Hammer5573 Posted November 19, 2022 Report Share Posted November 19, 2022 I completed this grandfather clock and was preparing to insert the clock mechanism when I noticed two air bubbles in the veneer near the bottom. I’ve had bubbles occur before and I was meticulous about preventing them during the veneering process, but they still occurred. I didn’t really notice them until after I applied the lacquer finish. I know that the accepted procedure is to cut a slight opening in the veneer, apply glue using a syringe and then clamp. I would like to avoid this if there is a better way. Any suggestions…??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 19, 2022 Report Share Posted November 19, 2022 What did you use to apply the veneer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer5573 Posted November 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2022 On 11/19/2022 at 10:31 AM, BillyJack said: What did you use to apply the veneer? I used Unibond because it doesn’t bleed through on the Babinga burl like yellow glue does. I have a vacuum system but I elected to use clamps and 0.75” thick plywood thinking that I could create more compression force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 19, 2022 Report Share Posted November 19, 2022 It would be "slice and dice" for me. A lot of time Lacquer based products caused problem. Reactivation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 19, 2022 Report Share Posted November 19, 2022 Never underestimate a vacuum. A 1 square foot piece would recieve 14.7 psi * 144 square inches. That's more than a ton of force, really hard to achieve evenly with woodworking clamps. Have to agree with @BillyJack, cut & inject glue is the only repair I can imagine. The real trick will be clamping it flat, unless you can still disassemble that panel from the carcass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer5573 Posted November 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2022 Any chance that injecting glue followed by a hot iron application would work.....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Does Unibond reactivate with heat? I've never used it. If you inject fresh glue, I imagine it would need to dry from its liquid form before heat would help anything. You reallyneed a way to hold tge bubbles flat as the new glue dries. Are the bubbles flexible? If not, there may be solidified glue fillibg them. Would it be possible for a 'long reach' set of clamp jaws to reach up from the bottom to compress the bubbles, or is there a floor in that box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjeff70 Posted November 20, 2022 Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 Killenwood on YouTube does a lot of veneering, producing period furniture reproductions. He faithfully uses hot hide glue. An old technique that no one seems to like today. That’s a great looking clock. All the plans I’ve seen so far for tall case clocks have to be modified because they are unappealing. I think the federal period produced the most attractive clocks but plans are scarce to non-existing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted November 21, 2022 Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 I don't know if it's possible to get a syringe with a sharp needle but thin CA glue and a sharp needle might get you through the veneer. inject glue sparingly and then try and get some sort of clamping force on there. It appears the base is already assembled so i doubt you can remove the panel to get it into a vacuum bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 21, 2022 Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 Sometimes when you apply finish it can cause bubbling. The finish sometimes can harden the veneer and almost impossible to get it to re stick Are the bubbles soft or hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer5573 Posted November 21, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 On 11/21/2022 at 10:31 AM, BillyJack said: Sometimes when you apply finish it can cause bubbling. The finish sometimes can harden the veneer and almost impossible to get it to re stick Are the bubbles soft or hard? That is great to know because I used a copious amount of glue and many clamps during the glue-up. There were no bubbles when I inspected it prior to installation. The bubbles are soft. The base is completely enclosed, and the panel cannot be removed. I'm currently investigating my options for clamping and I'm not comfortable with how I'd do it. I may just have to live with the bubbles rather than cause an even bigger problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 21, 2022 Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 You never know. They might disappear once exposed to the home air and heat.. What was the material you veneered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer5573 Posted November 21, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 On 11/21/2022 at 11:56 AM, BillyJack said: What was the material you veneered? As I remember, the substrate was MDF with a cherry border Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted November 22, 2022 Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 21 hours ago, Hammer5573 said: I'm currently investigating my options for clamping and I'm not comfortable with how I'd do it. Use plenty of cauls and I have padded finished work from marks with old bath towels or bed sheets. I have a pile of utility use towels and sheets saved for just this purpose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mark J Posted November 23, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 23, 2022 Consider, too, that there might be some glue squeeze out, so some kind of non-stick barrier between the cauls and bubble might be advisable. e.g. aluminum foil, silicone rubber pad. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.