Hi Folks, My apologies if this post shows up twice. I may have screwed up trying to add a photo to the posting.
I’m reproducing a drawer for a client who lost one to a burgler. It’s to be one of a matched pair from an antique sideboard. The drawer fronts are curved up and down like a cylinder laying on it’s side. The radius is 3 1/8″. The dimensions are 20.5″ wide x 19.5″ deep x 4.5″ high. All joints are dovetailed, the front ones being half blind. The bottom is solid wood and slides in from the back. The front is solid mahogany with a bookmatched crotch mahogany veneer. The rest of the drawer I believe is pine. To make the drawers match I’m veneering the new one and re-veneering the old one. The new one is easy since I can veneer it prior to assembly.
My questions concern the existing drawer. Do I need to remove the existing veneer or just sand it and glue on the new stuff? And what might be the best way to clamp it? Is there any way to use a bag without crumpling the whole shebang? I can’t disassemble it without destroying it. Incidentally the crotch mah. grain runs perp to the drawer front but I plan to cross band it with some plain mah.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Replies
curved veneer
for your second question, I have used sand bags (conform to curve) to "clamp" veneer on curved surfaces. I don't have vacuum press, and this was small repairs not a whole drawer front.
Side Board
Your antique piece was most likely built using hide glue. I would remove the veneer from the existing drawer with heat and once a flap comes up dribble in alcohol to help peel it off. Don't veneer over the existing veneer. To reglue there are several ways depending on what you feel comfortable doing. There is hide glue + hammer veneering - you can use yellow glue and iron on method. You can create a caul the perfect reverse of the drawer front and clamp with white glue or urea resin glue - least favorite is contact cement . Look for a plyable veneer...... crotch can be unruly.
SA
Re-veneer
Hide glue and hammer veneering is probably the easiest way but if you haven't used hide glue than maybe this should not be the first time. . I've also had luck using vertical grade formica for round surfaces. Use a water based glue - first wet both sides of the veneer to make the veneer soft - than put glue where it needs to be. Have ready formica pieces a little over size taking advantage of the way the mica bends easiest. Cut about 3-4 pieces and use at least 4 band clamps from the front to the back of the drawer to press on the new veneer using the formica strips as your caul.
SA
Yes, hide glue was the original adhesive. I was able to disassemble the entire dawer and I've begun removing the original veneer. There may be some tricky moments handling the cranky new crotch veneer but it will certainly be easier since I can now vacuum bag the glue up.
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