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Some Veneer Work

Started by lowpolyjoe, February 11, 2013, 09:29:13 AM

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lowpolyjoe

I don't think veneer is too popular around these parts :)    But it has its uses.  Just some pics of my current project as it finally starts to come together.   I'm using some clamps for a low budget press.  I'm getting blisters from tightening and untightening this many clamps to veneer 12 sides of 2 cabinets  :D   Pipe clamps would be a better fit but i don't have enough of those to do the job

Top/sides is Bubinga.  The front is Karelian Birch.  I noticed the Bubinga has some ripple to it that created some low ridges (look like the opposite of bubbles).  I really hope they don't look too bad after i apply a finish. I'm open to suggestions if anyone knows of a good way to handle them.  They can be seen here as light color ridges along the top because they're holding saw dust from my prep sanding.






hackberry jake

Looking good. Like you said, I'm not a big fan of veneer. I have had to re-veneer too many things that got wet. The holes look spot on. How did you cut them?
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

lowpolyjoe

Thanks Jake.   

Veneer is a pain.  A few projects i veneered a couple years ago started to peel a little but i'm hoping my technique has improved since then and these new cabinets will last.

The holes and the countersink rings around them are cut with a router with a straight cut bit with a Jasper Jig.  It's a GREAT little tool.  Perfect circles every time  8)  Even for me  :D

tyb525

What kind of glue did you use? Standard woodworking glue doesn't work
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Tree Feller

That is nice work, especially without a veneer press. The speaker cabinet looks great.
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

lowpolyjoe

Intersting you should say that TYB - i have heard some people say they veneer with regular white or yellow carpenter's glue.  I bought an instructional video a while back and the guy said you could use them in some applications.  I was wary so I bought something specificly marketed as cold-press veneer glue from my favorite supplier.  To be honest, i think it is similar to standard glue but i'm not certain:

http://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Better-Bond-Veneer-Glue-Color-Medium.html



Thanks Cody  :)    I'm feeling pretty good about the project so far.  It's taking me FOREVER, but i got through the first cabinet with only a small error on the bottom panel (which will never be seen) and some tiny bits of sandthrough on the back (which will rarely if ever be seen) because i was not as careful on those areas as i was on the visible panels.

The picture with the clamp setup is the current progress on the second cabinet.  I'm on the third side.  If i can do one side per night i should be done by this weekend for some prep sanding on the 2nd and then starting finish work.  As i mentioned in another thread, i'll probably be using shellac.

I still need to design some sort of grill to prevent my wife's darn cat from ripping the speakers to shreds

tyb525

 They look good, and cold press glue, or even hide glue, is a good way to go
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

lowpolyjoe

Quote from: tyb525 on February 11, 2013, 12:24:53 PM
They look good, and cold press glue, or even hide glue, is a good way to go

Thanks.  I actually used hide glue on my last 3 projects.  My wife still calls me "horse killer" to this day  :(    That stuff works really well after some practice.  I got good enough at it to do a fair job on some small stuff, but when i tried it on larger cabinets it turned into a nightmare.  Without the need for clamps it was quick going with that stuff once you had it hot and ready to flow.  Kind of a mess though - at least when i use it  :D

lowpolyjoe

Some timelapse videos i made while working on this project

Working on the back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49xkXQ-SKM4


Working on the front:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i55alzr5nI

Spent the entire weekend in the garage.  I keep thinking i'm almost done and then i spend another 8 hours on this darn project   :D

I might start shellac application tomorrow.  Hopefully get some decent pics afterwards

hackberry jake

Lowpolyjoe, from the videos it looks like you are meticulous, you must be an amazing wood worker. Woodworking is all about details.
https://www.facebook.com/TripleTreeWoodworks

EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

lowpolyjoe

Thanks a lot Jake.  I'm taking this project a lot more seriously than most of my work.  On many projects I rush and carelessness leads to errors.  I want these cabinets to look the best they can so I've been taking my time.

You are absolutely right - it's all about the details.  I'm learning that having the patience to keep on top of all those details is a big part of success. 

Even when im careful as i can me, i still have setbacks. Near the middle of the second video you can see I cut the countersink at the wrong diameter (too small) but didn't realize it till I had cut the through hole that held the center reference hole.    Had to shim the cutout hole back into place to get the pivot back and expand the countersink.  I'm lucky the error was too small.  If it was too big there would be no recovery option. Yikes


lowpolyjoe


Finally got the first coat of shellac going.  I seem to have a hard time applying a 'light' coat of anything   :D   It always goes on thicker than i planned. 

A little before and after.  Dark spots on the 'before' pic are a little damp from a wipe down to take off the dust. 






And in case you like watching paint dry... or shellac in this case  ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTwAqHzYGfI

tyb525

Those look great :) I love buying. I've always wanted to try veneering, but I don't have the equipment to do it confidently.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

lowpolyjoe

Quote from: tyb525 on February 19, 2013, 06:16:23 PM
Those look great :) I love buying. I've always wanted to try veneering, but I don't have the equipment to do it confidently.

Thanks  :)

"buying" = "bubinga" perhaps?  auto-correct?   


I went to apply a second coat last night and was very upset to discover a LOT more drip ridges than i was expecting.  Also needed to sand away the finish in a bunch of spots to remove some glue drips that weren't visible before finishing.  What a pain.  Applied a second coat as light as i possible could.  Hope when i look at it tonight it'll just need a quick sanding before a third coat.


tyb525

Yeah, my phone apparently isn't familiar with bubinga :) somehow I didn't catch that.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

SwampDonkey

Your doing a great job on this project. I would love to be able to do that type of work.

I followed a guy building a high end clock case using veneer and also doing some steam bending. Serious envy here my friends. :D

Great stuff. :)

I recently used a circle jig this winter to cut 166 - 3" circles, so I have lots of practice. :D The circular discs in my case weren't waste, only the sawdust off the router bit. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

lowpolyjoe

Thanks a lot SD  :)

Router is probably my favorite tool and the circle jig is a fantastic little add-on gadget

I'm hoping to move away from veneer a bit and learn to work with hardwood.  Unfortunately i don't have a planer, jointer or bandsaw, so that might make it a little difficult   :D

tyb525

You can plane and joint with a router :) I have both but not a bandsaw. I've done fine without one though.

Well technically I have a bandsaw, but it's a sawmill and stays outside ;)
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

lowpolyjoe

Quote from: tyb525 on February 21, 2013, 09:19:23 PM
You can plane and joint with a router :)

Yeah, good point!   A few people were nice enough to point me to a thread showing a planning jig for a router a while back.   :)   I haven't put one of those together yet but i'm probably gonna give it a shot.  Another reason the router is my favorite tool  8)

Not much substitute for a bandsaw though...  that might be my next tool purchase


SwampDonkey

Aside from a drill press last winter, a table saw was the last tool I got. Used a bandsaw, jointer, routers and lathe, then got the planer and 10 years after got a table saw. 15 years after that got the drill press. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

lowpolyjoe

Quote from: SwampDonkey on February 22, 2013, 04:33:14 AM
Aside from a drill press last winter, a table saw was the last tool I got. Used a bandsaw, jointer, routers and lathe, then got the planer and 10 years after got a table saw. 15 years after that got the drill press. ;D

That's patience  :D  I'm averaging a single significant tool purchase per year that last few years - but they are all home-owner level stuff.  Nothing too expensive.    I might buy a few things at once this year if i do any more projects and start working with hardwood.

lowpolyjoe

I'm pretty much calling this project done.  Except perhaps for the stands - they were quick and dirty design and build.  need to make something nicer looking.  Maybe that will be my first hardwood project :)








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