Replies

1. 
   joinerswork | Feb 06, 2008 09:32pm | #1

   rudy,

   Not sure of your technique in shooting the joints.  I have had luck in sandwiching the veneers between two pieces of scrap wood, such as pine, and shooting the edges of all, at the same time.  This has the advantage of keeping things straight and flat while you are working them. Normally, I squeeze them together, and pass over the jointer together, but you could shoot with a plane as easily, if that is your preference.  This has worked better for me than trimming with a blade and straightedge.

   Ray

1. 
   land308 | Feb 06, 2008 10:12pm | #2

   Ray, thanks for the quick response, I haven't tried using my jointer yet but I will give it a try

2. 
   DonC | Feb 06, 2008 10:42pm | #3

   You can use a flush trim router bit. Sandwich both pieces of veneer together with straight boards above and below. Let the bearing to the cutter ride on the straight edged boards. Use a climb cut for no tear out.

3. 
   seajai | Feb 07, 2008 03:52am | #4

   I have used the fence on my tablesaw to true up the edges of my veneers. Take a roll of adhesive backed sandpaper (120 grit or so) and apply a strip to the TS fence, set the veneer on a 1/2" piece of MDF with just a slight amount of the veneer sticking past the edge. Set another piece of MDF on top to hold the veneer flat and then sand the edge flat (assuming your TS fence is flat). This works really well on highly fugured veneers that tend to chip out on the jointer.

   I attached a pic of a table I veneered using this method. The top is veneered from  1/16" thick pieces of Jarrah

    

   
4. 
   hammer1 | Feb 07, 2008 06:18am | #5

   You won't get very straight edges with the methods you are using, especially a knife or sanding block. I use the same method that is used for joining plastic laminate. Clamp the sheets to a flat waste board/plywood. I space them apart slightly less than the width of the router bit I'm using. Clamp a straight edge to run the router base against, positioned it so the bit will cut both pieces of veneer at the same time, in one pass. Perfect joints everytime. The old fashioned way was to cut along a straight edge with a veneer saw. The saw is used by drawing it back very carefully, several times. The veneers are overlaid on each other and both are cut at the same time.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   land308 | Feb 07, 2008 06:31pm | #8

   Thanks for your reply I am getting a lot of good information, I have one question though I assume that each piece of veneer is sandwiched between sacrificial boards to prevent tearout and the router bit is run in between the resulting channel.

   Thanks Rudy

5. 
   KeithNewton | Feb 07, 2008 05:32pm | #6

   I cut all of my straight edges on the TS using a sled, and can cut a stack of veneers about 3/4" thick all at once.

   I use a fine cross-cut blade, with a piece of 1/4' MDF under to make it zero clearance to the blade, then capture the stack on top of that with a 3/4" mdf, with weights on top if they are too long to just hold down and flatten by hand.

   I have done this with some fiddle back and other wild grain woods that the router or jointer methods would just tear out little bites where the grain runs in then kinks and turns right back out.

   For normal furniture size panels, I will use one of my standard sleds, which I suspect is larger 30 x 60", than most of you with smaller shops would use. But I have one which is 8' long x 24" w. just for veneers

1. 
   land308 | Feb 07, 2008 06:21pm | #7

   Keith, thanks for your response, my crosscut sled is smaller but the veneer sheets I am using are small enough to fit initially until I start taping them together.

   Thanks Rudy

6. 
   jptenberg | Feb 07, 2008 07:41pm | #9

   Sanding the edges of the veneer is very important in getting an invisible glue line, however, a special sanding block is necessary for good results.  Make a long--18-24"--"block out of mdf or something very flat and stable by attaching 3 sheets of 3/4" together.  Then take and run it over your jointer to get a dead flat edge.  Attach some self adhesive sandpaper from a roll--I like 150 grit.  Then you will have a nice long sanding surface.

   An alternative to the mdf block is to use a piece of rectangular aluminum tubing and attach sandpaper to the egde of it.

   If the seams are fairly short, and the veneer is well behaved, you should be able to sand it freehand, but in the case of longer and or wavy veneer, I think it best to sandwich it between boards, and then sand lightly.

   Incidently, you should glue your seams before pressing to achieve the best possible joint.  After you have taped the show side with veneer tape, flip it over, and hang the veneer off the edge of the bench at the seam.  Apply a bead of white glue along the seam, and then close it back up and work the glue into the seam with the butt of a screwdriver or similar.  Use blue tape to cover the joint on the back side for about 30 minutes, and ramove the tape before pressing.

   This extra step is absolutely worth the effort, as your seams will be undetectable, and will be tempted to open up over time.

   Peter

   www.jpswoodworking.com