veneering question

[Zahid Naqvi]

Some of you might recall I am working on destroying (err resurfacing) a set of tables. The coffee table top has been sanded and is ready for phase two. I have some real nice olice ash veneer that I used on a hall cabinet I made a while back, I wanted to use the same veneer on the coffee table as well.

The question is if I glue the veneer to one side of 1/4" ply and glue the other side of the ply to the table top, is there any risk of warping in the future. I think the coffee table already has a layer of veneered top.

Here's the top from the hall cabinet showing the Olive Ash veneer.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=26522&d=1132953565
And here is the coffee table I am working on.
44963

[tod evans]

zahid, where it i a new top would be made instead of trying to improvise with plywood. if you want to keep the table intact then make a top to fit over the existing one. i wouldn`t go thinner than 1/2" for the field and i like to veneer over the banding then route or plane the edge to protect the veneer if you use sheetgoods. if you make a solid top and veneer it be sure to account for movement between the substraight and veneer...02 tod

[Zahid Naqvi]

i wouldn`t go thinner than 1/2" for the field and i like to veneer over the banding then route or plane the edge to protect the veneer if you use sheetgoods....02 tod

I am going to frame the veneer, the way it shows on the hall table top pictured above, so edge banding would not be needed. So you are saying a 1/4" substrate is not thick enough for this application. If I have to use a 1/2" substrate I might as well go 3/4" and make a new top. I just hate to throw things away and if I can't use this top it is firewood.

[tod evans]

I am going to frame the veneer, the way it shows on the hall table top pictured above, so edge banding would not be needed. So you are saying a 1/4" substrate is not thick enough for this application. If I have to use a 1/2" substrate I might as well go 3/4" and make a new top. I just hate to throw things away and if I can't use this top it is firewood.

zahid, how do you plan on dealing with the edges? 1/4" is fine for a substraight if you can fasten it to the existing top where 1) it will allow the solid boards to move without breaking the glue bond. and 2) if you can cleanly deal with the edges of both the 1/4 material and the existing top.....02 tod

[Chris Padilla]

Zahid,

I'm confused. The picture you have is a veneered top? It isn't boards glued up or something? I'm trying to understand the details of the coffee table top better so that I can try to understand how best to get that gorgeous veneer applied to it.

Typically, you want to apply veneers to stock that doesn't move like plywood or MDF and then treat the whole thing as another board in the project.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Zahid,

I'm confused. The picture you have is a veneered top? It isn't boards glued up or something? I'm trying to understand the details of the coffee table top better so that I can try to understand how best to get that gorgeous veneer applied to it.

The table top has a plywood substrate with a veneered top. The veneer is thick, I think about 1/4", because it still has substantial thickness even after a complete sanding to remove the current finish. I can completely sand or plane off the existing veneer, which will leave behind the plywood substrate. My original thought was to glue my veneer to an additional sheet of 1/4" plywood and glue that ply on top of this table top. On further thought it's probably not worth the effort. The existing top is nothing worth saving anyway. Maybe I need to build a new one as Todd recommended.