Darryl Keil Last Activity 2025-09-09 11:09 AM
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Bryan Faubion

Posts: 3

Joined: 2012-06-02
Location: KIRKLAND, WA

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Subject : one side at a time?
Posted : 2012-06-09 4:45 PM
Post #36655
I will be gluing up a panel for a desk top. At roughly 2' x 5' it is not large by the standards of many of you, but it will be my largest yet. For the substrate I will be using one inch thick jaycore from Columbia Forest Products. This is a plywood panel with thin MDF faces designed for veneer work. For glue I will use Unibond 800 with the blocker under my curly cherry faces. Here is my question: Can I glue and press one side at a time so I get the panel in the press quickly and avoid messing up the glue on the substrate as I flip it?

I assume that if I pull the panel out of the press as soon as the unibond is firm but still flexible I could veneer the back side, put it back in the press, and whatever warpage I initially had would balance out in the end.

How do you guys deal with panels when they start to get heavy and awkward?


 
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Don Stephan

Posts: 825

Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Subject : RE: one side at a time?
Posted : 2012-06-10 10:36 AM
Post #36656 - In reply to #36655
Bryan:

Welcome to the forum.

I'll be interested to see other responses, but I would take the approach you described. Ten square feet of this product will have some weight, an extra pair of hands might be helpful. Keep in mind that plastic resin glues like Unibond need a continuous mimimum temp of 70 degrees F to cure, not sure what overnight temps are in Washington state.

How will you be treating the edges of the desk, if you don't mind my asking?


 
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Bryan Faubion

Posts: 3

Joined: 2012-06-02
Location: KIRKLAND, WA

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Subject : RE: one side at a time?
Posted : 2012-06-10 11:40 AM
Post #36657 - In reply to #36656
Don: My shop not warm enough most of the year so I use an electric blanket over the bag to keep everything warm. The panel will be wrapped in solid cherry at around 2.5 inches wide by 1 inch thick. I'm still debating whether to miter the corners or go breadboard style. I like the look of mitered corners but it is extremely difficult to achieve perfection and a desktop will certainly invite scrutiny. I am leaning toward the breadboard style with a narrow band of wenge between the veneered panel and the solid cherry.


 
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Don Stephan

Posts: 825

Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Subject : RE: one side at a time?
Posted : 2012-06-10 7:35 PM
Post #36658 - In reply to #36657
I have seen reports that a wider "picture frame" tends to have open inside/outside ends of the miters, one at the driest times of the year and the other at the most humid. You might consider a narrower picture frame, perhaps 1" square or 1 1/2" wide at most. Wrapping your tabletop with 1 1/2" wide stock in a breadboard style would not have this issue. I'm not sure though how well your core would form three longer tenons to mate with the breadboards.

To cut accurate miters I made a dedicated sled for my tablesaw, which seems to work well.


 
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Darryl Keil

Posts: 1455

Joined: 2003-05-22
Location: Maine

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Subject : RE: one side at a time?
Posted : 2012-06-10 7:41 PM
Post #36659 - In reply to #36655
Bryan,

Although you can press one side a time as you described I would encorage you to do both sides together. Its really not that hard.

Do it like this. Have the bottom caul on your bench with the back side veneer already laid out on it. Apply glue to the substrate, then flip it over and set it down on top of the veneer. Next role glue on the top side of the substrate, then set the other veneer on top and finally the top caul. Put four pieces of masking tape from the top caul around to the bottom one in each corner and then slide this sandwich in the bag. Its reall pretty straight forward, and I think easier than doing it in two steps. With Unibond 800 you have plenty of time as well since this type of glue does not tack and has a long open work time.

Darryl Keil
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