bending veneer
 

I am looking for a good method of attaching veneer to a small cabinet I
have made. The cabinet is 14"x6"x16"deep. I rounded the corners with a
1/4" radius roundover bit, then attempted to wrap the veneer around the
case.

I started by carefully gluing the 'top' of the case. Then I wet the
veneer and heated it with an old iron while bending it. Once bent I
glued it with some polyurethane glue I'm experimenting with (don't
really like it)

This method would have worked very well, but the veneer was a bit too
stiff and parts of the grain started to 'pop'. If the radius had been
1/2" I think it would have worked.

I've got the veneer on, but it is marginal quality.

Any good methods for bending veneer around a 1/4" radius corner
successfully? What glue is best? Should I try dry heat? Water?
Or is it not possible to put the grain in this direction?

The wood I used was Australian Lacewood. It was very high quality (from
A&M Wood Specialties) and thicker than I am used to from buying oak and
pine from Home Depot.

TIA
Rob

Heat a section of aluminum tubing (.085"min) with a propane torch from the
inside, keep it hot and gently work one side of the soaking wet wood over
the tube and carefully bend it over the radius until it is the shape you
want. Clamp into a mold and let set 14 hours.

This is the very short version but DAGS for guitar builders and steam
bending and you'll get a better explanation.

Dave


"Rob Mitchell" wrote in message
...
I am looking for a good method of attaching veneer to a small cabinet I
have made. The cabinet is 14"x6"x16"deep. I rounded the corners with a
1/4" radius roundover bit, then attempted to wrap the veneer around the
case.

I started by carefully gluing the 'top' of the case. Then I wet the
veneer and heated it with an old iron while bending it. Once bent I glued
it with some polyurethane glue I'm experimenting with (don't really like
it)

This method would have worked very well, but the veneer was a bit too
stiff and parts of the grain started to 'pop'. If the radius had been
1/2" I think it would have worked.

I've got the veneer on, but it is marginal quality.

Any good methods for bending veneer around a 1/4" radius corner
successfully? What glue is best? Should I try dry heat? Water?
Or is it not possible to put the grain in this direction?

The wood I used was Australian Lacewood. It was very high quality (from
A&M Wood Specialties) and thicker than I am used to from buying oak and
pine from Home Depot.

TIA
Rob




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