1/4" thin wood adhesive

[Zsolt Paul]

I know vacuum press is the best way to adhere veneer to substrate. In my case, I am gluing 1/4 solids to plywood. I know the Better Bond Ultra-CAT is recommended for thick veneers, but it requires mixing with water. I'll be using a lot of species (marquetry type of work) and using a water based glue is not an option. I have always gotten curling from the woods soaking up moisture from water based glues. Is there a non water based cold press glue for thick veneers / wood thins in the 1/4 thickness range?

Thanks!

[Zsolt Paul]

Anyone? Bueller?

[David DeCristoforo]

I just use Titebond. But 1/4" is really too thick for "veneer" 1/8" is more like it...3/16" max.

[Steve Schoene]

I agree--1/4" is too thick to be treated like veneer. Drop down to 1/8" and you will have a project much less likely to self distruct in a year or two.

Also remember, the reverse side needs an equivalent veneer, or you will have a potato chip, unless secured to REALLY solid framework.

[Howard Acheson]

You are headed for trouble with a veneer of 1/4". 1/8" is about the limit. No mater what you end up using, you should put the same thickness veneer on both sides of your plywood. Otherwise, you will get warping.

[Zsolt Paul]

These are for hardwood flooring medallions. The standard in the industry is 1/2" BB ply + 1/4" solid on top. I MUST follow these specs and can't drop to 1/8". Perhaps because the plywood base is glued down when its installed, that's why it doesnt' warp. (????)

Waterbased glues (like Titebond) has never worked for me. The individual pieces always warp due to the moisture. So I need to know if there is a cold press glue that can be used in a vacuum press that would hold thick solids like 1/4". Thanks!

[Andrew Nemeth]

3/4" tongue and groove flooring has 1/4" of thickness that can be sanded away and refinished (before running into the tongue and groove joint). I would guess this is the reason that the inlays need to be 1/4" deep. As for the type of glue or why it does not self destruct in a floor, I'll leave that to someone who knows.

[Howard Acheson]

Try a two part, slow set epoxy.

[Zsolt Paul]

I'll give the 2 part slow set epoxy a try. ... Since in the past when I did try water based wood glues was without vacuum press, and since I see that the recommended glue for 1/4" thick solid woods for vacuum presses is the Better Bond Ultra-CAT, should I conclude that warping is not an issue in a vaccum press? Otherwise I dont get why a water based glue would be recommended for 1/4" solids..

[Bret Duffin]

I've done several large tops on furniture using 1/4" thick strips of various woods glued to a quality plywood sub-top using regular Tightbond wood glue. I weight each piece down with some heavy dumbbells while the glue sets. Some of these have been in use for over thirty years and are holding up well, only some minor shrinkage. Just make sure each piece is no too wide. I guess if you put it into a really humid environment there could be an expansion problem but that could also happen with frame and panel if the panels were too tight.

[Frank Drew]

I've used both white and yellow glues with a vacuum press and had good results, although the former might have more water than you want. And 1/4" isn't necessarily too thick if the pieces aren't too big across the grain (you said this work is similar to marquetry, right?).

[Zsolt Paul]

Yes, it is similar to marquetry, except 1/4" solids. the pieces are varying sizes from really tiny pieces to a 6-7" widths depending on design. Every time I have ever used yellow glue (or anything water based) the pieces would warp (edges higher). Of course I didn't have it weighed down. These are laser cut so they are VERY accurate and thus tight with no room for much expansion (if any at all). I have never had problems with non water based glues, so its definitely the moisture from the glue. It seems you guys are not having any problems as long as its weighed down. Vacuum press would of course be the same in principle (even more so) as far as weighing it down. However, there is STILL moisture,just becuase something is clamped down or in the vacuum press. Will this cause expansion and therefore gaps between the pieces? Will the vacuum press or weights eliminate the warping as long as it stays clamped down until the moisture "passes" through the wood? How would the moisture evaporate in a vacuum press anyway? Sorry about all the questions and thanks in advance!

[rick carpenter]

Biedermeier furniture was made with thick veneer. Somehow they made it work, and very well at that. It is the most interesting furniture style I've ever seen.

[Joe Pack]

Not exactly dainty, but it can be spread extremely thinly onto mating surfaces, then clamped or weighted into position. PL-400 construction adhesive is the best I have ever used...used a piece of 1/2" plywood for a spreader, dropped it onto a plywood subfloor, didn't bother picking it up. The next day, with zero pressure to "clamp" it into position, I absent-mindedly kicked at it with my work shoes on and almost broke my toe! I had to pry it up with a claw hammer, and it brought slivers of plywood up with it! I have used this THIN coating of PL-400 on mating surfaces a couple of times and found it to be very satisfactory. Just don't get any on the exposed surface; it doesn't come off easily.

[Zsolt Paul]

Thanks Joe. Yes, I had used construction glue before and I like it. However, I was looking for a cold presss type of glue so that I can assemble it, allowing for some flexiblity and then vacuum press it for permenant adhesion. I find it hard te believe that there is no cold press glue that is not water based and works for 1/4" solids.... UNLESS, what I have been asking but still didn't get an answer IF moisture is not an issue in a vacuum b/c it doesn't allow the pieces to warp/cup due to the pressure. Is this true? Even if it is, the moisture has to go "somewhere"...how does this work? What about expansion? Even if it doesn't warp, will it expand sideways which will lead to gaps? Thanks!

[Zsolt Paul]

Wow, did I find the only question in this forum that no one knows that answer to? Naaahhhh...impossible!

[Zsolt Paul]

I have a lot of 2 part (1:1) table top epoxy resin. Could that be used as a slow setting epoxy adhesivein a vacuum press?