Repairing Old Furniture

[Hengy]

Please, please please keep up the public posting the q/a on this issue here...

I am lurking this thread and watching with interest... Have an old dresser that I need to work of the bubble from...

Thanks!!

Mike in La Crosse, WI

[Dan England]

Thanks, Mike, I was hoping someone would suggest that. I know very little about restoring furniture but I am retired and am interested in learning a bit about how to do it. And, please, chip in with your questions. I will learn more if you and others become involved. Dan

[Rudi]

Don:

Please keep the questions here on forum. Interest has been expressed in another venue, so the thread will continue as long as you have the questions..

I am enjoying this thread.

[George Willer]

Don:

Please keep the questions here on forum. Interest has been expressed in another venue, so the thread will continue as long as you have the questions..

I am enjoying this thread.

Rudi,

Maybe you'd like to discuss hammer veneering using hide glue?

[Rudi]

George:

I had to look up what you meant by "hammer veneering"... it is a term I am not familiar with.. it is not used here all that much whereas rollering is. Rollering came from the original heavy rubber rollers that used to be used in days gone by, but has also been used to describe the same procedure using a rounded over block of hardwood. Regional stuff I guess.

What are the basics of hammer veneering? Hammer veneering is the quickest way to veneer a substrate. Using hot hide glue, both surfaces are brushed (or rollered) with glue and placed together. The top surface is also coated with glue to act as a lubricant. The "hammer" is then pushed across the surface from the center to force out the excess glue. The glue will begin to cool and gel immediately and hold the veneer in place. If the surface is large, then make sure the surfaces are warm and having a heat source, (heat lamp, etc) will keep the working time longer. It is not necessary to buy a commercial veneer hammer, a block of wood with a smooth edge will work.

Oh, I love the internet.

The basics of modern laminating were developed in the old days with furniture makers laminating veneers this way. Today I still use those techniques with modern glues and the blocks of wood. Of course because of modern glues, heat is actually not desired, but compressive pressure is required, and removing bubbles trapped between the laminate and the substrate is critical. The old time tested tricks are still widely used.

I can see where that comment of yours is leading

Sometimes depending on the size of the bubble or the buckle.. (usually a large bubble), when you put the glue in, you can end up with a tad more in there than you really need, or that is really helpful. And you are going to get squeeze out as well as the possibility of remaining trapped air and again a resulting bubble in the repair.

By utilizing a small hand roller, or a rounded off block of wood, you can "hammer" the excess glue out, by forcing it toward the opening. George, I am beginning to like that term With the caesin glues you can do this and have considerable working time. With hot hide glues you can also do this as you have a reasonable working time, especially if you can position a small electric heat gun near enough to keep the hide glue still fluid but not so close as to dry out the veneer and crack it...Then once the glue is forced out, you have cleaned it up with a slightly wet clean cloth (not your finger ), apply the wax paper, sheet goods and weight. You can also apply the requisite pressure with bar clamps and cawls, but that is a whole different technique.

[George Willer]

Rudi,

Hammer veneering is the technique I used mostly for musical instrument repairing. It works especially well with hide glue when replacing veneer. I prefer a veneer hammer to a roller because it has less tendency to lift the veneer.

I mentioned it to suggest that heat can sometimes be used when repairing... provided the loose veneer isn't caused by mildew or other glue failure. It's a good idea to use your own iron for the heat. Ladies don't like glue on their irons.

A hypodermic needle filled with white glue can also be useful for very small areas. White glue is also heat sensitive.

http://members.toast.net/gwill/music.html

[Rudi]

George:

An oak block that has been through my router table with a bull-nose bit is what I use for the rollering/hammering technique when not working with laminates. For plastic laminates a roller works rather well, but that is more for commercial stuff than as a application in the small home shop. It especially would not apply to a luthiers shop. Also, Hypodermics are an integral part of my wooden tool boxes.. , they have so many uses from removing bubbles in veneer (yup.. works some slick), to injecting glue, removing plastic laminate (in small areas where perfection is critical), and many more

My daughter Kristina had a project for a musical instrument last year. It won first prize in her school science class.. and had she been well enough to attend the provincials her professors thought it would be good enough to make it into the top 5...

She wants to be a luthier either professionally or at least as a passion.. and as her health warrants, she is with me in the shop..

This particular project emanated from her desire to learn how to play, and she has taken my love of music and made it her passion, learning how to play the guitar in 6 months.. So it was a natural for her to choose a stringed instrument for her science project. One of the qualifiers was to make something unknown, or new.... so Em, Kristina and I banged our heads together for a bit.. and we came up with this:



Any idea what it is made from

As usual, you are a font of much information, and I always learn something new from you in almost every post in just about every forum. I look forward to your musings and I especially enjoy the specialties that we share...