Hand laying veneer can save woodworkers money and also open new woodworking possibilities.
It is not always possible to obtain pre-veneered boards in the desired thickness and outsourcing the veneering can add a hefty margin to the production cost.
Using the right technique woodworkers can become skilled at undertaking small veneering jobs to even large tabletops.
Purchase and layout When purchasing the veneer leaves it is important for woodworkers to determine the sizes required, remembering that both sides will need to be veneered to avoid the substrate from bowing.
However if the veneer chosen is an expensive one and only one side will be seen, a cheaper veneer can be used for the side which is hidden.
Generally a pack of veneer is available in a set pattern of leaves, and woodworkers should not change this order.
Turning over the first leaf and butting it against the second leaf results in a mirror image or "book matching" and is critical for the appearance of the final product.
Depending on the height or width of the panel that has to be covered woodworkers may need to join two or more leaves together for completing the job.
The veneer leaves should be laid out checking both sides to determine which should be used as the outer surface.
The leaves should be marked on the underside to ensure that corrects joins can be maintained.
Straightening edges and taping It is important for woodworkers to ensure that the edges are straight and can be joined without any gaps.
Veneers may have straight edges when cut, but are prone to movement or damage, and usually require trimming.
The first two leaves with the edges to be joined should be clamped between two straight boards so that they protrude just enough to straighten the edges and plane them straight.
The next joint should be lined up the same way and so on until enough leaves have been joined to cover the panel that is to be veneered.
Using some masking tape stick strips at right angles across the joins beginning on the underside.
Use the stretch in the tape to pull the edges together and run a length of the tape along the join to further hold it in place.
The veneer is often buckled and sometimes woodworkers will need to press the leaves between two sheets of damp blotting paper so they can be glued down without splitting.
The joined pieces should now be turned over and using a veneering tape a length should be run over the joins.
Once the tape dries, the assembly should be turned over and the masking tape can be removed.
Gluing the veneer and pressing While a veneer press is the ideal solution, the work around requires two pieces of reasonable thick manufactured board, a sheet of plastic of the same size as the object and clamps.
Beginning with the side which will be hidden, place one of the two boards and spread the plastic sheet over it.
The adhesive should then be spread on one side of the panel.
The glued panel should then be placed on the veneer and the second board should be placed on the panel.
The woodworker should fix clamps all around so that the pressure is evenly distributed.
After the glue sets, the clamps can be removed and excess veneer can be trimmed around the edges.
Care should be taken to cut inwards when working across the grain to avoid the veneer splitting out.
The process should be repeated by the woodworker for the other side.
The final step in the woodworking process is cleaning up and finishing.
The veneer tape should be moistened with a wet cloth and when it begins to turn translucent can be peeled away.
Any remaining gum can then be wiped away before carefully scraping and sanding until it is smooth.