Anybody have problems with the veneer curling up?
I was doing a test with some marquetry work and the wood curled up and pulled off the blue tape backing. Maybe because the grain was oriented in all different directions? I might need some of that paper veneer tape to hold it all together?
Also, anybody know what “fleece backed” veneer is? Will this still be suitable for for WMD veneer construction?
Yes… I pre lam’d a 1/40 bamboo fleeces backed veneer with 4 oz glass. then I rolled it up and put it in a box thinking I was going to save time. When i unrolled it, it auto curled the opposite way the deck rolled. I tried to vac bag it down but it kept sucking the bag & blue tape between the skin and blank. I guess i could have F’d with it until I came out straight, but I wasn’t in to mood, and there was no help in sight. So I just made a new one that wasn’t cured.
My advice would be to cut and epoxy the skin the same day your planning to vac bag. The epoxy makes the skin plyable, and you can inner glass and vac bag all in the same swoop…this will save a little weight.
let’s see what you’re up to, Jeff.
did you hit it this am…?
I’ve done many of the bamboo veneers … never have had a problem. What vacuum pressure were you using?
Wasn’t bagging. I was testing my skill at marquetry, just to see how small I could cut pieces and how well I could fit them. I was happy with the results although the next day I thought my fingernail was going to fall off and it really hurt (from cutting with an exacto knife). I taped thepieces with blue tape and brushed on some epoxy and everything started curling up. I was using basswood (which curled the worst) and walnut.
No pics until I get through my experiments.
I’ve cut parts and taped/laminated them together but never such small parts. Probably might be good to pull a vacuum on something like that. I’ve had smaller balsa pieces curl on me so I can relate.
Anybody use veneer softener ("Super Soft’ at veneersupplies.com)? It is glycerin based. Will that affect epoxy bond?
llilibel, some times you must use veneer softener, I try not to because it adds a lot of extra time. Veneer needs to be spritzed with softener then blotted and dried while being pressed. Softeners are always used to flatten veneer sheets before you cut your veneer pieces. If mosture is left in the veneer there can be bonding troubles with epoxy , but more likely it would result it mold problems and discoloration. When I do small work I do my tapeing backwords. I put blue tape on what will be the face to hold the pieces in allighnment then I use paper veneer tape on what will be the back or underneath. I use wide tape with max holes. Wet the tape before putting it on veneer then stick it to the veneer, I push it down with a plastic sqeegee then blot it with a paper towel. I never over lap the paper tape but put it side to side so when you have put all the tape on it is basicly one sheet. Then I turn it over and remove the blue tape from the surface put the work between wax paper and 2 pieces of melemine particle board and press it for a couple hours. Then it can be glued to whatever is being veneered. Because I always use epoxy or varnish finishes I use epoxy as my glue, I thicken my epoxy a little with micro baloons kinda like runny catsup . Do not put as epoxy glue on the veneer , only on the sub strat. I brush it on in an even coat and let it sit for a couple minutes then if there are any dry spots I brush on a little more. Then lay on the veneer ,cover with black plastic,put between 2 calls and then press in vacum bag . If your vacume cycles to much you can end up with blisters in your veneers. I pull about 15 hg any more than that and you get blisters. If veneering on curved surfaces you cant use calls but still use black plastic then breather cloth and into the vacume bag. By the way, I did not remove the paper veneer tape it is glued on under the veneer. If I am doing large work the paper veneer tape is ontop and is scraped off after the veneer. Yes I do sometimes get blisters which need to be fixed but thats anouther subject. I use blue tape to mask of anything that I don't want to get epoxy glue on. It is easier to pull tape then to scrape and sand epoxy on surfaces where you don't want it. I use a lot of blue tape !!
llilibel,
Be careful using veneer softener. On my 1st veneer board, I used a veneer softener on a fairly thick (1/32" paper backed) maple veneer and vac bagged it to the blank to let it dry overnight. Next day, i took it out of the bag & it looked great as I went off to work. After work, came home to lam it, and to my surprise, it curled very badly the wrong way and became very difficult to lam. I guess it hadn't dried completely. I think now that maybe Resinhead has the answer. You should lam it the second that you pull it out of the bag from the veneer softener.
Good Luck and keep us posted on what happens.
Cheers.
You wouldn't use veneer softener on paper back veneer. I think you have no idea what veneer softener is used for or how it is used . When veneer softener is used your veneer has to be blotted , pressed, and dried completely before glueing the veneer. Often it takes more than 1 blotting and pressing before the veneer is dry enough to use.
I use veneer tape…really intracate stuff I use rice paper on the back side it seems to work fine for me
Wow! Nice. Curly Maple? Poly gloss?
