Beginner's Guide - The Vacuum Press & Veneering #8: Video Episode 6

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!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Mot -

Thanks! Well not to disagree with the kind gentleman from Canada, but the K & T Productions are awesome! I think podcasts are one of our most important tools – what a great way to learn and share with fellow woodworkers. Also a wonderful way get to know another woodworker. I learn so much visually. I have learned so much from the various podcasts and photo essays. It is a pleasure to be able to contribute!

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Is the lighter colored wood the veneer? Those are some great close ups of the vacuum press. A close up of the finished board would have been nice, but the overall production was very nice. Thanks, David.

-- Jesus is Lord!

Mark -

Ask and you shall receive! I realized that was confusing so I updated the entry to include two photos of the final panel. Again, the panel was an experiment before I commit to a larger project. I am planning on veneering flat panels for frame & panel construction utilizing some interesting wood species for contrast and variety.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Does the panel get any edge treatment?

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Mot -

This panel was “just for fun” so I could check out the process and discover any potential problems before I commit to a bigger project such as a 14×27 inch panel for one of my chests. My initial thought was to just toss the panel once I completed the trial run. Only problem is now I am attached to it – it looks great with finish and I still can’t believe I did it! When I make the panels for my chests, there is no edge treatment as I will set them in a groove in the frame & panel units. Of course one could always attach edge banding. If you check out Neil Lamens current project, he veneered 3/4 inch MDF panels for drawer fronts and then applied mitered edge banding.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Oh cool. I had “drawer front,” on the brain because of the size of the panel. I got so caught up in your video that I forgot it was a test. You see, the first time I do something as part of a test, there’s blood, bandaids, profanity and the “smashed my finger” dance. Watching your videos demonstrated a calm resolve that gave me the impression that it was more than a test. LOL

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Great series David. These are such a great way to share….Thanks.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

David; great series of veneering.

It is a fun project isn’t it. I find that I probably do veneer in almost every project.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Bob & Karson -

Thanks so much for the kind comments! It is a lot of fun.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Hey David:

SUPER turorial….............How did you like the cold press glue?? Is the consistancy of the glue easily spreadable? How thick did you roll it on? Was there much squeeze out??

Really nice job David!!!!

PS – You and Mot….....kinda got me, I saw the post and video, and thought there’s no way I’d lend a tool out, I’d share in my shop, but heck after all this is an awfully nice forum, maybe some guys would????? The the reaization of a snipe hunt!!!!

Neil -

Thanks for the kind comments. Means a lot, especially from the person that set me down the veneer pathway. As I mentioned before, and what you alluded to in your episodes [Episode 6 Part 1 and Episode 6 Part 2], my head is reeling with the possibilities of veneer application. I can’t tell you how many times I watched your veneering series. What a wonderful and intriguing primer on veneering!

Well I don’t have any experience with other glues yet so my database is limited. I did like how easy the Cold Press glue was to apply. I rolled out very nicely and was easy to clean up. I rolled it on approximately the thickness that one would use when painting a wall. I had no squeeze out on the edges or field and no bleed thru.

As for Mot . . . well he is way too much fun to interact with! As with a number of very interesting folks that I have had the pleasure of interacting with, I am spoiled that technology allows for narrowing the distances!

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

I want one!

-- miles125, Alabama.."Architecture is frozen music""

Neil
Excellent job.

Because waiting for the glue to dry is such a bummer (ask Gizmodyne) I try to speed up other aspects. I noticed that it took quite a while to take the blue tape off the project.

Paul Schurch (www.schurchwoodwork.com) has a set of tweezers that are flat and sharp and easily slide under the tape. They do not mar the veneer and make removing the tape a whole lot faster and easier. They may be available other places.

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

Xavier -

Thanks or the great link to Paul Schurch – very cool site to explore!

As you can tell by my video, this is a new process for me so I don’t yet have a sense of what is taking a long time. Being the first attempt, everything seemed very fast and I was afraid I was going to do something wrong! Alll in all, I thought veneering was a lot of fun and I am planning on using it alot. I have much to do to improve my begining skills.

David

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Hi David,

I’m just starting my journey into veneering and really enjoyed your videos. I’ll probably have more questions in the future, but for now; How long did you leave this trial project under vacuum?

Thanks,

-- Dan, West Virginia, http://www.danpleskaCreations.com

Dan -

Thanks! I left it under vacuum for 2 hours which is all you need for cold press veneer glue. Urea formaldehyde glue requires a longer press time. I felt TiteBond Cold Press Veneer Glue was a good way to get my feet wet. I have had very good results so far. I am just starting another project that requires veneering panels for a frame & panel construction . . . I will be using maple on the inside veneer and cherry on the outside veneer for contrast.

David

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Interesting Dave.
How much did your vac set up run?

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob -

4 x 4 poly bag $129

Continuous Run Vac Pump $299

Check out the following links:
JoeWoodworker.com
VeneerSupplies.com

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Thanks Dave, I think that’s pretty reasonable give the hardships with buying quailty wood today.
Veneers are more stable to boot.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob -

I thought it was a great deal given the enjoyment I get from veneering. Its a lot of fun!

David

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Hi David,

I have made my way though the videos and to be honest it looks pretty straight-forward. I have a some questions:

(1) Have you used anything other than the veneer saw to cut the veneer? To me it looks rough and since the veneer is so thin I would think than an Xacto knife or sharp utility knife would cut it equally well with less possibility of tearout.

(2) What is the open time for the cold press glue and have you tried any others

You did a good job with this series and presented a lot of material in a fashion that is easily understood.

Thanks for the effort you put into this. If PBS ever needs a replacement for Norm you have my recommendation. :)

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Scott -

Thanks!

Answers to your questions:

1. The veener saw works great. I have one that has no set and cuts very smooth. I also use a sharp utility knife with a new blade for each project. I have also used a rotary cutter. I should make a new video showing the different cutters.

2. Pretty long open time. I am not sure of the exact minutes but plenty of time for a slow poke like me.

I have some new video on my blog at: http://foldingrule.blogspot.com/

Hope this helps.

David

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com