My First Vacuum Press Experience

[Glen Blanchard]

This is COOL!! I bought the vacuum press kit from Woodcraft on Wed. and used it for the first time last night to veneer two 3/16" shop-made veneers to an MDF panel. That was the last thing I did in the shop yesterday, but I found myself repeatedly going back out there just to look at it. I could have never achieved this intimate, void-free glue-up with traditional clamps. I used a urea glue which has a long open time, but placed a heating pad over the bag to speed up the set a bit. I am still marveling at how well those pieces bonded together.

I found this to be lots of fun. I am now looking for another veneered project. :D Thanks for all those who helped me with my original inquiry about vacuum presses and the use of platens.

[Bill Wyko]

Great aren't they.:D Check out www.veneersupplies.com (http://www.veneersupplies.com) Joe has some beautiful stuff. Enjoy your new found fun.:)

[Brad Shipton]

I just tried mine for the first time on the weekend too. Very nice to be able to make MDF look like exotic wood. Way better than clamps. i will not be miss trying to push the veneers back in place while clamping. Certainly wood is another great veneer supplier.

Brad

[Bill Wyko]

You can use every clamp you have and still not even come close to a vacuum press. They sure make life easier.:D

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Glen,
Enjoy the veneer press. I use mine a lot and enjoy stretching the quality woods I find. I cut my veneer at 1/8 or a bit more jointing each band saw cut on the mother board before re-sawing the next. Then I run the cut veneers through the sander to surface the other side. I finish at 3/32.
A word of advice about making your bag last longer. Ease the corners of your caul board to avoid having the bag stretch on sharp corners. When not in use, store the bag in a dark place. Light degrades the vinyl or Poly.
Titebond cold press veneer glue works great if you are not pressing curved surfaces. Use the catalyzed urea formaldehyde glues for that application, they dry as hard as glass.
Faust Ruggiero