Veneering ???

[Scott Parks]

I'm doing a project that I'll be veneering some maple. I'll be using 3M spray contact adhesive. The cabinet will be rubbed with BLO to pop the grain, before I finish it. Will the BLO cause any problems with the contact cement through the thin veneer? I'd hate to have the veneer peel later down the road from the BLO soaking through...

[Steve Rowe]

Scott - I don't recommend using contact adhesives for veneering as your veneer will eventually bubble and split. I know this from personal experience. I now use either Unibond 800 or other urea adhesives for veneering without problems.

Steve

[Scott Parks]

By the way, I'll be veneering over laquered face frames. I plan on belt sanding to rough it up first.

[Steve Wargo]

Scott,
I think your in for real problems if you approach it the way your talking. You need to strip the laquer, a good bath of laquer thinner and a rag will remove 95% of it. Then you need to use an good adhesive. Spray adhesive work horrible on veneer. If the surfaces are flat, you can always just use clams and cauls with a top platten. But I doubt you'll have little, if any success with roughing the laquer and using spray adhesives. FWIW, I have tried using spray adhesives on veneer. Contact cement also doesn't work too well.

[Scott Parks]

So when companies reface kitchen cabinets, what do they use? I'd imagine it is just stick on veneer with it's own adhesive.

This is just a small vanity that has been removed, so it will be easy to strip, sand, and clamp the veneer on, if I have to go through that much trouble. Of course, I just want the easy way out...

[Effie Lever]

Not to confuse you Scott, but for years I got excellent results with contact cement. I never used the spray type so I can’t comment on that, but if you are careful to apply uniform layer to both surfaces, press the veneer with a roller and make sure not to miss even the smallest area, you will get excellent results. I did hear good things on Unibond but I never used it.

The picture is of a speaker box I veneered with oak. Not sure it shows, but even with close examination you can’t tell its veneer.

[Jim Tobias]

I've used contact cement for plastic or melamine surfaces, but would not recommend it for real wood veneer. Unibond 800 or another urea resin glue will give you good results.

[Steve Cox]

If I'm not mistaken, re-facing is done with paper backed veneer which will work with contact cement for a while.

[Scott Parks]

If I'm not mistaken, re-facing is done with paper backed veneer which will work with contact cement for a while.

Now you just brought up another question. The veneer that I have is paper backed. What is the paper for?

[Effie Lever]

The paper backed veneer is much easier to use because it’s very flat and uniform, the thin paper helps to keep it together before it is glued. I used both kinds ant the paper backed can be used without any “pre treatment”. The non paper backed can sometimes benefit from flattening it first before applying it to the wood.
When using new veneer I always test a small piece to insure good adhesion, contact glue is unforgiving and correcting mistakes is a mess.

[Doug Shepard]

I've haven't done a ton of veneering, but for the few things I've used paperbacked veneer on, I had good results using this sheet stuff
http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product...&filter=veneer

Others carry it too. I just grabbed the first link I could lay my hands on.

[Scott Parks]

OK, I hope this isn't a dumb question, but do you take the paper backing off? Or is it permanently glued/stuck to the back? (I haven't un-rolled it yet to check it out).

[John Lucas]

OK, I hope this isn't a dumb question, but do you take the paper backing off? Or is it permanently glued/stuck to the back? (I haven't un-rolled it yet to check it out).

It is permanently glued to veneer as a backer so that your veneering work better. Veneer without the paper back will start to curl immediately.