some veneering questions

[JLC7]

I've been thinking of making speaker cabinets out of figured maple veneer (10mil paper backed). The veneer will simply cover the entire the entire cabinet for a solid wood look. The last cabinets I made were painted and while they turned out looking great, it was a pain sealing the mdf and getting a consistent finish.

How fool-proof is the PVA glue/iron on method? I've heard of problems with the veneer cracking due to the extreme change in temperature/moisture. Is it a really big problem or is it something that usually isn't an issue with the right heat settings? Are particular wood species/cuts more prone to cracking?

Should I veneer first and then rout the holes out or rout first and then apply veneer then trim?

Comments/suggestions/tips are appreciated.

[stangbat]

Fool proof enough that I did it with no experience and had good results. I think most of the people having problems with cracking are using raw veneer without a paper backing.

My baffles were not veneered, however I had to install ports in the back and I wanted them flush. So this means I faced the same issue of whether to veneer first or cut first. I veneered the cabinet first and then routed the port holes. Although the veneer is thin, I didn't want to have a small lip between the cabinet and the port nor did I want to try and take the thickness of the veneer into account when routing. It worked fine and my ports are nice and flush.

I followed the advice here. I glued the entire cabinet and all the veneer at once and let it dry. That way I didn't have to worry about slopping glue on the already veneered surfaces. I also didn't tape the edge when trimming because the trim bit would slightly shave down the tape and make it a PITA to remove. My router bit did not score or mar the veneer so tape wasn't necessary.

[hoyo55]

I recently completed a restoration project on a pair of Klipsch Heresies. I'd always used contact cement, but this last time tried the new (to me anyway) PL Water Base contact cement. I was very happy with the way it worked - no unpleasant fumes and really nice results. If you're worried about how heat will affect your veneer, I don't see any reason to risk it.

[JLC7]

Thanks for the replies guys. I like the iron on method because it keeps things neat. Can't say the same about painting that's for sure.

I also like it because it seems idiot proof. Apply glue, let dry, iron on. There's no 'glue hand to _____' step anywhere in there.

Here's what I want to order tomorrow.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=8664

Any opinions on how it looks? Suggestions for a finish? Places to buy it cheaper?

[AMV8]

JLC7
I have used various types of veneer including the pre glued iron on type. I have made a few sets of speakers over the years and veneered some of them with iron on veneer.( my father was a furniture maker so I was utilising some of the skills I learned when I was younger )
I find iron on veneer easy to use. My only comments are;
1) The more figured the veneer the more possible it is for bubbles to rise a day or so after venering. The veneer shrinks slightly when ironed. Straight grain wood shrinks more evenly than figured veneer.
2) If jointing veneer; I would begin ironing the second strip at the joint and work outwards from the joint. This avoids the joint opening due to shrinkage.
3) The instructions usually say to iron the veneer once. However I find that a second ironing makes for a better job with less chance of bubbles. In fact I have never had a bubble when I have ironed on twice.

Hope this helps and that you enjoy buiulding - and listeningto- your speakers.

Don

[JLC7]

Hi Don, what do you mean by a second ironing? Do you mean going back after the glue has cooled and ironing the veneer again to make sure the bubbles stay down?

[AMV8]

Hi

I found that ironing for a second time about 2 or 3 minutes after the first ironing worked best.

Don

[JLC7]

Thanks for the suggestion Don. I'll try it out when the veneer comes in.

As long as bubbles show up before I finish the veneer it's still possible to simply iron them back down right?

[stangbat]

Originally posted by JLC7
Thanks for the suggestion Don. I'll try it out when the veneer comes in.

As long as bubbles show up before I finish the veneer it's still possible to simply iron them back down right?

I also had to go back and iron over some areas. I think the main problem was I went too fast and didn't get it stuck down good enough. I never could really see bubbles, what I did was tap on the veneer with my finger and the non-bonded areas will sound hollow. So just tap around and re-iron the spots you find. My speakers have been finished for about a month and after staining and finishing, the veneer seems to be staying stuck down just fine.