Old School Veneering

Preparing the Glue

Let the glue cool and stiffen, then use a veneer saw to trim off the excess. You should leave 1?32" to 1/16" margin.

Hide glue has been used in veneering for thousands of years, and was used on most of the antique veneered furniture you find today. The glue is made from animal hides, blood and bones that have been dried and pulverized. It comes in pearl or flake form and is activated with heat and water. I obtain hide glue from Tools for Working Wood (800-426-4613  or toolsforworkingwood.com). They also carry the glue pot and other tools mentioned in this article.

Hot hide glue does have some advantages over other adhesives. When it cools, it sticks. That eliminates the need for a press. It can be reactivated with heat – or by the addition of more glue. It is water-soluble and cleans up with warm water.

Lay a ruler across the points of the miter, then cut through both layers with several passes of a sharp marking knife.

For a project of this size, I place about ½ cup (dry) of hide flakes in a small jar then cover over the glue with warm water and let it sit for about 20 minutes before placing the jar into the glue pot sleeve.

After 15 minutes, stir the glue until it runs freely from the brush. Then take a small amount between your middle and fore fingers and rub. The glue should develop tack in a couple of minutes.

If left uncovered, the glue will thicken as the water evaporates. To maintain the consistency of your glue, cover the jar with its lid or a damp towel. If you add more water to thin the glue, remember to allow the glue to warm to its proper temperature (140°F) before brushing it onto your work.

Gluing Down the Veneer

Place a strip of tape across the miter, then resist for several hours the temptation to remove the tape. If needed, rewarm the joint to close the miter, then tape.When you apply veneer at any corner, one layer of veneer is trimmed flush with the substrate surface, then the next layer of veneer is applied perpendicular to the first. The second layer covers the first, but its edge remains visible – and vulnerable.You must consider the order in which you veneer. And it’s always a choice between hiding the veneer seam and protecting it. For example, you usually veneer the edges on a drawer front first, then veneer the front itself. When the drawer is closed, the veneer edge is not visible.Apply warm glue to the box edge, then to the edge veneer. After centering the strip on the edge, apply glue on top of the tape (this lubricates the pressing). Then with firm but careful pressure, press down along the edge with the veneer hammer (more like a veneer squeegee), looking for light glue squeeze-out along both sides of the edging.Work your way around the box, overlapping the edging at the corners. Then, with a sharp marking knife, cut through both layers, across the corners, to make the miters. After cutting through both layers, carefully remove the cut-off pieces with the tip of the knife and apply veneer tape to draw the miter joint closed. If the glue cools before you can trim the miters, rewarm the joint with an iron or by applying more glue, then trim and tape.Holding a mill file flat to the surface produces a clean edge without any “rolled” edges.

When the glue cools and bonds, trim off the excess veneer with the saw and flush the edge with a file. Any small gaps between the veneer and the box’s edges are warmed with an iron and pressed down. Finally, scrape the edge, working in toward the center for a clean surface and a tight joint so that veneer applied perpendicular to the edge will produce an invisible seam.

Gluing the Sides and Top
Apply glue to the substrate. Then  lay the veneer face down on the surface and into the glue while brushing glue onto the back of the veneer. Next, flip the veneer over and place it face side up, then use the veneer hammer to press the veneer down firmly. Work from the center out toward the edges, applying more glue to lubricate the hammering if necessary.

After applying glue to the veneer face, press down firmly with the veneer hammer. Work from the center out toward the edges, squeezing out any excess glue.

If a bubble appears, brush glue onto the bubble and the surrounding area, and press from the bubble toward the nearest edge.
When the sides are down and secure, saw off the excess, then file the edge flush. Apply hot glue to any gaps and press them down until the glue cools. Repeat the process for the top.

Veneering the Curved Drawer Front
Set the curved drawer front securely in the vise to allow clearance and good access to the corners. Then repeat the process for applying glue and laying down the veneer. While the glue is warm, press down with the veneer hammer until the corners and edges are down nicely and all the bubbles are pressed out.

Be careful not to slide the hammer off the drawer front and fracture the veneer as you apply pressure to the corners.

A warm iron is used to soften the glue and press down any problem areas.

Next, cut off the major excess and replace the drawer front in the vise so you can press down any small gaps.

Be careful – even though I was, I still slid off the edge and cracked the veneer. But after inspecting the damage, I determined it would be an easy repair once the glue was dry. The next day, I used a warm household iron to heat and press down several small gaps along the corner before repairing the edge of the drawer front.

Trimming and Cleaning Up
After setting the box aside to cool and settle down, carefully inspect the edges for clean, tight and attractive joints. I use four tools to trim, clean and flush veneer seams:
• Veneer saw – to trim edges.
• Grobet detail file – a tapered half-round file with coarse teeth on one end and fine teeth an the other to remove excess glue and expose small gaps.
• Flat card scraper – to flush the veneer to the substrate.
• 8″ second-cut mill file – to perfectly flush and joint edges.

How to Flawlessly Patch Veneer

First, select a piece of veneer that closely matches the damaged area in color and grain (wetting both the patch and damaged area will give you a good idea of the final appearance). Then take a curved carving gouge and punch out a patch that covers the damaged area. With the same gouge punch out the damaged area and clean it out with a bench chisel. Check the patch for fit, color and grain. Then glue the patch in place and secure it with masking tape.

After the patch dries, carefully file off any excess, then file the patch flush and sand. After sanding, your project will be ready for finishing.

When the surface is sanded, any significant traces of glue are removed, which leaves an open-pore surface that is receptive to stain and finish. Unlike when using yellow glue, any hide glue residue remaining on the surface will have no adverse effect. PW

Mario has almost 30 years of experience as a craftsman, educator and writer. He teaches at the Philadelphia Furniture Workshop.