Phenolic backed veneer - both sides of substrate?

[Dan Bowman]

Can phenolic-backed veneer be applied to just one side of 3/4 plywood, or must both sides be covered? Thanks,

[Eric DeSilva]

Can phenolic-backed veneer be applied to just one side of 3/4 plywood, or must both sides be covered? Thanks,

I always thought the veneering rule was both sides, but I don't do veneer. I would observe, however, that the phenolic ply that I buy for shop jigs has phenolic facing on both sides.

[Andrew Nemeth]

I'm not an expert but...
I'm pretty sure you should do both sides. I believe the rule has less to do with what veneer you are using and more to do with what you are veneering to. Whatever barriers to moisture you apply to one side you should do to the other. If one side absorbs significantly more moister than the other it will warp. I know that there are less expensive materials that can be bonded opposite of the veneer layer to "balance" the equation for non-visable surfaces. Hopfully someone more expirienced than myself can confirm what I have posted and give details to exact products.

Hope this helps,
Andrew

[Jamie Buxton]

The rule about balanced panels applies most strongly to panels that are not going to have any other structure keeping them flat -- doors, for instance. If the panels are in a structure that will keep them flat -- cabinet carcasses, for instance -- it is not necessary to veneer both sides.

[David DeCristoforo]

Veneer both sides. If the back is unseen, you can use "cabinet backer" which is a thin phenolic with no color coat or veneer face. It's also really cheap.

[john bateman]

Veneer both sides. If the back is unseen, you can use "cabinet backer" which is a thin phenolic with no color coat or veneer face. It's also really cheap.

Could you recommend some place a hobbyist could buy this stuff? I'm limited to getting my veneers from online/mailorder sources, and there have been times I would like to have been able to get paper or phenolic backing material. I've never seen it for sale.

[David DeCristoforo]

You are not going to find this kind of material at a "hobbyist" outlet. You need to find a local yard that supplies cabinet shops. Look in the yellow pages. Many businesses of this type will sell to individuals at retail prices. Even so, you will probably find that their retail prices still beat what you would pay from a "hobbyist" supplier.