Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 05, 1999 11:50pm | #1

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   bkunkle,

   I share my shop space with an antique restorer. He uses hide glue that he keeps warm in a glue pot for putting on wood veneers. It takes a special tool to flatten out the wood veneer after it's glued, and he pre-soaks the veneer in something before he glues it down.

   In other words......it ain't like working formica.

   I'd ask the gentlemen over in Knots.

   Ed. Williams

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 06, 1999 01:14am | #2

   *You are asking for no end of trouble if you use that glue. Contact is never used in good quality veneer work; for one thing it's impossible to repair when (not if) you have some delamination, and the solvents used in finishes can penetrate and cause bubbles that are impossible to fix. I use paperbacked veneer and contact occassionally in kitchens, but never on furniture. Hide glue, like Ed says, is one possiblity, but you need gear and experience to get a good result. I use it, but on antiques and smaller things like drawer fronts. The two best possibilities are plastic resin glue (comes in a powder, mixes with water, has a pretty long open time) and maybe PVA (white or yellow glue). You probably won't have enough time to lay a top that size with PVA in it's regular state, but one thing you can do with that glue is brush it on to the veneer and the substrate, let it dry, and then use a household iron to melt the glue (it's a thermoplastic glue) by ironing the veneer on. Practice first with the heat settings (not on an expensive veneer match). If you go with the plastic resin glue, you'll need to press it down (most small shop guys will use a couple of sheets of melamine, some 2 x 4's, and some clamps), or a vacuum press, which is an investment, but makes the whole process a lot less scary (and a three foot diameter starburst is pretty challenging even for people who do a lot of veneer work). If you haven't done this before, it may be worth outsourcing the veneer work. There are folks out there who can supply you with the veneer professionally layed up onto the substrate for you to incorporate into the table, for less money than buying what you need, learning how to do it well, wasting material, etc. Hope I'm not insulting you by underestimating your experience. A couple of good authors in this are are William Lincoln and David Shath Square who both have good books on veneer.Whatever you do, don't use contact cement.

2. 
   Boyd | Dec 06, 1999 01:15am | #3

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   Thanks Ed I did just that.

1. 
   Boyd | Dec 06, 1999 01:23am | #4

   *Adrian I did not think that it sounded right.I guess i shouldnt trust the guy selling me veneer who told me its just like laminate> Thanks Boyd

3. 
   bkunkle | Jan 04, 2000 11:55pm | #5

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   I have a customer who wants a three foot round table starbust pattern.Can i use 951 formica glue?Everyone ive talk to says i can just seems like red glue and wood veneer dont mix

   sincerly Boyd