Veneering a Hexagonal table

[RHob]

Hi All,

Have been playing around with angled cuts on a tracksaw and managed to make a passable hexagonal table out of birch ply.

Plan is to veneer each side using cramps and cauls as its 500mm by 200mm per side.

Can anyone see any issue with this and as its onto 18mm ply will I need a balancing veneer?

Thanks

Rob

 

[Yojevol]

Trying to envisage your 'table'. Is it an irregular hexagon, overall dimensions 500 x 200mm?
Yes to balancing veneer. What do you intend for the edges?
Brian

 

[worn thumbs]

From the description,might we be considering a hexagonal pedestal of 500mm height and with each facet having a width of 200mm? Its never a bad thing to have a balance veneer.

 

[Yojevol]

From the description,might we be considering a hexagonal pedestal of 500mm height and with each facet having a width of 200mm? Its never a bad thing to have a balance veneer.

Ah yes, you could be right. In which case the hexagonal description is irrelevant.
Brian

 

[recipio]

I assume he is referring to the top. A balancing veneer will absolutely be necessary. I use welders clamps to reach into the center of projects like this as I find using curved cauls a complete nuisance. Unless the OP likes the edges of Baltic ply he will have to glue on six solid wood edges with a 60 degree cut on each end prior to veneering and that will test the accuracy of his hexagon.

 

[RHob]

thanks for the replies and apologies for the description.

Its 6 pieces 500 by 200 mm with the edges mitred to the relevant angles to form a tube of sorts.

Top of the table will be rebated in.

No edges of the ply are visible on the sides due to the mitres.

 

[Yojevol]

So

thanks for the replies and apologies for the description.

Its 6 pieces 500 by 200 mm with the edges mitred to the relevant angles to form a tube of sorts.

Top of the table will be rebated in.

No edges of the ply are visible on the sides due to the mitres.

Something like this then?

On different scale, of course, and 6 sided, but the principles will be the same.
For 200mm wide I would apply the veneer using a flat board, ply or MDF, as a pressure plate. 4 clamps down each side will suffice. I usually insert a sheet of padding under the plate to even out the pressure. I use foam carpet underlay. (When we had a carpet fitted many years ago, I asked the fitter for a few offcuts. When I explained my need he cut off a huge area from his roll and handed it over)
Best to add clingfilm over the veneer so that any glue bleed-through does not adhere to the pressure system.
I would do the veneering as the first operation followed by the mitering which will trim the veneer as well.
You will probably find it quite difficult to get perfect mitre joints when gluing up the column. This is where the use of cock beads, as in my photo, are really useful. They not only hide any discrepancies in the joints but also enhance the design and make a professional looking job.
Note the addition of a base. In your case you probably won't need one for stability, but a column is always enhanced aesthetically when it stands on some sort of plinth.

Brian

 

[recipio]

Excellent advice Brian. I might also suggest using Yoga mats as cushioning when glueing up veneers. They have one metallic side which will not stick to any extruded glue.
For the OP this is a very tricky thing to pull off. You may cut accurate 60 degree angles on the long edges but they will slide around when clamping and end up a mess. It might be a good time to look at the wonderful world of 'Birds beak routing ' Special router bits are available for 6, 8 and 12 sided polygons which lock the edges together when clamping. A few large band clamps make life easier. They leave a tiny radius on the edges - a bit like a tambour door - but this is aesthetically very acceptable. I see a lot of youtubers simply using blue tape on the faces of the pieces and rolling up the tube after glueing. They will still slide around unless you have a flawless technique.

 

[RHob]

Thanks All,

The table is pretty much as the column in Yojevol's post and is already glued together accurately.

Is very much see how far I get piece so thanks for the tips and I'll see how the next stage turns out.