Replies

1. 
   EarlKelly | Aug 16, 2005 05:07pm | #1

   Probably your glue is at fault. Veneer works best with a rigid glue such as urea resin. Especially crotch and burls, they will check and split quite easily. By film glue, I can only assume you mean contact adhesive. These glues are very flexible and are prone to turning loose after you've spent hours working on a piece. They will work fine on backed veneer, paper, phenolic etc. But I would not use it on raw veneer.

   Furniture...the Art of a FurnitureMaker
1. 
   rayjack | Aug 16, 2005 08:12pm | #2

   Film glue (or glue film) is available here in the UK. I'm not sure if you have it in the US (I've never seen it mentioned in FWW).  It's in sheet form, flexible with a backing sheet, and is applied and activated by heat (domestic iron).  It is supposed to be a modern equivalent of hide glue (?). I have used it in the past successfully but not this time.  The veneer I'm using is pretty standard stuff, Satinwood, and as I said it goes on OK but degrades when I apply the finish.  I did this particular job once and was not happy about the result so I removed the veneer and re-applied it.  Looks like I'll have to do the same thing again using hide glue!

   Edited 8/16/2005 1:15 pm ET by rayjack

1. 
   EarlKelly | Aug 16, 2005 09:50pm | #3

   Have you tried putting some of the sealer or a little alcohol directly on the glue film to see if it degrades or softens it? I would do that first to see if the glue is affected by the finish, if not then you have to look at the veneer and or glue application process. Try inspecting the surface closely before applying the finish next time to be sure it's not already checked.Furniture...the Art of a FurnitureMaker

2. 
   joinerswork | Aug 17, 2005 04:05pm | #4

   rayjack,

   A couple of things come to mind.  Sliced veneer has one side that has been severely flexed in the slicing process, causing a less than perfect surface.  You can tell which is which by trying to flex the veneer (with the grain); it'll bend easier in the direction it was flexed during the slicing process.  This side has had the fibers stressed and broken, and will take finish differently than the "good" side. Of course, if you are bookmatching, you have no choice in the matter of which side to show.

   Also, I wonder if the heat used in melting the glue film has caused the veneer to check.  This is a bigger problem with crotches or highly figured veneers with a lot of end grain on their face, and if they have a fairly high moisture content when you are laying them. 

   I'd imagine that if the solvent in the finish is working on the glue it would release the veneer , and you would see edges lifting rether than the problems you've described.

   Regards,

   Ray