Newb veneer question

[Dave Laukkonen]

So being as veneering is VERY new to me (first try) I have a couple of questions. I am making a box (rough size of a blanket chest) and want to veneer the side panels. Would I be best to veneer the wood before I cut it into the sides or should I counstruct it, then veneer it. I'm thinking probably before. Also how do I line up the seams of the veneer well on panels that are too wide for one peice? Thanks for helping me out and I'll let everyone know how it turns out!

[Mike Henderson]

in general, I would veneer before I assembled the case just because clamping after the case is assembled will be difficult. Check the current issue of FWW - they have a good article on basic veneering. What you should do is make up your veneer before gluing - that is, tape the veneer together with veneer tape to make a panel big enough to fit your substrate.

To line it up, lay out some lines on the substrate where you want the seam to fall and take those lines over the edge so you can see them with the veneer on the substrate. Before gluing, lay the substrate on the veneer, align the substrate to the seams using the lines, and cut the veneer just slightly larger than the substrate (maybe 1/8 inch bigger all around). When you get ready to glue, spread your glue using a paint roller, then lay the veneer on the substrate using the lines to line up the seams. Veneer both sides of the substrate. Use tape (packing tape is good) to hold the veneer in place after you lay it on the wet glue - the packing tape goes from one side veneer, sticks to the substrate edge, then to the other side veneer.

Handle it carefully and put it in your press. A vacuum press is good for panels like this.

What kind of joints are you going to use to hold the case together? If you use MDF for the substrate you'll be limited in your choice of joinery.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Mike beat me to to it...the current (Feb 2007) issue of Fine Woodworking has a nice article about dealing with veneers for panels.