Application of Veneer

[Mike Antczak]

Hello I'm a new member Mike from Phoenix looking for help on a veneering process. I proposed this question to Joe from Veneersupplies, he suggested I join this forum for a solution.

I purchased the EVS Vacuuming system with a GAST 5.5 CFM pump vacuum from Veneersupplies along with the dura-max extreme polyurethane vacuum bag 4'x9'.

My Question: I am building a sleigh bed and putting a walnut burl 10mil papaer back veneer on the headboard and foot board which has an S type curve the size of the pieces are approximately 30" by 78". Do I need to purchase bladders to handle the deflection/void in the S curve which is approximately 4 to 5 inches or would a breather mesh product work by sandwiching the S curve eliminating the need of blabbers or a mold. Hopefully this question makes sense to you. If it is necessary to purchase bladders does anyone have a suggestion of a supplier that I can get a decent price from. I don't beleive that VeneerSupplies.com carries the bladders, they do carry the breather mesh.

Thanks, Mike

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Mike, check out this thread.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=110115

There is some good info on vacuum forming in general, and a few pics of my last sleigh bed in the press that might give you some ideas. I'm not positive what the bladders you mention even are, but I think the use of the form in my instance solves the problem you where thinking of?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I just reread, and if you are talking about laying up the veneers on a already curved piece, no you don't need bladders. Just chuck it in the bag and let the vacuum bag conform. I have the mesh from Joe, which is good stuff, but I honestly don't really think its nessecary for most things. I did not use it on this project.

[Glen Butler]

Steve,

I have been meaning to ask you what the form you used is made of? Where did you get it? etc.

[Chris Padilla]

Glen,

Check Steve's link...it is in there (rigid foam).

Steve,

Sweet bed. I've done a fair amount of veneering myself but it was all flat...still fun as I sliced my own veneers on the BS, drum sanded down everything to 1/16", vacuum-pressed them! See my Tansu (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=92396).

Mike,

The vacuum press applies roughly 12 psi (at least I believe that is what mine is set to) which is about 25 mmHg. That is a lot of pressure so you need to be sure your structure will stand up to that stress. You may need a form but I think one could be cheaply built from MDF or Steve seems to get rigid foam to work. Bladders sound expensive to my ears and I don't think they are necessary.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Yep, Chris is right, it's just foam insulation board from the local lumber yard. This was 3" thick. I poly glued and doweled the sheets together. I also used MDF, but the foam board is WAY easier. That bed uses 4 forms.

I didn't really cover the process in the last post IIRK, so...

The forms go in the bag with a sandwich of backer veneer on each side of 3/8" bending ply (I ran several of these with one sheet only rather than a sandwich, both approaches work). Trim and put back in the bag with no form and a sheet of show veneer on one side. Repeat on the other, and it's done.

[Thomas S Stockton]

I usually use the same form I bent the parts on to glue down the veneer using bending ply as a top caul. I would recommend that in the future you look at using raw veneer instead of the paper backed stuff. You have a much wider choice of species and figures and it is thicker.
I would go to vacupressing systems web site, they have an online forum that has a lot of info on it.
Here are a couple of projects I've done with walnut burl
www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=128768
www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=97213
Tom

[Glen Butler]

You are saying that this form is foam? http://rozmiarek.smugmug.com/gallery/7096079_nhtXn#463895378_hsJgZ-A-LB
I read that thread when it was created and scoured his website the same day to find the answer. How did I miss it?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Glen, it's foam. My little bed project has made it to quite a few threads now, so it's very possible that you saw it on one of the threads that didn't get into the details of the forms.

Interesting timing on this resurfacing, daughter #1 outgrew that bed years ago, but I was going to get it out of storage for daughter #2 this weekend. BTW, I'd rank that bed as a 9.5 on the scale of fun projects!