Replies

1. 
   joinerswork | Sep 06, 2004 02:20am | #1

   F,

   I flatten crotch veneer by misting  both sides lightly with water from a bottle (like a windex bottle).  Once the veneer relaxes, a few minutes, I press it between two pieces of 3/4" plywood.  Sandwich the veneer between several sheets of newspaper, to absorb the moisture.  Put the bottom piece of ply on a flat surface, and weight the top piece with something heavy, like a couple cinderblocks, or an old electric motor.  Next day, replace the newspapers with dry ones.  Next day, you are ready to lay the veneer.

   The only curved surface I've hammer veneered is a Queen  Anne chair splat, not as severe a curve as you will have.  It worked well, but I'm sure someone will have more experience to help you  along.

   I've had good luck using cauls on curved surfaces.  If you bandsaw the apron from stock heavy enough, you will have a ready-made caul in your offcut.  Clean up the apron, and the caul, and use several thicknesses of paper to take up any slack between them, and to help distribute the clamp pressure.  Can't use too many clamps, in my opinion.  I like to use poplar veneer, (run the grain crosswise,) between the crotch and the apron.

   If you once use a vacuum press, you'll never look back.

   Good luck,

   Ray

2. 
   RMillard | Sep 06, 2004 06:18am | #2

   I flatten crotch veneer by brushing both sides with a coat of very thin hot hide glue. Then I press them between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap (saran wrap). The hot glue will make even the most brittle crotches, turn to wet spaghetti. The down side to this method is, it will take quite a while for the veneer to dry before it can be applied. I let the veneer out of the wrap for about an hour each day for a week. The veneer doesn't have to be dry before hammering, but shouldn't be soaking wet. The other problem is the veneering process will be a little more messy, because of glue on the surface, when you have to heat the veneer while hammering it. I use an iron with a Teflon base so the glue doesn't stick as readily. As for the hammering, it couldn't be simpler. Give your ground, a coat of thinned down glue the day before you plan to veneer. Brush on a coat of glue that is a little thinner than normal ( because both the veneer and the ground already have glue on them) and hammer it down, always going with the grain. Of course you will have to reheat some areas with an iron as the glue cools. Some areas may give you fits, but if you learn to wait a half hour or so and come back reheat and hammer, they will lay down nicely, providing there was enough glue applied in the first place.

   I've never use a bag press, because hammer veneering is so simple and effective for any kind of veneering, that I see no need to. I'm quite sure that while someone with a press was setting up, I can have even a complex card table apron veneered and be back in the house watching TV.

   Rob Millard