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Veneering ways
Tuesday, 6th July 2010 20:48 PM
Recently I commented how upgrading the machinery in a workshop can take your work to a new level. This week I found a new use for my saw/spindle moulder which will speed up my work considerably.
We are currently working on a contemporary style kitchen in ripple maple and oak. All the doors, drawer fronts and side panels are veneered, about 48 panels in all. Previously I have jointed veneer by hand, using a good sharp plane and shooting board to plane the joints. But with so many panels to veneer I wondered if there was a more efficient way to do it. Jason, a student from Leeds College of Art who is working with us over the summer, suggested using the spindle moulder, so I thought I would give it a go.
I clamped a pack of 24 leaves of veneer to the sliding table sandwiched between two boards. I say clamped, it was actually clamped in one place and weighed down with large weights in others. The pieces were positioned so that about 5 mm would be trimmed off as the sliding table passed the cutter. The cut was made, sliding the carriage very slowly then the pack flipped and repeated on the other edge.
When I came to put the book matched joints together I was impressed with a perfect fit. I will certainly be using this method again. Thanks Jason!
Having “shot” the veneer joints I then needed to fix them. For this I use a method popularised by Robert Ingham. I have used this for jointing thick veneer about 1.5mm, but I haven’t used it much for thin veneers 0.6mm.
The joint is put together and taped with masking tape across the joint, stretching the tape slightly to pull the joint together, about one tape every 200mm. A tape along the joint completes one side. When all the joints are complete on one side the sheet is flipped over to glue the joint. Each joint is opened up using the tape as a hinge and a fine bead of glue run along the joint using a nozzle cut with a birds mouth. The joint is closed and the squeeze out wiped away and masking tape run along the line, checking that the jointed surfaces are flush. The best way to hinge the joints is to hang the sheet over the edge of the bench. I used Titebond glue.
When the glue has set the masking tape is removed to leave a clean sheet of veneer with glued joints ready for laying. Although it uses a lot of masking tape I find this method is quicker than the traditional way using veneer tape. The masking tape comes away a lot easier than veneer tape which is usually removed after the veneer is layed.
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Drawing of proposed kitchen
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Another view of kitchen
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Pack set up on sliding table ready for the cut
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Taping across the joint with masking tape
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Glue nozzle with birds mouth
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Gluing the joint