Veneering advice

[JFC]

Ive been helping with some veneering today and after putting pva on mdf and maple veneer , leaving to touch dry and the applying with an iron bubbles have appeared in places . Any ideas what to do about them please ? will they dry back ? do we need to wet the bubbled area ?

 

[Chris Knight]

Jason,

You shouldn't need to wet it.

I don't know how much glue you applied (I usually use two coats of thinned glue applied to both surfaces when using the iron on PVA method and I always sand the MDF with 80 grit first), I suggest you make a slit with a scalpel and check what's under the bubble - too much glue, no glue? Introduce a little glue if none is visible, leave to dry then re-iron the local area. Otherwise, heat a larger area and try to smooth from the bubble outwards.

 

[JFC]

The bubbles are no bigger than a 2p and the glue was rollered on both surfaces so a very even coat one would assume . :-k

 

[Colin C]

Jason
You will get a better finish if you also cut the veneer at an angle, Imean not to cut it with the knife straight up, if this is clear.
It will mean when the veneer goes back down, you should not have a gap

 

[JFC]

So cut it at say 30* across the grain ?

 

[Colin C]

With the grain, so when you glue it back down you should not see the joint.
Just make sure you cut it with a single cut
Ps The angle is about right

 

[Nick W]

Yes, cut with the grain but with the knife at an angle to the vertical.

 

[JFC]

Worked a treat that , thanks

 

[Colin C]

Glad it all worked out