Darryl Keil
Posts: 1453
Joined: 2003-05-22
Location: Maine
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Scott,
I'm glad Earl posted to this question before I got to it as his response adds another piece to the picture.
Scott, you are right, I would not suggest you cross band 90 degrees to the poplar before applying the face veneer, yet Earl did it successfully. I believe a hint to Earl's success is right below his name on his post. He lives in Florida.
The poplar will expand and contract underneath the veneer, there is no stopping it. The amount of the movement depends on the yearly change in humidity. This movement is a world of difference between Florida and where I live in Maine. In Florida and Maine, you have pretty much the same levels of humidity in the summer. But in the winter its a completely different story. Yes, you have some heating in Florida but nothing compared to the months of heating in northern climates. I believe Earl's piece would not survive in my house.
Now I don't know where you live Scott but if its in a colder climate like me, now is actually the absolutely worst time to attempt cross banded veneering on top of solid. The reason is, all wood is at is most expanded state right now because its holding all the humidity from the entire summer. As soon as your furnace starts pumps heat the moisture content of your wood will begin to decrease causing shrinkage. If you were determined to cross band in a colder climate I would do it half way between highest and lowest moisture content. Even doing it at low moisture content is better than high. Its my observation that shrinkage wrecks more havoc than expansion.
So my conclusion is this, if you are in a cold climate I would not attempt the cross banding approach. If you must, then wait until about April.
As far as veneering on top of poplar all in the same direction, it wouldn't be my first choice. Because you said the veneer was curly that means its most likely quarter saw which is the most stable cut. I've never found poplar to be all that stable. If you look at older pieces you almost always find the core wood is quarter sawn. If it was me I would veneer on top of quarter sawn mahogany or at least quarter sawn poplar. Again, where you live has bearing on how you approach this. The more extreme your annual climate change the more particular I would be on my substrate. I might also double veneer in the same direction which would insulate your face veneer from the solid core to some extent. Be sure to glue up your solid wood with a rigid glue, not a white or yellow glue. Too much cold creep with these glues, it might telegraph on your face veneer.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely
Darryl Keil
PS Now Earl, please dont tell me you made this piece when you lived in, lets say, northern Wisconson and then moved it to Forida. You'll make me look real bad.
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