be continuous. The veneer will be glued onto the substrate with a vacuum press.

My problem is that I have rather limited experience with veneering and have a few questions.

What kind of veneer would be appropriate for this? Should I use paper-backed, 2-Ply veneer or something else? I am thinking that I would purchase 4x8 veneers.

I will be using glue-backed tape for the edges. Will the paper in the paper-backed veneer show along the seem with the tape?

Which would be better for the backing - MDF or Birch ply? I think for doors I would use MDF, but for drawer fronts do I need the extra strength of ply?

Am I correct in thinking that it would be best to veneer full sheets of plywood before cutting?

I will also need to veneer some end panels on the cabinets. The carcass will be made of 3/4 birch. Do I really need to veneer both sides of these panels?

Are there any sites you would especially recommend - or books for that matter?

Thanks for the pointers, Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme
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In a kitchen use plywood or Extira. Ordinary MDF swells when you just let it _look_ at water and it's inevitable that stuff in a kitchen will get wet. Extira should be OK but it costs about the same as Baltic Birch. MDF with a good veneer job and a good heavy finish _should_ be OK but if it does swell all your hard work is gone to waste.

Not necessarily. If you cut first you can cut to optimize use of the panel, then veneer the pieces to get matched grain.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Is there some reason you wouldn't use plywood that already comes with the appropriate veneer applied. I mean it is pretty much available in any species you might want.

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

Good thoughts.

I assume that you must apply a slightly over-sized veneer to do this. How do you stop that overhang from breaking off in the vacuum press?

Thanks, Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

Is there some reason you wouldn't use plywood that already comes with the appropriate veneer applied. I mean it is pretty much available in any species you might want.

---------------------------------- You are much too cotton pickin logical.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

Is it? Small town. Anything I get will have to be shipped in. Still, I am looking into this. Perhaps the other question I should be asking is are there any places to purchase in Florida?

Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

----------------------------- Start with a Google, "plywood distributors florida".

Should keep you busy for a few hours.

After that, finding the hardwood suppliers to go along with the plywood should be a breeze.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

Indeed. Same thing for the iron-on tape. The good ones have (somewhat) tinted adhesive.

Reply to
Robatoy

Good question--I've not done veneering with a vacuum press so so any ideas I come up with are likely to be off base.

Reply to
J. Clarke

If you use the paper-backed veneer, use contact cement. No vacuum pressing required.

Reply to
Robatoy

Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

Reply to
eclipsme

Veneer, supplies and info... Constantine's Wood Center of Florida Inc

1040 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334
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Ply, many including... Hood Distribution in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando & Delray Beach (others throught the East)
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domestic ply...
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import ply
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Reply to
dadiOH

That is a distinct possibility. Given the thinness of the face veneer you would have to cut the edging flush to it...if your cut dips much, the paper on the face veneer would show. Also, cutting the edging flush is going to give you pretty sharp edges...the edging is thin enough that you can't round it much.

There are two ways you could avoid the potential problem(s)...

  1. Don't use paper backed veneer
  2. Use solid wood for the edging, cut thick enough so it can easily be flush to the face but rounded a bit to relieve the edge.

Personally, I'd do both. __________________

I'd just use ply that already has the face veneer I wanted. _________________

Your press will take full sheets?

If so, I think it is pretty much six of one and a half dozen of the other assuming you can cut up the veneered sheet without chipping the veneer.

If not - or if you choose to veneer cut pieces - you were concerned about the vacuum breaking the overhanging veneer. I've never used a vacuum press but is their any you couldn't support the overhang with pieces of the substrate?

Again, it would be just worlds easier to use ply with the veneer you want already on it. __________________

The "how to" always says to do so. I've done it both ways, NP with eiher. A one side veneered panel has to be stout and firmly afixed wherever it is going though. _____________

See my other post in the thread.

Reply to
dadiOH

Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

Thanks a lot for the advice. Yes, I have found a couple of places in Orlando to purchase from. I think my main problem has been figuring out exactly what I want and getting prices on that. Most places seem to want you to go through the setup an account process before quoting prices. Anyway, I am making progress, and thank you for your direction.

Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

Thanks for posting.

Reply to
Swingman

I suppose you could use scraps of the substrate positioned to support the veneer, but you will have to figure out how to keep everything in place until the vacuum is fully applied, and you will need to put packing tape or plastic on them to keep glue that is squeezed out from sticking to them.

I've always made the substrate a bit oversize and cut the veneer to match. After the glue-up is complete, I trim to size. But I haven't done anything like what you're contemplating.

Reply to
Art Greenberg

One other thing. You can (and should, if the substrate is flat) use a solid platten on both sides of the assembly. If the platten is thick enough, and larger than the veneer, you can use veneer that overhangs the substrate by a small amount.

If the substrate is curved (e.g., you are making bow fronts for drawers), then you'll be using a "soft" platten, and the veneer really should not be larger than the substrate.

Reply to
Art Greenberg

Thanks Art. That clarifies it for me. I wasn't thinking of the plattens, but of course!

You sound like you have done this a time or 2. I haven't. Am I about to go off the deep end with this project? Seems so from what others have said. I am thinking it might be smarter to start with a smaller project than an entire kitchen. Thoughts?

Harvey

Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

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