Help with veneer squeeze through, pics included

[Hunter Locke]

Hey guys. Pulled this piece out of the press this morning and there is some shiny spots. It's walnut burl. I've tried my card scraper but it doesn't seem to be very effective. I also CAREFULLY went over it with 180 grit with my ETS 125. Thoughts?

I used better bond veneer glue, and it was left in the press overnight.

[Hunter Locke]

Here's a view after light sanding

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[Hunter Locke]

And another

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[john bateman]

If the glue completely soaked through the wood in spots, it won't look different no matter how much you sand.
Much of that will disappear with a finish applied, so you could try applying a thin coat now to see if it looks acceptable.

[Mike Henderson]

I agree with John. On some veneers it's very difficult to prevent bleed through. One solution is to use white glue because you can wash it off the face of the veneer with water even after you take it out of press. It also has a bit longer open time than other PVA glues.

But the bleed through may not show after you apply finish. This is especially true of burls because of their color distribution.

Mike

[Max Neu]

Next time I would recommend using the "dark" glue by Better Bond, it blends in with walnut pretty well.

[Chris Padilla]

Also, the BB glue should only be pressed for 45-60 minutes...not overnight. I doubt this caused the bleed through but sand things nice 'n smooth like you normally would and then wipe it with some mineral spirits to clean it up and get a preview of how it might look under your finish. The BB shouldn't cause any finishing problems and I agree with Max, always try to get the glue color to somewhat match the veneer color as it can only further help to hide potential issues.

[Hunter Locke]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

for the record I did use the dark glue, hopefully that helps somewhat. All in all I think it'll turn out fine after working with the pieces today, but it really freaked me out at first!

[Vince Shriver]

Mike, Isn't hide glue (in a glue pot) and a veneer hammer the traditional method of veneering? I don't ever remember hide glue having been an issue - I suppose it just blends in better.

[Jamie Buxton]

It is a little difficult to tell in the photos, but it doesn't look like much of a problem to me. I do a lot of veneering, and occasionally get bleed-through. What happens is that glue fills pores that go completely through the veneer, and some glue spreads out in a film on the show surface of the wood. Sand it enough to remove the film -- that is, get down to wood. Don't worry about the glue filling the pores. Then go ahead with whatever finish regimen you plan on using. After finish, the color of the veneer will be wood-colored everywhere. And in some areas, the pores of the wood will be filled. Not a problem.

[Brian Holcombe]

I've had it happen a lot on the burls that I typically veneer and my experience has been the same as Jamie's.

also, fwiw I much prefer the catalysed glues that require mixing to better bond. I've had veneer creep with better bond, but not in the slightest with catalysed glue.

[Jim Matthews]

I don't have much experience with veneer this thin.

The few people I know that work with veneer use Uni-Bond,
and include an additive called a 'blocker' which thickens the adhesive.

It's no help with this batch, but if you're using the same veneer again,
it may be worthy of consideration.

https://www.vacupress.com/veneerglue.htm

[Hunter Locke]

Thanks, I'm going to continue with the project and if it doesn't work out, it will be a fantastic learning experience and practice run.

[alan tasoff]

These replies helped me a lot. I had the same question posted on the Neanderthal forum. Alan

[Jim Tobias]

As Jim said, Unibond has an additive that acts as a "blocker" to bleed through. I've used it on several burls and it definitely helps prevent bleed through in porous burls. It saves you from those terrible moments when you realize that you have sanded through the veneer. :eek: DAMHIKT

Jim