Coloured epoxy resin inlaid on veneerd birch ply details.

[chris watford]

It is easier if I say what I think I may do and you can sort me out as required, please.

Table top, veneered on birch ply. Cut slow curve design across the middle. single 6mm curved line
around 5/6mm deep? It is this detail that requires the coloured epoxy resin. I think if I give the venered top a seal coat of Osmo oil, put tape? over the area to be channneled to prevent adhesion of epoxy to finished veneer either side of the channel.

The above may be totally wrong, I could find little or no help on google searches.

Chris

 

[MikeG.]

My small experience of epoxy suggests to me that your chance of success with that approach is limited, and will be fraught. The only way to get the epoxy smooth and level is to sand it, so if you can use a thicker veneer such that when you sand the epoxy down you won't sand through the veneer, you'll have a chance of success. It would be all but impossible to fill the groove with epoxy in such a way as to not require sanding down, and that means there is no chance of success in pre-finishing the veneer.

 

[Yojevol]

This is one of those occasions when you've just got to try out a method before committing yourself. I might be inclined to glue on an extra layer of veneer either side of the groove, possibly in a different veneer or with the grain at right angles to the base veneer. This will mean the cast resin surface is well above the finished level and as you sand it down you will have some indication of how far you've got to go.
Brian

 

[rafezetter]

My small experience of epoxy suggests to me that your chance of success with that approach is limited, and will be fraught. The only way to get the epoxy smooth and level is to sand it, so if you can use a thicker veneer such that when you sand the epoxy down you won't sand through the veneer, you'll have a chance of success. It would be all but impossible to fill the groove with epoxy in such a way as to not require sanding down, and that means there is no chance of success in pre-finishing the veneer.

This ^^ - epoxy has the very annoying habit of forming a miniscus around the edge; that's the raised bit at the edge you see in all non viscous fluids when it meets another surface.

The only way I've found to combat this is to "bead" the epoxy so it's proud of the surrounding level then scrape or sand (or both) it back flush.

Filling that channel below the level (and leaving a miniscus) and then trying to fill that small hollow leaves.... another miniscus, and also just plain won't look right unless you somehow manage to get the dye in the epoxy to the EXACT same shade. Good luck with that.

If you are very VERY careful - you can bead the epoxy, then wait until it gets to that "spongy, not quite set" stage (akin to the texture of a good mature cheddar cheese) and using a very thin knife with a SHARP edge (those retractable knives where the blades snap off in sections are great for this), cut off the bead, using a sheet of paper or two 'tween the surface and the knifeblade. Be gentle but don't hang about either or you'll lose that window.

Then let it fully cure and scrape once with either the utility knife blade / wide chisel / freshly prepped card scraper WHILE HAVING 1 SHEET of same paper either side of the epoxy.

Then again with the lightest touch without, then a very light sand.


Frankly it's a PITA - but when you've got thin veneers involved, that's what it takes.

HTH.

 

[chris watford]

Thanks all for responding.

My son who has only just started using epoxy resin and he thought my design idea had practical issues also.
Anyway, think I will tweek the design to allow 6mm ebony square lines instead of introducing curves.
At sometime in the near future I will have a go with epoxy resin in a curved detail.

Chris

 

[Hornbeam]

Why do you have to use epoxy for the line. Could you use a 6mm square strip of dyed wood which is glued into the groove. This can then be levelled with a very finely set hand plane and cabinet scraper. Once epoxy is set it will be much harder than the surrounding ply so more difficult to level. But as others have said the veneer on the faces of some boards has been sanded during manufacture down to little more than bugger all
Ian

 

[chris watford]

I am wondering if there would be colour all the way through/deep penetration on 6mm sq. wood to allow for planing/scraping flush?
Chris

 

[Hornbeam]

I think you should be able to inlay so that you only need to scrape less than 1mm so that is how deep you need the stain to penetrate.
What type of wood and stain you use will dictate how much penetration you get. What colour are you looking at ?
Ian

 

[chris watford]

Since my last post, I have reconsidered what to use for the lines. Think 6 x 6mm Ebony would suit,
I have a few lengths so will try with this first to see if it is pliable/plausible.

Chris

 

[Hornbeam]

6 X 6 stained black ash lines will bend much more easily and will be lack all the way through as well as much cheaper than ebony
Ian

 

[chris watford]

I never knew that existed, that is a problem for an old carpenter and joiner like me when he wants to try his hand at cabinet making/veneering, well out of touch.

I know Original Marquetry do ebony lines, finding it difficult to find a black ash line supplier, anybody
have an idea please.