# bending veneer



## glycerine (Oct 30, 2009)

Ok, so here's what I want to do.  I have some thin slices of various woods that I cut on the bandsaw with the intent of weaving them around some tubes to make a woven "chinese finger trap" look.  Is soaking them in water the best route to soften them enough to bend around the tubes.  If that's a good way to do it, then what's the best way to dry them?  Hair dryer?  Oven?  The veneers are very thin, probably not much thicker than a sheet of paper, but they are still brittle when bent across the grain...
Suggestions?


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## Daniel (Oct 30, 2009)

I know in basket weaving you soak the pieces in water. you then just let them air dry. I would avoid anything that could get the water in it very hot. if it actually turns to steam it will cause a lot of damage.


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## glycerine (Oct 30, 2009)

Ok, thank you very much.


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## rherrell (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm surprised that you, "glycerine", don't know this. Adding "glycerine" to water helps to make veneers more pliable. The technique has been around forever but nowadays it's easier to buy a pre-mixed solution sold at any veneering website.:wink::biggrin:


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## bracky1 (Oct 31, 2009)

As above, glycerine is the answer.

Damp the veneer down and GRADUALLY form the shape round the tube. If you think it's going to crack,STOP and let it dry before repeating. Do this over a day or so untill you are confident the veneer will take the shape of the tube.
Don't cut to size untill the veneer is dry or you will be left with a red face when it shrinks and leaves a gap at the seam :wink:
I would probably use a contact glue but experiment to find out what's best for you.
Good luck


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## wood-of-1kind (Oct 31, 2009)

I work in a factory that produces high end office furniture and what we use is a FLEECE backing (laminated to natural veneer) and this makes it extremely pliable. The fleece is a 'paper backing' in layman's term, but I'm not certain if it's available(sold) as a residential/hobbyist product.


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## workinforwood (Oct 31, 2009)

Yes, glycerine and water.  It's not going to form easy around a tube, even the larger size tubes.  That's some tight bending!  I would soak the veneers for a few hours, obviously.  Lets say..just to keep numbers really simple, the tube is 1/2" wide.  The veneer is 1/32 wide.  1/32 on each side, means the new width would be 9/16.  So you take two strips of wood lets just say 1" wide, 1/2" thick and 3" long.  You sandwich the two strips in a vise.  Drill a 9/16 hole down the center.  Now you have two pieces of wood with  a 9/16 profile in them. These are your clamping cauls.  You wax the bejeezus out of the cauls, the insides and seems where they may come together are most important..johnsons paste wax works real good. You work at the wet wood bending it on the tube, making it more pliable etc.  Using gorilla glue, you glue the wet wood to the tube.  Gorilla glue likes wet wood better than dry wood!  When complete, let it dry for several days. If you have any gaps in the seams..get some small rope, twigs, whatever to glue along the seams.  Good luck. 
 I had a marquetry guy one time ask me to spin a cigar 1/32 undersized so he could apply a marquetry to the pen.  I told him he was nuts..better off trying to glue it to the actual tube, the barrel is not only round but tapered, even if I do a straight taper, it's going to be crazy.  That was a couple years ago and he still has no pen.


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## glycerine (Oct 31, 2009)

Wow, that's ironic.  I had no idea about glycerine, I just use the name because I like the word!
As far as the "veneers" go, I cut them myself on the bandsaw and tried to get them as thin as I could.  If I can't get it to work, I'll see if I can cut them even thinner.  Also, I will be wrapping them at an angle so that they spiral up and down the tube, they will not be bent directly across the tube.
I had no idea that ogrilla glue worked with wet wood.  I was thinking I'd have to wrap the veneers and let them dry befor I even tried glueing!
Thanks for the info everyone.  I'll let you guys know how it turns out.


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## workinforwood (Oct 31, 2009)

yes, the gorilla glue will hold strong.  This is why you have to wax your cauls really good, because otherwise they will be glued to the tubes too when the glue expands.  If you read the bottle of Gorilla it says right on there, for best results, wet the wood first. Spiraling the wood should help the wood to bend.  the curve will be the same, but there will be less pressure against the grain.


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## glycerine (Oct 31, 2009)

workinforwood said:


> yes, the gorilla glue will hold strong. This is why you have to wax your cauls really good, because otherwise they will be glued to the tubes too when the glue expands. If you read the bottle of Gorilla it says right on there, for best results, wet the wood first. Spiraling the wood should help the wood to bend. the curve will be the same, but there will be less pressure against the grain.


 
Cool, thanks again!


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## BRobbins629 (Oct 31, 2009)

I have soaked small pieces of veneer in luke warm and bent them to fit a pattern on a tube.  Used medium CA glue on the wet wood and it worked fine. Now that one secrets out, its the way I did the 360 herringbone in my album.

You can also heat the veneer in near boiling water then use a bending iron (heated piece of pipe) and work the damp veneer to any shape you want.  Its how they bend the sides of musical instruments.  You could make spirals to get the general shape, let them dry and then bend/weave to final form.


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## glycerine (Oct 31, 2009)

Neat, you did the herringbone with veneers?  Have you done it in other ways.  Just curious which way you found more difficult.
I was in a pen store just the other day and got to see the Graf von Faber herringbone in person.  Looks just like the one you did with the bullet casing!!!
Thanks for the info on bending the veneers.  I've seen large bending irons made with a larger pipe and a propane torch, but do you have any suggestions on making one with a small brass pen tube?  I guess how to heat it is the big question...


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## BRobbins629 (Oct 31, 2009)

All the HBs (2) I have done were with veneer.

To make a bending iron, I would use a brass rod and drill a hole for a cal-rod heater or soldering iron.  I don't think a pen tube has enough mass.

You probably can get by just by steaming or boiling the veneer until it is bendable.  Wrap it around a tube in a spiral, clamp or tape and let it dry overnight.  The bending iron just speeds things up and may be needed for thicker sections.


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## glycerine (Oct 31, 2009)

Soldering iron, good idea!  I'm not thinking much today...


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## KenV (Oct 31, 2009)

Veneer or thin wood bending across the grain will need backing to support it - somthing like thin sheet brass should work  (I usually use thin stainless but that is hard to locate).  If the fibers start to lift turn it over and try the other side.  Long grain will be the easiest.  Heat allows the glue that hold the fibers to slip - a solid end (poker style) wood burning unit works for small pieces and a tight fitting brass tube over the tip works well.  Besure it is well anchored.  

All of my bandsawed veneer needed to be sanded before use.  Sawn veneer is commonly up to 1/16 or 3/32 thick so unless you are headed to casting, be sure to get even thicknesses.  Casting allows you some more tolerances, but you will likely not appreciate the fuzzy surfaces without sanding --

Have fun and show us the pictures


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## glycerine (Nov 1, 2009)

Yes, after I get the veneer glued to the tubes, I plan on casting in clear PR...


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## snyiper (Nov 1, 2009)

Why not make a small steamer and steam the veneers? Wouldn't that make them easier to work?


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## Daniel (Nov 1, 2009)

Since people are recommending steaming the wood to shape it I want to clarify my steam comment from my first post. that was in regard to drying the wood, not shaping it. steam will help in shaping it but I have always seen it used for large pieces.


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## glycerine (Nov 1, 2009)

snyiper said:


> Why not make a small steamer and steam the veneers? Wouldn't that make them easier to work?


 
Like my wife's iron?  Would that work?  I literally know nothing about working with veneers or shaping thin pieces of wood...


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## snyiper (Nov 1, 2009)

I am thinking of say a piece of copper or steel pipe with a cap on both ends a 1/4 hole in one end and a nipple attached to the other for a small hose. A small kettle or teapot (I have used a new small gas can) with a way to attach the hose, then heat the water the steam flows through the pipe out the 1/4 hole and it should steam what you need!!!


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## glycerine (Nov 1, 2009)

snyiper said:


> I am thinking of say a piece of copper or steel pipe with a cap on both ends a 1/4 hole in one end and a nipple attached to the other for a small hose. A small kettle or teapot (I have used a new small gas can) with a way to attach the hose, then heat the water the steam flows through the pipe out the 1/4 hole and it should steam what you need!!!


 
Oh, ok, I get it.


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