Mark Bellonby
07-01-2008, 9:30 AM
I am at the point of "draping" veneer on a cabinet, and must decide whether to cross-band with a veneer running the opposite direction.
This is a largely glass collector's cabinet, where the posts and rails are solid bubinga. The finish veneer is some old stock of matching rosewood leaves. There are three drawer fronts which will be mdf or baltic birch plywood.
I intend to vacuum veneer press each piece prior to chopping mortises, etc., using Titebond veneer glue.
As I understand it, cross banding is used to prevent delamination due to wood movement, and to avoid "telegraphing" of the substrate grain. The way my design works, the horizontal rails will have vertical finish grain running across the grain of the solid bubinga, and the vertical posts will have grain running parallel to the finish veneer. All pieces will have balancing veneer on reverse sides.
Since there is a maximum of 3" dimension to any solid piece, and I am using a modern glue, I think I don't need to cross band. As for the telegraphing, I am skeptical that this is a problem, but the finish veneer is 1/40 inch thick. One reason I would prefer not to cross band is that any corner nicks would show the crossband wood.
Thanks for any input.
This is a largely glass collector's cabinet, where the posts and rails are solid bubinga. The finish veneer is some old stock of matching rosewood leaves. There are three drawer fronts which will be mdf or baltic birch plywood.
I intend to vacuum veneer press each piece prior to chopping mortises, etc., using Titebond veneer glue.
As I understand it, cross banding is used to prevent delamination due to wood movement, and to avoid "telegraphing" of the substrate grain. The way my design works, the horizontal rails will have vertical finish grain running across the grain of the solid bubinga, and the vertical posts will have grain running parallel to the finish veneer. All pieces will have balancing veneer on reverse sides.
Since there is a maximum of 3" dimension to any solid piece, and I am using a modern glue, I think I don't need to cross band. As for the telegraphing, I am skeptical that this is a problem, but the finish veneer is 1/40 inch thick. One reason I would prefer not to cross band is that any corner nicks would show the crossband wood.
Thanks for any input.