LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner
49K views 83 replies 21 participants last post by  David 
#1 ·
Bag Storage

VACUUM PRESS BAG STORAGE CONTAINER
I recently was inspired to start veneering using the vacuum press by Neil Lamens at Furnitology Productions. If you haven't had a chance to check out his website and video blog, it is really worthwhile to pay a visit sometime. He is currently finishing a contemporary veneered ash lingerie chest. I have been fascinated by this series. He has really focused on design elements and shop efficiency. His two episodes ( Episode 6 - Part 1 and Episode 6 - Part 2 ) on veneering sparked my desire to how to veneer. I plan on using this method to make my own dimensionally stable panels for my quilt chest series. I am excited about this because I will have the opportunity to incorporate some interesting species in my frame and panel construction.

Neil Lamens is a welcome new addition to the LumberJock community! ( update - thanks Wayne! )

This series will journal my experiences as I learn how to veneer. I am not an expert. I am sharing this series as a novice in the learning process. I know there are some very skilled woodworkers on LumberJocks that have a lot of experience with the vacuum press and veneering. It is my hope that they weigh in heavily during this series and that this will be a good reference for those considering the vacuum press and veneering.

I ordered my press and supplies from JoeWoodworker - if you are interested in veneering this site is a must!

My press just arrived and I will go thru what I ordered and how to put it together in up coming entries. One of the first things I did was make a storage container for my bag so it will not get damaged.

This Vacuum Bag Storage Tutorial is available as a PDF download on my website

I used a 4 inch poly drain pipe and end caps to make this container. My goal was to protect the bag, valve and end clamp.

The parts ready for assembly
(poly vacuum bag, end clamp, 4 inch drain pipe, two 4 inch end caps)

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Drain pipe marked to length - ready to cut on the chop saw
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Cutting to length on the chop saw
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Drain pipe cut to length and ready for assembly
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Getting ready to epoxy the end cap in place
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

End cap epoxied in place
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Getting ready to assemble the top cap - I marked this cap with green tape to make it easy to identify which end to open
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

End cap labled and ready for use
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Project done - ready to store the bag
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Sliding the bag in the storage tube - notice how this will protect the valve and bag
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Finis
 
See less See more
12
#2 ·
Meeting you online is going to cost me money. I can tell. I have been really interested in watching the series on veneering at furnitology. It has sparked my interest and I hope that your growing pains help all of us! I look forward to this series. That's a good idea with the bag tube. One could actually incorporate that same concept in the storage and protection of straight edges and rules. Thanks for the post.
 
#6 ·
David, thanks for doing this. I have never worked with veneer before and know that you need a vacuum press to properly attach the veneer to the substrate. I saw Marc's podcast on cutting veneer and it was great. I will be following your progress.

Once again, David, thanks.
 
#7 ·
Thanks guys for the comments! I will try to keep this blog updated as I progress.

Tom - LOL! I think this is equivalent to the Canadian kettle calling the US pot black!

markrules - I have followed Marc's podcast. I have done a fair amount of reading and research on veneering. I knew in advance that I did not want to make my own poly bag. The cost differential is not worth the effort. Also, I am not set-up to do re-sawing and thickness sanding like Marc's shop. I am primarily exploring veneering with commercially available veneers for flat panel work. Someday I hope to have a big band saw and thickness planer . . . I was lucky I was authorized to purchase the vacuum press equipment!

In addition to reading articles and some books, my primary online motivation has been from Neil Lamens at Furnitology Productions. His two episodes ( Episode 6 - Part 1 and Episode 6 - Part 2 ) were very influential. Check out his website and video blog.

I am hoping that LumberJocks experienced with veneering and the vacuum press will add comments thier experience to this blog. I know Karson has taught classes in vacumm press work for his guild.
 
#10 ·
David,

I bought my vacuum press from www.vacupress.com. They have a great set of videos to learn veneering. I use their glue, Unibond 800, with tremendous success. I will have to check out the JoeWoodworker site.

I mix my glues in a blender that I bought for this sole purpose. You want to avoid getting little pockets of undissolved catalyst powder in the glue. They will create little lumps under the thin veneer.

Another key to success is to get the glue even on the surface.

My bookcase is constructed of my own resawn veneer. The modern furniture is all curly maple veneer. The torri gate stairwell barrier stands all have veneered black walnut panels. The doors on the entertainment center are all glued up strips of poplar with curly maple veneer. I love the vacuum press. It is so reliable in clamping performance.

I get my veneers from Bill Kramer Veneers Inc. in New Albany, IN. I can't think what their web adress is. I have always called and ordered over the phone from them, I actually have never been on their website now that I think of it. I may have to google them.

I am really excited for your purchase of the vacuum press. It will open a whole new realm of possibilities for you in woodworking. I even brought my vacuum press back to Ohio with me. It is that important of a tool for me.
 
#12 ·
Hey David…..........that's an excellent storage idea. I'm having a heck of time finding a permanent home for my Dovetail jigs, if I use your idea for my bags, that opens up a space with the length needed to store my jigs.

You are a clever one…..Dr Pruett….................Neil

PS: man your weekend was full…......did you get in trouble for not mowing the lawn. Veneer bags, Boy Scouts…..which by the way is pretty cool to do, (do they give the wookshop provider one of those merit badges….I like that badge,..... then a resource library for veneering…......and you still have all day today…....too….......................who knows with you!!!!
 
#13 ·
Neil -

LOL! Well my friend, you started me down this journey and I think it will be fun and interesting. I do use that tube idea for other things - smaller PVC & caps to store expensive an drill bit, ect.

I already got the badge when I was younger and achieved my Eagle Scout!
 
#14 ·
Hey Dave…........I'm not surprised about you being Eagle Scout. Here's a good one for you, my mother is still mad at my brother for dropping out of Scouts. Not sure which is one before Eagle….... Star or Life but he just one day said I've had enough!!! To this day, she still wonders what it would be like to have the pin that mothers get. Of course to this day we still tease them both.

Today I'm doing my final planting….Peppers and Tomatoes…...I'm late but today its done. Rain for 2 days them, clear skies to finish the ash cabinet.

Say hello to the Chief Financial Shop Officer….........Neil
 
#15 ·
A Primer Library

Below is my basic primer on veneering and the vacuum press. There is a lot of information available. This is the basic set that I have been studying.

PRINT RESOURCES

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Purchased from JoeWoodworker.com

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

From my FWW library - available online at FWW

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

From my FWW library - available online at FFW

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

From my FWW library - available online at FWW

ONLINE RESOURCES

http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/furnitologistNeil Lamens http://furnitology.blogspot.com/index.htmlFurnitology

Funitology Veneering Episodes:
Episode 6 - Part 1 Episode 6 - Part 2

Fine Woodworking (subscription required)
Preparing to Veneer MDF and Veneering MDF by William Duckworth

ONLINE VENEERING SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT

JoeWoodworker.com

Quality VAKuum Products

VaucPress
 
#25 ·
#32 ·
Video Episode 2

Well, its going to be a long afternoon and evening as I am excited to "press on" and start my first veneering project. I am going to veneer a small panel as an experiment to see how the process works. I purchased a couple of veneer packs on sale at Rockler to use in my experiment. This first panel is 1/4 inch MDF hardboard veneered with movingui, a hard wood from Africa using TiteBond Cold Press Veneer Glue.

Veneer - A thin surface layer, as of finely grained wood, glued to a base of inferior material.

Flitch - The thin layers of veneer sliced from a cross-section of a log. Flitch veneers are often kept in order as they are sliced from a log.

MOVINGUI is a bright lemon to orange-colored wood that originated in Africa. The first part of the tree's botanical name, Distemonanthus benthamianus, roughly translates to two-stamened flower, and it is named after Bentham, a 19th century English botanist. It is sometimes called African or Nigerian satinwood because its heartwood is very lustrous and some of the more highly figured wood resembles satinwood. In Know Your Woods, Albert Constantine Jr. says it is the grain, color and "general beauty" of movingui that have invited comparisons to Nigerian satinwood.

According to the Encyclopedia of Wood, the names movingui and Distemonanthus are commonly used in the United Kingdom, while Nigerian satinwood is most often used in the United States.

Thanks to Neil Lamens at Furnitology Productions and JoeWoodworker.com

http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/blipplayer.swf?autoStart=false&file=http://blip.tv/file/get/USNERDOC-DRPVacuumPress02829.flv%3Fsource%3D3
 
#38 ·
#39 ·
Awesome! Thanks for this tutorial. Now I know who to call when the sun is still shining at 3am and I can't sleep and have to fiddle in the shop. Thanks for your efforts in producing, directing, starring in and editing this piece. The Lumberjocks Video Podcast Movement!
 
#53 ·
Video Episode 6

Well, this is the last of this set of video episodes completing my first run at a veneering project. The panel turned out great and I am looking forward to exploring other wood species. This was a lot of fun. Trust me, if I can do this right out of the gates, anyone can!

Thanks to Neil Lamens at Furnitology Productions and JoeWoodworker.com

Finally the vacuum press is loaded!
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

The vacuum quick connector attached to the vacuum bag
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Final 1/4 inch MDF hardboard panel veneered with Movingu
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Close-up of panel edge
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

The final (light colored) panel taped up to a cherry quilt chest frame for comparison
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

The final video episode for this installment
http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/blipplayer.swf?autoStart=false&file=http://blip.tv/file/get/USNERDOC-DRPVacuumPress06161.flv%3Fsource%3D3
 
#54 ·
A wonderful series David! This, by far, trumps any production from K and T. You raised the bar on description, presentation and information. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
 
#78 ·
This is a great idea, David. I wonder if this type of thing was tagged, PDF, they would become better searchable in the future? Just thinking out loud. Great plans, by the way!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top