Flattening Veneer??? Need some help

[Jason Scott]

Hey guys,

I did some searching online and see that you can make a homeade solution of glycerine and water but I can't find glycerine, in fact one of the pharmacists said it is used in meth production and that is now why it is hard to find...i tried to get the commercial solution but my local woodcraft is out, anyone have any ideas? Can I just soak it with water???? Also, when do you have to soak it, I bought my veneer off ebay from a local who I am meeting in the morning, it looks flat to me, but this is my first time with veneer so I want to be ready. Are you looking for it to be dead flat, like a sheet of paper? Thanks for any help,

Jason

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Follow this link to the good stuff. Spray it on, alternate layers of paper towel and veneer, let sit overnight under weights, and your done. Fantastic stuff, works better than anything else I've tried. Water won't give you the results your looking for.

I used this to smooth some wild burl walnut not long ago, probably three inch bumps, over night it came out looking like flat cardboard.


http://www.veneersupplies.com/produc...roducts_id=616

[Jason Scott]

Steve, thanks I have seen that stuff, guess I just didn't want to have to wait to have something shipped, is there any alternatives?

[Mike Henderson]

I found glycerine for sale on the web - do a google shopping search and you'll find some.

I'm pretty sure that glycerine is not used in meth production. You might ask at another drug store. But when I was shopping for it a while back (for veneer), I couldn't find it at any of the local drug stores - I bought it from an eBay seller. I have more of it than I'll ever use. If you were local, I'd give you some.

Mike

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Steve, thanks I have seen that stuff, guess I just didn't want to have to wait to have something shipped, is there any alternatives?

If you have a day or so, Joes customer service is the best, and I'm sure he could overnight ship. I know he is located in Maryland.

How warped is your veneer, and are you using a vacuum press? If it is not too bad, and you have a press, and your not making any fancy joints in the veneer, like bookmatching, the vacuum press will deal with a little wavy veneer just fine.

If you can't wait, try the water method, and lots of weight, it might help, but I doubt it, and it won't hurt anything.

My wife has some glycerin, which I'm sure she got for either making jelly or candy. Might find some at a store that carries that sort of thing?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Hey guys,

I did some searching online and see that you can make a homeade solution of glycerine and water but I can't find glycerine, in fact one of the pharmacists said it is used in meth production and that is now why it is hard to find...i tried to get the commercial solution but my local woodcraft is out, anyone have any ideas? Can I just soak it with water???? Also, when do you have to soak it, I bought my veneer off ebay from a local who I am meeting in the morning, it looks flat to me, but this is my first time with veneer so I want to be ready. Are you looking for it to be dead flat, like a sheet of paper? Thanks for any help,

Jason

Just reread your first post, if it looks flat to you, and you are just starting with veneer, I bet it is flat enough. Burls can get incredibly wavy, kind of like a Dorito chip. You can make some pretty scarry wavy veneer work with the right equipment.

[Jason Scott]

Steve thanks, I just picked up the veneer, it is rolled, but looks flat, no "potatoe" chip to it...I will unroll it today and take a picture...I'm just so new to this I want to make sure it comes out ok...I will call around today and try to find glycerine, but does anyone other than woodcraft sell a commercial solution?

[Rich Schneider]

I'm not certain why it isn't on the shelf at your local pharmacy....it is not one of the precursor products that is subject to federal sales limits as far as I know (although there are 55 pages of products listed, single spaced, one product per line)...however, your state may have more restrictive laws on the books regarding other things that may part of the overall production process...glycerine is used to suspend some pharmaceutical products so maybe that is part of it (for example some types of toothpaste).....it appears these guys are clever enough to try anything to make the drugs.....I dunno....I wonder how they deal with all the backyard biodiesel makers who have a bunch of unpurified glycerine byproduct?? The FDA recently banned some imports of toothpaste from China because "Over the years, counterfeiters have found it profitable to substitute diethylene glycol for its chemical cousin, glycerin, which is usually more expensive."

[Doug Shepard]

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...&filter=veneer

[Earl Kelly]

Jason,

If you can push the veneer flat without cracking or distorting you shouldn't need flattening. I've taped up veneer, I call "wavy" that was difficult to tape but glued up great.

If you decide to flatten some veneer, make very sure it is completely dry before gluing up. This may take up to 3 days.

Earl

[Jason Scott]

OK, my local walgreens said they can order it for me, if I tell them before 6pm it comes in after 12 noon the next day...Guess i should go ahead and get it, but are there different types? I am worried about getting the wrong "type" if there is...Also, in response, I unrolled the veneer and it is really straight, just the ends are bowed up a little, I can push everything flat without any cracking or anything...It feels very plyable, I just didn't know if it needs to be super flat like a sheet of paper...Thanks for any more help,

Jason

[Jesse Cloud]

Hey Jason,
I use the Rockler product that Doug linked to, works great. I bought a used veneer press and the seller through in a box of veneer that had been stored in a shed for a few years. It was so brittle it cracked if you looked at it sideways. The glycerin worked like a charm, the veneer became soft and workable.

The veneer doesn't need to be completely flat, but be sure it tape it down tightly so it doesn't come loose in the process of getting it into the bag.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

OK, my local walgreens said they can order it for me, if I tell them before 6pm it comes in after 12 noon the next day...Guess i should go ahead and get it, but are there different types? I am worried about getting the wrong "type" if there is...Also, in response, I unrolled the veneer and it is really straight, just the ends are bowed up a little, I can push everything flat without any cracking or anything...It feels very plyable, I just didn't know if it needs to be super flat like a sheet of paper...Thanks for any more help,

Jason

You're good to go veneering it sounds like. If you have to order the glycerin, just order the premixed softner instead. It will work better, won't go stale, and the wait will be the same. I like the stuff I linked too best of any I've tried

[Jim McFarland]

<<snip>> I just didn't know if it needs to be super flat like a sheet of paper...Thanks for any more help,

Jason

Jason, I store veneer between MDF cauls wrapped with a few bands of plastic film and, so far, no problems. Veneer stays flat until I'm ready to use.

Plastic film I use:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=1,43456,43391
...or you can sometimes find it at moving supply stores.