Replies

1. 
   RMillard | Sep 16, 2006 04:22am | #1

   Ask,

   At the risk of sounding like a broken record, hammer veneering is the way to go. The largest piece I've hammer veneered was a 27" x 73" sideboard top, with a full width piece of mahogany veneer.  The only problem I see is that you may need to veneer both sides of your plywood substrate to keep it flat; the problem is that both sides need to be veneer at the same time. With a species like rosewood, that means a lot of seams to deal with, which takes time. My approach would be to use wide sheets of mahogany veneer on the bottom, getting these quickly in place and then move on the show side. When the rosewood is set in place, you can go back at see that the mahogany is properly adhered.

   Rob Millard

1. 
   ASK | Sep 16, 2006 05:59pm | #5

   rob

   Thanks for the info.

   I am expecting to use the large 4' X 8' sheets from someone like Oakwood Veneer. I spoke to them a while ago about the project and they were helpful. Do you think there is any other species I can use on the back side besides mahogny or are you thinking about the aesthetic? What glue would you use if hammering? Do you think I can use the iron on method or doyou think the sheets are too big.

   Thanks

   ASK

2. 
   cadiddlehopper | Sep 16, 2006 06:58am | #2

   Whatever veneering method you choose, practice it until you are sure you can do it to your satisfaction. Also, I hope you can find a plywood that is flat enough to do the job.

   Cadiddlehopper

1. 
   ASK | Sep 16, 2006 06:00pm | #6

   I'm not too worried about flatness. I have a 7' X 8' work table.

   Thanks

   ASK

1. 
   Rich14 | Sep 17, 2006 06:25pm | #8

   ASK,Everything about your questions indicates you have no experience working with veneer. Yet you are going to tackle a huge job using one of the most exotic species of wood as your first attempt. You have no experience with balancing the substrate front and back, no knowledge of veneering glues. Please take my advice and plan a MUCH smaller project first, using the exact same materials you will use for the table. You can experiment with using a different wood for the backing on that, but you may not get a true indication of the potential for warping on a small piece.I agree with RMillard on using a veneering hammer technique. In fact, for fine veneering work, and that's what a dining table implies, that's the only technique to use. You could veneer a football field sized substrate with a veneer hammer, if you had enough material. Hammer veneering means hot hide glue.Using hot hide glue, its preparation, and all the unique aspects of its handling is another learning curve you will need to climb.It is possible to use other glues with the hammering technique, but I wouldn't. You could also use PVA glue and a hot iron technique.I would use raw veneer, NOT someone else's idea of grain matching in a large prepared sheet that will have a backing. You will need to locate a supply of rosewood in 3-4" widths all from the same flitch so you can match them in sequence (book match) or whatever pattern you are going to use. The possibilities are endless for a large table and you need to think this through. You'll need to get good at jointing the strips.I recommend you back up the piece with the same wood you are using for the top. You can use less "interesting" pieces for the back.I recommend using furniture-grade MDF - take a tip from the experts who build furtiture for a living. The furniture industry does NOT use plywood as a substrate. You need to learn how to handle the stuff, including edge treatment, etc.You can get a lot of information from the many books available on veneering. I have many, ranging from very practical to very scholarly on this subject. I recommend you get "Veneering, A Fundation Course," by Mike Burton, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc, New York. He has a very easy style and there is a LOT of good advice and many, many examples in the book including matching pattern examples. Read it from cover to cover, several times.Good luck,Rich

   Edited 9/17/2006 11:30 am ET by Rich14

1. 
   ASK | Sep 18, 2006 07:08pm | #9

   Rich,

   Thank you for the advice. Although my original post looked as if I were a complete novice, I am not. I have done some veneering both flat and curved surfaces and have used every method except hot hide glue. I do however have a veneer hammer which I am itching to use.

   I do really appreciate all the advice because of the scope of this project. More thinking and attempts at trying different methods and I hope that the one I chose gives me the results I want.

   I'll post pictures when it's done.

   Thanks again

   ASK

3. 
   Swede42 | Sep 16, 2006 08:16am | #3

   Hi'

   I've built some tables mostly smaller but my dining room table is a full 8 1/2 feet long by 4 feet wide when all 3 extensions are in place and I didn't bother with veneering anything. I just bought a sheet of hardwood plywood and used it as a base cutting it to shape which is normally round until we add the extensions. Finding rosewood will be a problem but its more than likely available somewhere. Theres a place called Hogan hardwoods - hoganhardwoods.com that has a pretty good variety of hardwood plywood and some larger cabinet shops belong to an organization that allows them to buy these sheet goods through a warehouse in the Chicago suburbs that has just about every kind of plywood you can think of in every kind of thickness and core. I've been there and seen this and think that if you could befriend some local cabinet shop they could maybe help you out.

4. 
   EarlKelly | Sep 16, 2006 03:59pm | #4

   If it was mine, I would find someone in my area that did veneering with a vac press or manual press. That's a, big panel to make up without the experience or proper equipment. It would be a shame to put in a lot of work and discover a failed panel. Rosewood veneer is readily available, depends on specie and size, cost factor not exclusive.

   Furniture...the Art of a FurnitureMaker
5. 
   DonStephan | Sep 17, 2006 05:50pm | #7

   Test, Test, Test!

   If you are considering a 4x8 sheet of veneer it must be paperbacked. Not enough thickness for more than light 220 sanding after glueup. 2nd consideration is adhesive: iron-on implies PVA which I wouldn't use but that's your choice. I'd only use raw veneer and urea formaldehyde in a vacuum press, or pay someone to do it for me if I didn't have the equipment. As already stated, plywood usually isn't flat enough for good results, which means sandthrough of paperback if ANY power sanding.

   Research on veneering forums and veneering books, perhaps veneering videos such as at http://www.vacupress.com and http://www.schurchwoodwork.com strongly recommended.

   Whatever approach you decide, start with practice materials through complete finishing schedule and evaluate for yourself.