The Important Fundamentals of Veneering - Things You Need to Know

Though a lot of people might think that veneering is a very tough thing to do, learning the needed fundamentals will help you a lot in making the processes a lot easier and enjoyable too. Since the needed materials for veneering are already available and the methods involved are actually simple and easy to follow, veneering can actually be done by anyone with ease.

The Veneering Vocabulary

When veneering, you will encounter some terms that might sound foreign to you. The following are the basic terms you need to know:

Veneer - the thin material made from wood which is what is applied to the substrate.Veneer Softener - the material used to keep wavy veneers flat.

Substrate - The material where you will be applying your veneer.

Veneer Glue - the material used to bond the veneer and the substrate together.

The Materials You Will Need for Veneering

When doing a veneering project, you must also possess the needed materials so that veneering becomes a lot easier to do. Here are the following materials and their respective uses:

Seam Roller - Use this tool to smoothen out the veneer tape you will apply.

Veneer Saw - this is what is used to cut the veneers smoothly without tearing it out or splitting it.

Veneer Tape - use this tool to hold multiple veneers together while the adhesive used to permanently fuse the substrate and the veneer solidifies.

Blue Veneer Pre-tape- a tool used to fuse veneers together while the veneer tape is still drying.

Straight Edge Tool or Board - this act as a guide for the veneer saw to keep the veneers straight.

Vacuum Veneering

Vacuum veneering is considered as the easiest method that can be used to effectively apply veneers to substrates. There are three main components that make up the entire vacuum veneering system; the vacuum press system, the platens, and the vacuum bag.

The vacuum press system is the part that is responsible for removing the air present in the vacuum bag so that pressure can be evenly distributed. The vacuum bag which resembles a large sandwich bag can create approximately 1700 lbs per square foot of pressure that is evenly distributed. The platen is responsible for helping the vacuum bag evenly distribute the pressure present. This can be achieved through creating air channels by cutting a line on one side of a platen.

There still are other methods available for veneering and these include iron-on veneering, paperbacked veneering, hide glue veneering, contact cement veneering and many more. Knowing the basics of veneering will help you a lot in successfully doing your own veneering project which you can also have fun doing.