Jointing Bandsawn Veneer

[noddy67]

Lot of questions today.

Having just made a first attempt at cutting my own Ash veneer (approx 2mm) thick and using a vacuum bag to veneer it to a mdf core the results are ok but not fantastic. Where I've stumbled a little is in the join between the veneers.

I sandwiched the veneers between two pieces of mdc, clamped them together, laid them flat on the bench and then ran a shooting board plane along the edge to straighten it.

I then attached one side temporarily with blue tape, flipped it over and joined the edge with veneer tape, turning it back over to remove the blue tape before putting it on the glue covered substrate and putting it into the bag.

Questions: Would you recommend jointing it with a plane or a long strip of sandpaper attached to a long straight board, or indeed another method?

Should I have glued the pieces of veneer together along their edges first before gluing to the substrate?

Thanks

 

[Droogs]

I use a plane for jointing the edges of veneer. You need to remember to make sure you pull the tape fairly tight across the joint, this then tries to come back to its original size and pulls the joint together. Then you can run a length of tape along the joint. All this on the face side. and then lay onbto the substrate.
Did you tooth the gluing sufaces of both the veneer and the substrate with a toothing plane before applying glue as this will help the glue to key to the suface and help stop any movement of the veneer , as the two keyed sufaces sort of mesh together.
I don't use a vacuum bag system personally as it's hammer, cauls and hide glue for me.

Here's a vid for jointing the veneer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbImMCRfkpY

and the glue up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rrMtYHTAIs

a lot easier thatn typing it all out

hope this helps

droogs

 

[Mr T]

I would joint the veneer, either on a shooting board of surfacer. Then use masking tape to pull the joints together, about one piece every six inches then a long piece down the joint. Turn the jointed pieces over and open the joint, using the tape as a hinge. Apply a bead of glue on one surface and close up the joint. Wipe away any squeeze out and apply another long piece of masking tape down the joint. Leave the pieces on a flat surface to dry. After drying remove the tape and lay the veneer.

This is the system we use on my bench making course to joint the 5mm facings on the bench top. It seems to work well.

Veneer tape doesn't seem robust enough for thicker veneers.

Chris

 

[Mr T]

I would joint the veneer, either on a shooting board of surfacer. Then use masking tape to pull the joints together, about one piece every six inches then a long piece down the joint. Turn the jointed pieces over and open the joint, using the tape as a hinge. Apply a bead of glue on one surface and close up the joint. Wipe away any squeeze out and apply another long piece of masking tape down the joint. Leave the pieces on a flat surface to dry. After drying remove the tape and lay the veneer.

This is the system we use on my bench making course to joint the 5mm facings on the bench top. It seems to work well.

Veneer tape doesn't seem robust enough for thicker veneers.

Chris

 

[Beau]

Not sure what the proper thing is but here is how I do it with home cut veneers 2-3mm thick.

Plane the edges on a shooting board and try to cut a concave along the length but with a good sized plane this will be very slight. I then glue the veneers together with PVA by pulling blue masking tape across the join in multiple places. You know you're pulling enough when you snap a few bits of tape. I do this laid on an old piece of melamine faced board to avoid the veneers getting stuck. Might need some weight to hold the veneer down as only taped on one side can cup upwards. Clean joint when dry then vacuum bag. Maybe not be the proper thing but works a treat.