Where can I get a top Veneered?

[Mike-W]

Hi everyone,

I have been an outsider looking in on your forum for some time and have fond the discussions very interesting and quite useful. I thought it was time to join as I am looking for some advice for a project I am working on, so here is my question:

I am making an occasional table with two tables that slide beneath it as well as a lamp table and a magazine rack, they are all made from an Ash frame with the top veneered in some very nice Ash Burr.
The Occasional table needs 4 leaves and I plan to quarter match the four leaves. Only problem is I have not done much veneering and I don’t have the skill or confidence to do this part of the job. Particularly as the occasional table will be the centrepiece of our living room. Can anyone recommend a commercial concern I can go to that would do the veneering for me? Ideally within 30 miles of Reading.

Cheers Mike

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Mike

Welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry I can't help but I'm sure that somone will be along soon.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forums Mike.

All I can think of is either A) Contacting all the veneer suppliers round the country and ask if they supply veneer to any local companies, or if they can suggest anything

B) Search for some local cabinet makers and ask them to quote for this aspect.

Such businesses do exist e.g. (but you'll need to check in your area)

The Veneer Workshop Ltd
37a South St, Portslade, Brighton
East Sussex, BN41 2LE 01273 422332

Or.. this lot....

http://www.heritageinlay.com/

Or alternatively, get hold of a local furniture restorer, who'd no doubt have the required skills.

Why not do it yourself? Have a practice run with some cheap veneer?

A few thoughts for you hopefully.

Adam

 

[Woodythepecker]

Mike, welcome to the forum.

Have you thought about vacuum veneering and building your own vacuum press? It is really not that hard and once you have own press you won't look back.
See www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/welcome.htm.

If you have any problems PM me and i will try to help.

Regards

Woody

 

[Adam]

Norman detailed building one on UK_WW a while ago. Here's a link to his photos.

http://groups.msn.com/ukwoodworking/vacpress.msnw

Adam

 

[jasonB]

I just got the Bagpress "Minipress" Very impressed with the results so far see this pic and the next one.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v156/jaso ... t=PIC6.jpg

Even though the moisture in the tape was making the veneer cup and the ebony was thicker than the maple it all went down flat as a pancake.

Jason

 

[Mike-W]

I have made a start on the magazine rack and have the use of an old Photographic press which works well with hot melt glue film, the problems I have encountered with the burr veneer is that it is crinkled up, I managed to get it flat by spraying both sides with water and putting it between two sheets of cardboard into the press for about 30 minutes at around 60C, I then take it out & put it between two dry sheets of cardboard & a heavy kitchen worktop off-cutfor an hour or so.
The problem I am currently experiencing is trimming both leaves once dry so that I get a clean cut , as I said I have had a practice gluing down two leaves with a butt joint, setting the press to about 80C and pressing for 2 minutes using paper tape to stop creep on the joints but I am not happy with the joint. My problem lies in the cutting of the joint.
I see some of you find vacuum pressing a solution what glue do you use for this method?
I may well still try to find a commercial outfit to do this job for me as I have not got any spare leaves for the quarter matching if I mess it up.
Cheers Mike

 

[Chris Knight]

Mike,

Given that you only have a limited amount of a (presumably) quite expensive veneer, I won't try to dissuade you from looking for someone to do it for you.

However, for you next project(!), the following thoughts may help

1. It is quite easy to preglue veneer joints. After shooting the edges, butt them up and run masking tape down one side of the join. Then introduce some glue into the joint( I use PVA for this but as noted below I use a "special" PVA which was recommended to me and which works well) by partially"folding" the joint. It helps to have an assistant if the sheets are large. Then lay the veneer flat and wait for the glue to set (wipe off excess glue with a damp rag).

When the glue is dry you will find the joint is perfectly sound and not fragile. By all means reinforce the joint on the non-masking tape side with paper tape if bothered.

Do NOT put masking tape on and then stick the veneer in a veneer press. Masking tape is a bugger to get off veneer if you have pressed it. As long as the joint lies flat whilst the glue sets, is usually good enough, use light weights if need be.

2. I use a PVA recommended to me when I bought the Air Press system I use. It is made by Hallmark Fraulo http://www.hallmarkfraulo.co.uk/index.html and works very well. You will need to speak to their tech guy because I don't remember the exact designation for the glue (they make lots of different stuff)

3. For an effective method of veneering without a press and without going to the trouble of learning to hammer veneer, have a look at the iron-on preglued PVA method. It still needs practice so I am not advocating it for a first critical job even though it is a very good method. There is a great book called "Veneering - A Foundation Course" by Mike Burton, that covers this method.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Do NOT put masking tape on and then stick the veneer in a veneer press. Masking tape is a bugger to get off veneer if you have pressed it.

Chris, I find that masking tape has some advantages over veneer tape. It stretches a little in a way that VT does not, and can help to pull an edge together. You are dead right about getting it off though.

My haporth on the tape discussion - make sure you remove ALL the glue before you put on your finish. I've had a tape-shaped shadow before now after my first coat of lacquer, with nothing for it but to sand off and start again. Don't do it.


Cheers
Steve

 

[The Restorer]

Hammer veneerings not too hard to learn. The problems you are having with the butt joint are likely to be due to the cutting off the overlap. If you overlap the two halves together by about 6mm (or less if trying to get a really good match for the joint) then cut straight through both pieces with a blade (Stanley knife or Scalpel) when you butt the pieces together, the joint won't be perfect as the blade has a bevel on both edges so in effect cutting a "V". This may be acceptable, but if you want a perfect butt (so to speak!) then you've got to cut one edge first either angling the knife blade to compensate for the bevel. Or use something like a very sharp japanese marking knife (flat one side) Then lap this edge over the other and proceed to cut again (making sure you compensate for the bevel the other way. You should with a little practice get a perfect butt.
An excellent book on veneering is "Veneering a complete course by Ian Hosker".
If you're really getting stuck (so to speak) i may be able to help you further as i'm just outside Oxford.

 

[jasonB]

I used Titebond II, for large areas apply to the core with a 4" foam roller, after 5mins apply a second coat then lay the veneer on & into the bag. Don't put glue on the veneer as the moisture will make it curl.

Jason

 

[Adam]

I used Titebond II, for large areas apply to the core with a 4" foam roller, after 5mins apply a second coat then lay the veneer on & into the bag. Don't put glue on the veneer as the moisture will make it curl.

Jason

I apply wet glue to the veneer, then wet the opposite side with water. this prevents the curl.

Adam

 

[Chris Knight]

I find that masking tape has some advantages over veneer tape. It stretches a little in a way that VT does not, and can help to pull an edge together. You are dead right about getting it off though.

Steve, I do agree about the advantages, it is definitely better than paper tape in this respect - although I find the non-punched veneer tape better than the stuff with holes. But - and it is a biggish but - I have spoilt veneer getting masking tape off. I find it can easily pull sizeable (that is to say, noticeable) bits of veneer free from the matrix if it is an open grained wood (and the burl that Mick was talking about could be especially vulnerable).

Mick, I forgot to mention that for flattening, many people use glycerine as mentioned here for example http://members.cox.net/ampage/veneerflat.htm although you will find many books and suggestions, most recipes end up looking more or less like this. Or, if you can wet both side evenly as Adam mentioned (depends a bit on which technique you are using, then there is not much of a problem.

One advantage of the preglued iron-on method I mentioned is that preglued veneer is a joy to handle being strong and flat.