Thread: veneer help

Veneer is normally fairly uneven (warped, rippled etc) as supplied. It is normally applied and pressed or vacuum bagged to flatten it while the glue dries. Also you need to veneer both sides of the substrate to minimise warpage and twisting. Often a downgraded veneer is used on the reverse side if it will not be generally visible.

There is little chance of getting flat surface using contact cement and rollers.

Not sure what is available in your area, but if you just want a woodgrain finish (as opposed to a specific pattern etc) board distributors stock or can order in pre veneered panels and matching edge tapes. This may be the best way to go for desktop sized panels, particularly if you only want one or two sheets for a desk.

If you don't want a stock veneered panel I'd suggest getting your selected veneer pressed professionally rather than trying to do it yourself, it doesn't cost very much.

For example I'm making six wardrobe doors, I hand picked the veneer at Finewood Ventech in Melbourne and they got it pressed for me. As Malb says to do a good job of something the size of a desk you need specialized equipment.

Thanks for you advise.
Looks like i will give veneer a miss . Would laminex be a good option or is it too expensive?
the office desk will be around 2900x600x18mm

Originally Posted by gordo514

Thanks for you advise.Looks like i will give veneer a miss .

I would be sorry if I had put you off. You can still get all the pleasure of making and owning a beautiful veneered desk. It is just the one step of pressing the veneer onto the wood that I think is best done by somebody with the proper equipment, and they don't charge an arm and a leg.

You can also order MDF or Plywood with a large range of veneers from most suppliers. All you then have to worry about is the edges.

Go ask, see what you can find.

what about Iron-on veneer can that be done successful on a big piece of board?
does anyone know of a supplier of veneer panel in N.S.W?

Iron on veneer is available in widths of 200mm and 300mm. Lengths are either 1800mm or 2400mm.
Available from most major particle board suppliers. I get it from Bills Board Factory at Chatswood. Suppliers of veneer panel: Brimms, Yates, Processed Forrest Products,

I thought Brims shut the doors a few years back.

Not necessarily a vacuum press. YOu can also use caul presses. The attached photos shows a veneered sideboard under construction using caul presses. This worked very well, but frankly its a real pain, especially if you have to make all the cauls afresh.

Normally I would get Specialty Wood Panels in Smithfield to do this for me. Just cut the panels to size and get them to press the veneer. The cost of getting them to veneer up a few panels is really no more then doing it yourself (I have no connection with them). I dont remember why I did this one myself - maybe I just wanted it done quickly.

I do my own veneering (or have it done to my specs) because I find the pre-manufactured veneer panel stuff too plain and boring.

All well worth doing though. do some small projects first and learn how to work with veneer before doing a desk. I think you are doomed to failure if you start with a desk.

Also, I hate contact cement for veneer and have wasted a lot of time and money on it.

I've also attached a picture of a desk I did a few years back - all veneer over MDF or ply except for the legs. Specialty Wood Panels did the veneering for the top and the sides. I veneered the drawer fronts as I prefer to do the curved stuff myself.

cheers
Arron

I have decided not to go with veneer , here is a sketch of my desk

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Now i need help with the joins .The desk i have copied the design from used plastic angled brackets on the underside of the top to secure to the sides and back .What else should be done to secure the desk and where to i buy these plastic brackets from?

Hi Gordo, What materials are you going to use for the desk, both for the top and the base. Obviously this affects the type of hardware/ screw lengths usable etc substantially. Now that we see the design, I can understand why you might not want to go with a pre-veneed stock, as it would be hard to get the grain pattern to match at the joint lines in the top segments, and hard to get the two crossgrain panels in a pre-veneered stock. It would still be do-able in veneer by having the panels laid up to order with a selected veneer and supplying a copy of the drawings so that they could setout the patterns to suit.

Is the base visible from both sides, or backed up against a wall? I would suggest small cam locks attaching the modesty panels to the uprights, provided that you can hide them somehow. If the uprights are thick enough, they would also be suitable for fixing the top segments, but because you are butt joining the top segments, the uprights need to be thick to accomodate two staggered rows of cam lock pins at the joints. An alternative might be to use ali angle strips drilled and screwed, but you would need to ensure that the screw locations are staggered in the central uprights to get decent screw holding capability.

I am using 25mm top and sides in partial board .Only the from is visible

hi Gordo
what tools do you have available to build this desk?
how much experience do you have working with board material?

looking at the design, it appears vulnerable to having the end supports accidently kicked in collapsing the whole desk

not wanting to discourage you, but a unit from the likes of Ikea, or you local kitchen and bathroom cabinet maker, might be less expensive than tooling up to build just one desk

i dont have much experience at all but im handy and keen to give it a go.
I have got quotes and its far cheaper to give it a go myself .I have a router and cutting tools i can use an iorn edging yes>?
On the desk i am coping the design of has a plastic round dowel like plug that goes in a 10-12mm whole the a screw that goes right angle to srew the top desk to the sides butt join , what is this called and where can i buy them from?

thanks