buy or make wood veneer applied to thin steel layer.

[Jim smith]

I want to make a wood veneer with a layer of metal behind so I can use magnets on the surface of the wood. Did some google searches and have had little success finding wood veneered on steel or how to veneer to steel. I have the thin veneer and I'm looking at 2x4 foot panels. so sources and DIY are both acceptable to me. I do not have a vacuum so it would have to be done with weights and clamps.

Jim

[john bateman]

I think I would use paper backed veneer, available in 4 x 8 ft sheets. And apply it to the steel with contact cement using a roller.

[Sam Murdoch]

I think I would use paper backed veneer, available in 4 x 8 ft sheets. And apply it to the steel with contact cement using a roller.

I did this on aluminum window frames and the veneer lasted for 20 + years with occasional light sanding and coats of Watco.
You should be able to buy paper backed veneer in smaller pieces than 4' x 8'.

[Jim smith]

When I said steel I should have said a sandwich of 1/4" baltic birch, 28 0r 30 gage sheet metal and my 1/64 veneer sheets. once the piece is created I will cut it with my CNC and cut outline of a country and use the magnets to move around to indicate locations on the map.

[Jamie Buxton]

Could you do it the other way around? There's flexible magnet sheets available. Folks print or laminate on to them to make refrigerator magnets. Then you use little pieces of steel to indicate locations on your map.

[Wayne Lomman]

I agree with John. Paper backed veneer and use contact glue. Let the glue fully cure for a few days before machining. Cheers.

[Mark Gibney]

Is there a reason paper-backed veneer is better here than real veneer?

Timely thread by the way. I'm making something similar and made a mockup for the client with a steel plate glued behind 1/8" mdf. The magnet strength was very much weakened thru the 1/8" mdf, so be careful of using 1/4" ply on your sandwich.

For the real thing I will glue the veneer straight to the steel plate. I was thinking of using real veneer and epoxy, but now I'll consider contact cement.

[larry senen]

paper backed gives an additional barrier of the glue used to laminate it to the paper.
or you can make your own 2 ply veneer with the appropriate clamps or vacuum press.
i'm in santa clarita pm me if you like.

[John Blazy]

There is nothing uglier than veneer applied with contact cement - the lumpiness of the CC telegraphs through to the face of the wood and is seen through the finish. At least this is true with store bought CC applied with roller. If you had spray can CC, then that might be better. Personally, I would veneer with polyurethane, specifically PL Premium construction adhesive. Bonds better to wood and steel better than ANY adhesive, and it rolls nice and flat without too much orange peel. Gorillla glue, or any thinner PUR adhesive would also work well, but it might seep through the pores, unless using paperback veneer.

Of course, you would need to clamp the PUR adhesives, not contact. 24 x 48 panels are not that hard to clamp with curved cauls. I personally have half a dozen deep reach Wetzlers, so I dont need curved cauls, but I have veneered 50" wide panels with my 12" deep Wetzlers using curved cauls.

[Frank Pratt]

John Blazy, how do you spread the PL? I've only used it for construction projects & it seems too viscous to spread easily. I do agree with you about the contact cement. I can never get it rolled out smooth enough to where I'd be happy using it with veneer.

[Sam Murdoch]

3M spray adhesive is an excellent alternative if you don't like "regular" contact cement though I have never had an issue with paper backed veneer and contact cement. I have never tried PL rolled out so I will defer to John Blazy on that one. Guerrilla glue could be a nightmare - it grows as it cures .

I would not hesitate to use true wood veneer on a wood or wood sheet product substrate and/or from a purist point of view when you are building all wood and are using matching flitches. However, over metal or other non wood surfaces or when matching grain is not critical, the ease and dimensional stability of paper backed veneer is hard to beat.

[John Blazy]

I use a brayer type solid rubber roller for rolling PL premium. It is surprisingly easy to roll a uniform thickness, because it does not dry or skin over immediately. the surface has a micro orange-peel effect. I would roll out a thin layer on all surfaces of every interface and glue up all layers on one shot - veneer, steel and plywood. Since you can roll out such a uniform thickness, coupled with the high viscosity, there is no worry about pooling of excess adhesive, so normal clamping with cauls is fine. I would use 3/4" MDF or particle board over each side of the glue-lam and then clamp with curved hardwood cauls spaced about 6" apart across the 24" dimension. The long open time of the PUR will allow you to glue at least five or six lamination assemblies all stacked up. Id start with one or two though.