Veneer source?

Re: Veneer source?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

1. Where is a good source for bird’s eye maple veneer to attempt a color match?? Certainly Wood for the veneer But you will not get a color match without stain. New maple is not going to look like old, finished maple for decades.

2. Recommendations on how do I scrape/pry the existing partially loose panels off? Probably just a heat gun will work. Steam from a kettle definitely will work

3. Flatten whatever selected new veneer I find with heat? Unlikely to be necessary. Veneer has to be exceedingly lumpy to require flattening

4. I do not have a hot glue pot so what glue? White or yellow are fine

5. What don’t I know enough to ask? You are not going to learn enough to be successful just by asking on a Forum. What you want to do is not trivial. Some mentoring would be helpful.

Re: Veneer source reply

Gary Smyth

Understood about color match. I have a pretty good eye for color. blending and a pretty good assortment of graphic arts tools, knives, and wood stains and dyes. Plus -- the luxury of time to play. Barn find so not much invested. Still......

Also not adverse to contrasting wood veneer if other options don't pan out.

Is there a online veneer specialty store out there?

Re: Veneer source reply

Dave Bair

Try WOODFINDER at the bottom of the message board page.

Re: Veneer source reply

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

And what is the objection to Certainly Woods, a source that many, if not most, furniture makers use?

Certainly Wood

Howie

This is the only place I buy my veneer from and I have ordered a ton. Great selection and nice people.

Re: Veneer source?

Don Stephan

While it's not likely, don't rule out the possibility that the adhesive is hide glue.

+1 for Certainly Wood

Terry Quiram

Wonerful assortment of veneer and great service.

Re: Veneer source reply

Dave Bair

Nothing. The man asked for sources and I gave him one and you indirectly gave him another.

Indirectly?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

my first reply...

"1. Where is a good source for bird’s eye maple veneer to attempt a color match?? [I replied, directly]Certainly Wood for the veneer "

Re: Veneer source?

Tony - Memphis

An other good source is Joewoodworker.com. I just bought some beautiful walnut burl veneer there that I'm using for a box I'm working on. There is some good info on veneering there as well. He sells a glue that works very well and is water based. I have had good luck with it.

I guess I would go at the old veneer with whatever worked to pry as much as possible off. I might trace the seams with a knife to avoid lifting anything other than the panel. After that, I might try heat - I use a household iron. Start low in a spot and see if the glue reacts.

I would try the glue at Joe's or even liquid hide glue. You will need a way to clamp the veneer as well. I use melamine as a platen and pond liner as a flexible layer (for even distribution) and wax paper to prevent sticking. Cauls might help to distribute clamping pressure.

Something to consider when cutting is the angle of your cutting edge. Your veneer saw is probably flat on one side - use that against your straight edge. In short, most cutting edges are V shaped in cross section and could result in a gap. I almost always cut from behind.

Blue tape is good to hold the veneer in place while clamping.

Check the thickness of your current veneer vs the replacement piece. Could be an issue. Hopefully, the new stuff will be a hair thicker.

Make sure you get as much of the old glue off as possible and check to see if whatever glue you use will stick!

Careful if using a scraper to clean up - those eyes will tear out....yes I have.

That's all I got. Good luck with it. Hope it works out well. For inspiration ,there are some really good videos by a repair guy on Youtube - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture repair. He covers a lot of veneer repairs.

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday...rookie mistake. I was sanding the cut faces of a box I had cut apart and veneered the joint faces (where top and bottom meet). I was using a nice and flat sanding block. I guess the sandpaper was not good and tight and I ended up sanding the corners down a bit low. Just enough to result in a nice ugly gap! Darnit. This is highly figured walnut burl, so I am attempting to glue a small piece over the low area, then clean off the excess. The joint line may not show up and will hopefully look like a figure line? We'll see. This wood is gorgeous. I guess if this doesn't work I will either insert an accent piece of veneer or sand it of and start over. Bummer either way.

Re: Veneer source?

William Duffield

I'll second the Thomas Johnson recommendation. He knows what he is doing.

Before you remove all the existing burl maple veneer, you should consider reattaching what is still there. That way, you only have one small patch to match and fit. For that piece, you could use some non-burl veneer, and even faux paint the growth rings if necessary. I would use nothing except liquid hide glue, specifically Old Brown Glue, for that purpose. If it is currently glued with hide glue, then you should not even need to remove the old glue.

Good idea

Tony - Memphis

As mentioned in my post, I just repaired my own oopsie on some walnut burl. The glue line appears to be a natural part of the burl. Wouldn't work with straight grain veneer. I cut/sanded the excess of my patch this weekend and it turned out ok. Lesson learned! One disadvantage of the burl patterns is that they are hard to work with. The also soak up finish unevenly. Takes several coats to get an even one. I have three coats of shellac so far and it is still kind of patchy. I can't seem to apply shellac evenly - even with a nice brush. So, I end up sanding a fair amount off trying to level out the high spots. Blah blah blah...sorry to babble. Good luck with your repair. Let us know what and how.

Oh, a trick I have seen (and used) is to make a pattern using carving tools - so the cuts are repeatable. Harder on a large piece I guess. But a pattern or template is not a bad idea. Just thinking out loud....