How to apply veneer to a concave (2D) surface?

[Johnnz]

Hi again,
been doing some designing for my new speakers (floorstanding based on Dr. K's MTM) and being a joiner am keen to do something a bit different with my cabinets. I have an idea at the moment to encorporate a subtle concave (bottom) and convex (top - mainly covered by actual speaker baffle slightly protruding from top front of cabinet (possibly covered in leather)) curve in the front baffle. The problem I forsee is how to apply the veneer. I dont have much experience with veneer but can imagine that if I try to iron-on/roller-on to a two dimensionally concave surface that 'bubbles' underneath will be inevitable?

Anyone been in this situation already? How did you get around it? As for making the curves, I intend to rout out the curves on the MDF sides of the cabinet and then fix thinner plywood/MDF in layers (screwed and glued to each other) to create the curve. Haven't yet figured out how to attach the true flat baffle on top though...

[Aengus]

If you form the concave face by laminating it on a male mold you could make the veneer the first layer and laminate on top of it.

I did this recently but used water-based glue on paper-backed veneer so unfortunately got ripples, so I can't swear it will work - but I don't see why it shouldn't if you're more intelligent about the glue than I was.

Good luck with it.

Aengus

[AMV8]

Hi

I added veneer to a concave surface on a piece of furniture last year.

I thought about it for a while before I tried. Eventually I decided not to use iron on veneer. I could not figure out how to iron it on. I used veneer and evostick glue. Evostick is a rubber solution contact adhesive with a strong bond. I bent the veneer into a tight curve and then starting on one side of the convex curve slowly held the veneer to the edge of the curve and then allowed the veneer to unrole and gradually attach itself to the concave curve as I pressed it down with a small roller. It worked ok on my second attempt.

The first attempy failed because I used a veneer from a wood with a large grain ( oak ) and it kept splitting as I bent it. The second time I used veneer from a wood with a small grain ( mahogany ) and it rolled out ok.

If your concave area is curved both ways you could look at putting on the veneer in small segments based around the centre point of the concave area.

I guess in your case it depends how tight the concave curve is and how large an area is involved.

Good luck and please let me know how you get along..

Don

[Johnnz]

Thanks for the ideas and advice. I have decided to 'invert' my design and have the veneered curve be convex instead. Drawings of what I want to create are in this thread of mine.

[djarchow]

Originally posted by Johnnz
Thanks for the ideas and advice. I have decided to 'invert' my design and have the veneered curve be convex instead. Drawings of what I want to create are in this thread of mine.

I couldn't really tell from your drawings if the convex areas were just convex in one direction or more than one. If you are trying to veneer something that is convex in one direction, like the outside of a tube, this is no big problem. On the other hand if it is convex in multiple directions like an upside down bowl for example, this will be very hard to do without splitting the veneer and doing it like the pieces of a pie as AMVA mentioned.

Regards.

Dennis

[Johnnz]

As in title I mean 2D to be two dimensional. Thanks.