. . SHOP TIP
Cutting edge banding
To cut several strips of veneer edge banding in one operation, stack them one atop the other, edges aligned, between two pieces of Winch plywood. Tack the two plywood pieces together with finishing nails placed along the edges; be sure the nail tips do not perforate the banding or pass through the bottom piece of plywood. Mark cutting lines for the banding on the top piece of plywood, then cut along the lines on a table saw or band saw. Be careful not to cut along the line of nails.
3 Edging the face veneer
The edges of adjoining sheets of veneer must be perfectly square if the two pieces are to butt together properly. To square them, you will need a shooting board. Cut three pieces of 3/4-inch plywood slightly longer than the veneer. One piece should be wide enough to hold the other two pieces on top and the width of the plane lying on its side. Place the two pieces of veneer face to face and sandwich them between the top two plywood pieces so that the edges of the veneer are aligned and protrude by about Vs inch. Set the sandwich on top of the third, wider board and clamp the entire assembly to a work surface. Run the plane along the shooting board from one end to the other to trim off the projecting veneer. Make sure you keep the sole of the plane flush against the edges of the top plywood pieces during the cut (left).
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Cut sheets of veneer to width quickly and accurately on a router table with the trimming jig shown at right. Refer to the illustration for suggested dimensions.
Cut the base of the jig from %- incfi plywood and the top piece from hardwood. Choose a board with a slight bow for the top piece, if possible; applying clamping pressure near the ends of the board will flatten it, producing uniform pressure against the base. The top piece should be slightly longer than your veneer sheets and the base at least 12 inches longer. Screw wood blocks to the base so the top piece will fit snugly between them. Then screw a toggle clamp to each wood block.
To use the jig, install a flush-cutting bit with a bearing guide on a router, and mount the tool in a router table. Place the veneer to be trimmed between the base and top piece of the jig as you would when trimming with a shooting board (page 65). Make sure the sheets protrude from the jig by Va inch, then press the toggle clamps down on the top piece to secure the veneer sheets to the jig. Position the fence to set a cutting width of Va inch. (Caution: Guard and fence removed for clarity.) Turn on the router and slide the jig across the table (right, below), trimming the veneer flush with the edge of the jig. Be sure to keep the jig butted against the fence throughout the operation.
5 Gluing down the veneer
Set the substrate panel face up on a work surface and spread on a thin layer of glue with a small brush or hand roller (right). Do not apply adhesive directly to the veneer; glue will make it curl. Remember to use white glue if you are working with a veneer press (step 6)-, choose hide glue if you are using a veneer hammer (step 7). Handling the veneer gently, center the sheets over the panel. If you taped veneer sheets together, set them taped-side up. Make sure the veneer overhangs the edges of the panel evenly.
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Pressing the veneer in position with a veneer press
If you are using a veneer press, assemble the device following the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the spacing between the pipe clamp saddles is slightly longer than the length of the panel. Set the panel on the base of the press,
veneered face down with a strip of wax paper between the veneered face of the panel and the base. Protect the upper face of the panel with wood pads. Tighten the press clamps one at a time (above) until a thin glue bead squeezes out from under the panel.
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7 Pressing the veneer in position with a veneer hammer
If you are using a veneer hammer, set the glued panel veneered face up on a work surface. Butt wood scraps against the ends of the panel as stop blocks, then screw them in place. Holding the hammer with both hands, work the head of the tool back and forth over the veneer, pressing down firmly and following the grain. To eliminate bubbles or to smooth out sections that have not stuck properly, melt the glue by running a household iron over the veneer, then press down again with the hammer.
SHOP TIP
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To press veneer down on a contoured surface, such as the drawer front shown here, use sandbags or pillowcases filled with sand. For best results, start laying the bags on the middle of the surface, working your way to the ends. Since moderate heat accelerates the glue-curing process, keep the bags near a heater as you prepare for the job.
