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Thread: Help with veneer

  1. #1

    Help with veneer

    I am considering using this burl veneer for the base of a cello stand.

    This will be my first attempt at 1) using burl veneer and 2) using veneer that needs flattening.
    I would like to know your process for flattening veneer.
    Plus anything special about using burl?

    I was planing to use Old Brown Glue or Titebond II with clamping.

    Also, I would like to route a simple roundover with fillet. The veneer will go to the fillet. Will there be an issue routing?

    Here is the veneer I plan to use:
    File_000.jpg

    TIA for all your help.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    North Alabama
    Posts
    548
    I've flattened and worked with burl veneer exactly once, and it was successful. I'm sure others more experienced with burl will offer help as well.

    1. Wet the veneer with a flattening agent, either a commercial product (which I used) or from a recipe you can find online or in a good veneering text.

    2. Sandwich the veneer between two pieces of plywood, with paper towels between each sheet of veneer and between the outer sheets and the plywood.

    3. Put the sandwich on a flat surface and weight it down. I used concrete blocks.

    4. At least once a day, replace the paper towels with fresh, dry ones. Repeat this until the towels are no longer damp.

    5. It's ready to use, but keep it pressed flat until you apply it to your substrate.


    I'm a believer in vacuum pressing over clamping, but clamping has done the job for centuries. As for glue, PVAs such as Titebond are said to be susceptible to creep. I know some experienced people here prefer Weldwood. I have used the veneer glues sold by Joe Woodworker.
    Chuck Taylor

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Providence, RI
    Posts
    517
    I suggest that you look at the Joe Woodworker/Veneer Supplies website for information on & products for flattening, cutting, and gluing veneer.

    I recently had some bubbly burl veneer (pelin). I sprayed it with their flattening agent until well-soaked, made a sandwich of mdf, newsprint (packing paper from U-Haul), veneer, newsprint, veneer, newsprint, and mdf. In my experience, it takes more weight/pressure to flatten the veneer than to keep it flat. In this case, I put the sandwich in a vacuum bag for an hour or so to flatten and afterwards just weighted it down with several boards. As Chuck noted, change the paper periodically - after a few hours the first time, then daily until dry.

    Veneer Supplies also has a dark no/low-creep glue that is particularly useful for bleed-throughs on burls.
    -- Jim

    Use the right tool for the job.

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