Quick Veneer Question

Garret_O · 09-16-2003, 02:24 PM

Hey all-

Well I've finally gotten around to nearly completing my Thunder 12.3 box. (Outer side panels glue tonight)

Now I need to think about the finish. I was searching through the threads here and it looks like one of the best places to shop is tapeease.com.

Ok, so I'm looking at the 4'x8' maple 10ml paper-backed sheets. But some also mention NBL Wood backed. Since I am a veneer beginner and this is my first box, would you recommend I start out with the 10ml paper-backed?

I'll most likely have to round the edges of my sub, 3/4" (the lines aren't exactly straight damn circ saw, damn measuring).

I'll search for more tips but I was wondering if you all thought 10ml would be fine, even for rounded edges.

Lastly, how does tapeease ship a 4'x8' 10ml sheet? It is 1/32" thick- uhh UPS would crack that thing! Think I should check Home Depot?
THanks
Garret

Pete Mazz · 09-16-2003, 03:23 PM

The substrate has to be damn near perfect to get 10 mil veneer to look good. The NBL is much more forgiving and probably easier to work with for the beginner. It'll wrap easily over a 3/4" rounded corner.

The veneer will come rolled up in a 4' high box. I've never had a problem.

Pete

Darren_T · 09-16-2003, 03:26 PM

I actually prefer 10mil for a lot of uses. It is thinner so you don't see the edge lines nearly as much which results in a solid wood appearance. The 10 mil is much easier to bend around a 3/4" radius also. With the NBL you have to be very careful on a 3/4" radius as it is at the limits of the NBL capability and it can crack rather easily.

I don't agree that the NBL is more forgiving. I find just the opposite. Although a good point it made in that you can't have a lumpy surface when laminating with the thinner 10 mil material.

The one big difference is amount of material IE thickness of the veneer wood. With NBL you get a bit more material which means you can sand it a bit more without going through the pretty wood. With 10 mil you have to be much more careful but you really don't need to sand a ton. Just a little to get the fuzzies off.

Personally, I prefer 10 mil since it is very forgiving while laminating on a radius. I also like the minimal seam on the edges.

Cameron_Peck · 09-16-2003, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Think I should check Home Depot?

That is funny. I tried that once. The reply I got was “What’s veneer?” My Home Depot does not carry veneer.

Brian Bunge · 09-16-2003, 09:47 PM

I have to agree with Pete on this one and say NBL all the way. I've used paperbacked veneer and I've had problems with it most of the time. While it is easier to wrap, the fact that I've had quite a few issues with it bubbling up on me has made it just not worth fooling with.

Also, in every single case, the facing on the NBL veneers I've used have been of much higher quality than the paperbacked veneers.

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Hank Frankenberg · 09-17-2003, 08:53 AM

And I have to agree with Darren. I've used 10-mil paper-backed for years. Brian, you saw my rosewood veneer towers. Substrate is a non-issue for us. After all we're using MDF and how much flatter surface can you get than MDF?
I had the traveling A/V-2's at my house recently and I could see the dark line of the NBL side and top intersection and I didn't like it.
Oh well, not to argue - to each his own. That's the DIY life - try every method and stick with what works for you.

Patrick Sun · 09-17-2003, 08:59 AM

I've only veneered once with 10mill veneer (over MDF as well) with good results.

Garret_O · 09-17-2003, 10:30 AM

Thanks for the replies guys.

Sounds like I'll give the 10ml paper backed a try this time around. It is a sub, and it will be in the corner so if I mess up, it'll be ok.

I think I'll try the nbl option on my next project.

Again, thanks for the input. I understand that each person will have their own 'favorite' and I should just try them out and see what I like. Fair enough and good to know that there has been success with both options. Now I just need to get in that category.

Later,
G

Brian Bunge · 09-17-2003, 10:37 AM

Hank,

Believe me, I'd much prefer to use the paperbacked stuff, but the quality of the veneer faces has not been the same most of the time (not always) and the problems with bubbling ended up making it a not very cost effective approach. It's a shame though becuase it's about half the price of the NBL.

I'm not sure what we're doing wrong that has caused it to be such a pain for us but work so well for you. If you've got any tips just email me offline. I'm all ears!

BTW, if anyone is in the Austin area and has a chance, you gotta go see Hank's rosewood towers. They are a thing of beauty!

Darren_T · 09-17-2003, 11:20 AM

Hmmm... I'm not sure why you experienced the bubbling with the 10mil Brian. I also find it interesting that you don't seem to get the same quality with 10mil. I haven't seen a difference in quality myself. I'm sure the bubbling is due to the method used to adhere the veneer but can't imagine what could have gone wrong. I use the same method for both types myself. Interesting to hear that though. Something to ponder.

I prefer using NBL on flat surfaces where a visible edge isn't an issue as it is nice to work with and is a bit more forgiving on a flat surface as it doesn't adhere to every little nook and cranny but with MDF it isn't a problem unless one does a lot of sanding and introduces some variance.

Good to hear of others experiences with the different veneers though. Very educational

Darren

Brian Bunge · 09-17-2003, 11:32 AM

Darren,

The only things I can come up with are possibly not allowing the glue to dry well enough (my dad puts it on a bit heavy sometimes) and then it bubbles a day or two later. Or it's fine until we use some dye on the veneer and then it bubbles. The maple and cherry haven't been too bad, but the oak has just been horrid concerning the faces.

I've still got some scraps of paperbacked oak and a little over half a sheet of figured cherry in paperbacked so maybe I'll have to try some experimenting and see what happens. I can tell you that John Janowitz at Stryke has had similar problems and has chosen to switch over to the NBL stuff as well.

Maybe I should use the NBL for wrapping and use paperbacked on the ends to help hide the edges!