Thread: veneering for boxes

John, I probably shouldn't give advice on this subject because my experience is limited to veneering panels for small boxes.

I do the following.

• I use MDF as the substrate, usually 3mm thick.
• I always apply veneer of the same material to both surfaces so that both sides of the substrate are subjected to the same forces.
• I apply the glue, currently using Titebond III Waterproof Glue (http://tinyurl.com/zv8s3) to both sides of the MDF
• I do not apply glue to the veneer.
• I hold the veneer under a running tap for a sbout 10 seconds each side, i.e. get it wet but not soaking. This is sufficient to make the veneer flexible so that it won't crack when flattened out.
• I press this into position on the substrate.
• I then cover both veneered surfaces with plastic kitchen wrap and place in my bench vice in between two 19mm MDF sheets one on each side of the plastic wrap. I then crank the vice handle as hard as I can to apply maximum pressure to flatten the veneer to the MDF substrate, leaving it in the vice until the glue cures - usually overnight.

That's it - it's worked perfectly for me so far.

Thanks for encoureagement above.

Coming back to veneering I am posting a couple of extracts for education purposes of this system recommended by the book.





So when our cold snap finishes here in the UK I will have ago and post my experiences using this method.

Don't forget to wear your leather banded watch on your left hand, john, otherwise it may not work


Good luck..........cheers...........Sean

G'day John,

I have found that using PVA coated evenly on the substrate and a diluted solution applied to the veneer, left to dry to a "barely tacky" constitution, then carefully placing the veneer sheet onto the substrate followed by the judicious use of a domestic iron at fairly high heat has worked very well indeed.

I use a similar method for applying, for example, narrow strips of veneer to ply edges.

This method has also worked well with hide glue, but the 'pong' was mighty :eek: .

On large panels, it has even helped with the removal of the dreaded 'bubbles' that can arise after a veneer has been applied - a through pin prick, application of the iron and voila!

I still think that I need to buy a vacuum bag set-up though

More specifically to your question, the use of veneer on a small box raises the vexed question of dealing with the small, but nevertheless visible, end grains - to address this, if I choose to use the typical 0.6mm or so veneer thickness, then I make a frame around the edges of the box to overlay the veneered surface, suitably mitred and bevelled.

Show us how you go!

Thanks again for even more encouragement. I have got some edge banding so perhaps I can get round that end grain problem. Has anyone ever had a mitre worked on veneer for those corners?

Coming back to the book it had some super articles on making up vacuum bag and pump system. One article the writer says he uses a workshop vacuum dust extractor to evacuate most of the atmosphere and a small pump is then switched on to maintain the vacuum for upto a further two hours. The bag was sealed easily with stuck on velcro and then folded and trapped with various plumbing hardware. If you want the full article pm me.