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 Post subject: Veneer both sides?
PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 11:00 am 
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I will be applying ⅛" oak veneer to a 3/4" cabinet grade plywood for a table top. Do I need to put the veneer on both sides or is the plywood stable enough to deal with the veneer on top?

Geoff


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 Post subject: Re: Veneer both sides?
PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:49 am 
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Conventional / traditional wisdom states that you should do both sides of the substrate with the veneer.
As you are using oak the cost will be minimal as opposed to an expensive exotic. In which case I would recommend using a cheaper veneer for the underside.

Despite what people will tell you ... plywood does in fact move. I've had cabinet grade sheets bow and/or cup.
Protect your investment ... do both sides.

Additionally, 1/2" material for veneer is rather thick. In my view, even 1/4" material is quite thick for veneer. Especially across the width / length of a table top.

Caveat: I am a hobbyist, not a professional. The advice I offer is derived from books I've read, internet conversations I've had, and magazine articles I've seen rather than any practical experience in veneering. IIRC TMS (Tom) has done some veneering and hopefully will be along to provide some real world information.

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 Post subject: Re: Veneer both sides?
PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 11:55 am 
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Indeed, both sides.

In the process of making doors for my upper kitchen cabinets, I ended up applying veneer to one side, then the other. In only the time it took for the glue to set (Titebond) on the one side and turn it over to do the other (in my vacuum press), a number of the doors warped. I shoulda figured out a way to apply the veneer to both sides at the same time.

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 Post subject: Re: Veneer both sides?
PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 6:56 pm 
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DMoening wrote:
Additionally, 1/2" material for veneer is rather thick. In my view, even 1/4" material is quite thick for veneer. Especially across the width / length of a table top.


It was hard to read, at least in the normal font size on my laptop, but the veneer mentioned is 1/8", not 1/2".


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 Post subject: Re: Veneer both sides?
PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 7:41 pm 
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Thanks for the input. It is ⅛" veneer I'm thinking of. If that seems too thick I will sand or hand plane it thinner. DennisS's note is a little scary. I don't have a vacuum press and was planning on gluing on one veneer plank at a time. My veneer will be 7" wide. The table is 72" long. I'm thinking of clamping over a full size plywood piece and 3 slightly convex cauls above that. i.e. 3 clamps each end giving somewhat even pressure. I don't think doing both sides at the same time will work. Perhaps if I have a long set up time glue and use brads to hold the bottom (unseen) veneer?

Any thoughts?

Geoff

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 Post subject: Re: Veneer both sides?
PostPosted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 11:21 pm 
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I'd be very surprised if your approach as outlined is successful, sorry to say. Laying up the pieces one at a time will make tight joints difficult, to say the least. You should look into "hammer veneering", which uses hot hide glue to attach the veneer and allows you to do one strip at a time. Alternatively just buy plywood with oak veneer faces. If the 1" finished edge thickness is important, use solid stock for the edges in place of edge-banding.


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 Post subject: Re: Veneer both sides?
PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 9:52 am 
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Quote:
It was hard to read, at least in the normal font size on my laptop, but the veneer mentioned is 1/8", not 1/2".


Well ⅛ is 1/2 the size of 1/8.
:D
It's also way the heck up the ASCII so as to be practically unusable for normal thread posting. Why not also code the {3/4} ?
But I digress ...


Quote:
My veneer will be 7" wide. The table is 72" long. I'm thinking of clamping over a full size plywood piece and 3 slightly convex cauls above that. i.e. 3 clamps each end giving somewhat even pressure.


I agree with Drstrip's advice ... attempting to do this in strips will not allow for tight seams.
Typically in veneering you'll cut/plane/sand the edges and then attach the strips together with "veneer tape" prior to glue-ing to the substrate.

I'm unclear how you're using the clamping cauls ... if the intent is to run then length-wise I would reconsider this approach as I do not believe you will be able to properly apply pressure the entire length of the piece. If they are run width-wise then you don't have enough.

I would suggest a sandwich ... solid surface such as plywood, a sheet of parchment / wax paper, veneer, glue, substrate, glue, veneer, a sheet of parchment/wax paper, topped with solid surface such as plywood. Then run clamping cauls every foot or so across the width of the top. I might even place cinder blocks (or any heavy object) in between the cauls or in places of suspect clamping pressure.

I would also suggest using a glue with a long open time to allow for fitment and clamp up.
Unibond 800 is one I've heard often, as well as a Plastic Resin Glue.

Here's a couple of video's explaining the hammer veneer process:
http://www.pbs.org/video/the-woodwright ... eve-latta/
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/tech ... eneering-2

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