Looking to Build a small Veneer or Panel Press

[OPJ]

Hi guys,

As the title suggest, I'm looking to build something that will greatly assist me in veneering relatively small panels, the kind of things you'd find used for drawer bottoms and box lids/bases, to give two examples.

Google only seems to bring up vacuum veneering, which is not what I have in mind.

I'm thinking more along the lines of a series of tapered clamping calls and lengths of threaded rod/studding, perhaps...

Has anyone seen any good plans or ideas for this kind of thing? I'm trying to find a way of perhaps using less clamps and also preventing the parts from sliding away as I tighten them.

If anyone has any thoughts, I'd be grateful to hear from you. Thanks for your time.

Olly.

 

[bjm]

You could try something like this

Brian

 

[Gill]

It sounds as if you need a marquetry press. They're very simple to build.

Gill

 

[Tusses]

how about a sandwich - 2 pieces of ply - and park the car on it :lol:

well - smaller weights might do

 

[OPJ]

Thanks for everyone's replies.

Brian, that's a very interesting idea and it looks like the kind of thing you could hang on the wall or store without using up too much space.

Gill, the "marquetry press" at the bottom of that page is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind!

After persevering with Google for a bit, I also found thisat Sawmill Creek, where the clamp pads are housed in to the cauls.

Tusses, great idea but it wouldn't be suitable for a rainy day - "workshops" weren't built to take cars, you know!! :wink:

Thanks again for the replies, I've got some great ideas already.

 

[bjm]

Olly

I just came across this which looks straightforward to build - it's about 3/4 down the page, just before the rosettes.

Brian

 

[wizer]

Olly

I just came across this which looks straightforward to build - it's about 3/4 down the page, just before the rosettes.

Brian

 

[OPJ]

Thanks again Brian. Looks like a mini-workbench with a great big screw thread running through the centre!

 

[wizer]

Axminster sell them screws. I thought about using one for a cider press.... :wink:

 

[Frank Drew]

Olly,

Just curious, why the objection to a vacuum veneer press?

 

[TheTiddles]

Google only seems to bring up vacuum veneering, which is not what I have in mind.

You really should try a vacuum veneer press, it will apply several pounds per square inch evenly over the entire surface, there is no clamp system that can do that, it's very cheap if you can get the parts surplus and extremely versatile

Aidan

 

[staffie]

2P worth, what about an old trouser press, I use one, granted the thickness is problamatic, but it folds up and stores neatly flat on the wall.

Jock

 

[lurker]

what about an old trouser press,
Jock

You could save up your jobs & then check into a travel lodge for the night.

I'm in these places about twice a month and a whole evening with nothing to do.

 

[OPJ]

Olly,

Just curious, why the objection to a vacuum veneer press?

Well, I reckon a vacuum press would be ideal for curved laminations but for the small, flat stuff I'm thinking of doing in the near-future, I think it would be too much. I imagine the motor alone is quite expensive, not to mention noisy when it's running, and it'll also take up more space than necessary for me right now.

Of course, if I was to find myself doing a lot of veneering work in the future then I'd definitely consider going for the vacuum option. :wink:

 

[staffie]

folowing my previous reply this is the type of press I use,

ebay link

Jock

 

[MIGNAL]

I use curved cauls for laminating sawn veneers together. I've had no problems gluing pieces that are approximately 24 " X 16 " although anything much larger than that would probably require either a very serious set up or vacuuming clamping.
Polymite or fish glue will give a long open time, more than enough to assemble the work pieces and clamps.
My 'base' is a small sheet of 18 mm Birch ply that is screwed to the top of my assembly table, in other words it's fixed to a table rather than moveable - the fact that it is fixed really does help with the glue up and minimises all those pieces moving around when screwing clamps down. It does need to be pretty flat of course. The workpiece sits directly on this and another small sheet of Birch ply on top. Then the curved cauls are placed across, G clamps go between the assembly table base and the top of the caul. You will be at a great advantage if you have an extra pair of hands when using the cauls, otherwise it might be a better idea to use large bolts fixed to the base and apply the pressure using nuts and a spanner.

 

[OPJ]

I was flicking through a stack of old Good Woodworking issues when I found this.

No noisy compressors or electricity required whatsoever! Andy King seemed to rate them, I wonder if there's a UK supplier or, how easy it would be to make my ownm perhaps slightly larger...?

Any thoughts?