Fun with Wood Veneer! - 4 Way Book Match

[@jahmahrahsafilli3853]

Hi there, very nice. Just to say many years ago,I was taught a variant of book matching by a great old cabinet maker.whereby you line up and tape your veneer overlapping but do not cut it yet,then whilst glueing down, you then cut through both pieces, and then just raise the piece with the overlap and peel out the underlying strip. You don’t need to sand square and It gives a finer joint you see. Best Wishes all

[@57hound]

Fascinating how you use the mirrors to preview different matching options.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Yes, that method is tried, true, and very effective!! It even works for radial veneer matches. Hold the mirrors at a 60 degree angle to each other and you will see what 6 pieces would look like. Or, maybe a 30 degree angle to see what 12 pieces would look like.

[@57hound]

Jack Bench Woodworking thanks for the additional info!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

You are very welcome!

[@chadlowrance3999]

loving this series just wish i had seen it 2 weeks ago. i could have used this info. on my project i just finished. thanks charlie for the knowledge you share.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Glad you liked it, Chad!

[@bobputman5947]

dang it Charlie, you got me all juiced up, i love walnut......that burl is killer.....im going to be making a walnut counter top next week, I've had the wood in my shop resting and acclimating, ill send you a picture when its done

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I would love to see the pictures!!

[@doubledarefan]

If you don't already, you'll have to do a Viewer Projects section at the end of some of your vids a la Matt Cremona.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks! Yes, I do show viewer projects on my shop updates. Send me a photo!

[@chuckhart8970]

Good information Jack. Like that you are doing this series and making it look easy to do.

[@chuckhart8970]

Sorry Charlie

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Chuck!!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I missed something!

[@franksolem7094]

That might be the coolest thing I've ever seen :) True craftsmanship!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Wow! Thanks for the nice compliment, Frank!!

[@Pepsi_Please]

Who woulda thunk? I am truly amazed. I really enjoyed this video. Especially the way you light up with the excitement of a child. The passion you have in your craft really shows. New subber! 👍😊

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I'm glad you liked it. That is a wonderful compliment, thanks so much!

[@Pepsi_Please]

Jack Bench Woodworking .... Wow! You replied. You're so very welcome. 😊

[@ragtie6177]

Great episode on book matching & technique.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank you so much!

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Hey Charlie, I'm loving this veneering series!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Phil, I am so glad to hear that!

[@AndrewKleinWW]

Really cool technique, always wondered how that was done.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Andy!

[@kateshybut5484]

Thank you from Russia. Very informative.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Kate Shybut Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

[@timshea5046]

I just got into veneering and found you're video very helpful. Thanks Tim Final Stage Designs

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Tim! I appreciate the feedback.

[@GuysShop]

Again, very good info Charlie. Thanks for putting this together and sharing with everyone!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Dude!

[@belovedplis1090]

Fantastic!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Many thanks!

[@thomasschrunk1269]

Some good basic information here.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Tom!!!

[@columbiaoms6506]

Very nice!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!

[@tompritch56]

Thanks for sharing, that is some fantastic information. I can't wait now to try that. Thanks again..Happy Holidays.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Tom, as always please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about these techniques.

[@michaelbrindle7154]

Great vid as usual Charlie!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thank you so much!

[@68shiloh]

A great video, thanks for sharing.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks David, I am glad you liked it

[@donnythedart]

Thanks for all the info and a great video!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Donnie!

[@timothyleach4347]

You got my interest. Great videos. What started my interest is a piece of furniture probably from the early 50's where the top veneer has finally separate from the wood underneath. Do you have a video that goes over this kind of situation compared to working with veneer and a piece of plywood, etc? I may not be able to remove the top wood piece from the rest of the furniture. In that case, I would have to clamp from top to bottom 33".

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI Timothy, I don't have any videos that cover that situation. However, there are a few different ways to approach it. First, can the existing veneer be repaired to your satisfaction? IF you can find some paper backed veneer that matches the piece, then you could adhere it with contact cement. However, contact cement is not recommended for regular, raw, veneer. Another thing that might work would be to iron the new veneer on. Basically, you coat the substrate and the veneer with yellow glue and let it dry, or almost dry. Then slowly heat the veneer with a clothes iron. The trick to ironing on a large surface is to "follow" the iron with a piece of mdf or plywood. Pressing a piece of mdf on to the freshly ironed veneer holds it in place until the glue cools off. Try practicing on some scrap wood until you're comfortable enough to try it on the real thing.

[@ruben9912]

Thanks for this Jack! Looking forward to trying out your technique on my next assignment (we're making dovetailed chests) in tradeschool! They do it a little different over there, they teach us to alternate our cut sides so that the angle of the cuts mesh together. Gets a bit complicated after X amount of cuts tho..

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Ruben! I would be interested in how the instructors at your school would do a 4 way book match.

[@ruben9912]

Jack Bench Woodworking I'll ask n give you a description as best I can :)

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!

[@fotoguy430]

I really enjoyed your video. I am new to veneering so I am trying to educate myself as much as possible. I am getting ready to make coffee table and am using walnut burl. The veneer is already pretty flat, but should I flatten it further? It looks about as flat as what you used in the video.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Daryl, I'm glad you liked the video. From what you describe, I think you're probably okay without further flattening. 😀

[@MichaelLawing]

Great tutorial, Charlie!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks for watching, Michael!

[@TR4zest]

Very well done. I'm subscribed!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks for watching and for subscribing, Brian!

[@stevecollins9450]

Good info there, Charlie.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks for watching, Steve. I am glad you liked it!

[@KSFWG]

That looks great, Charlie! You make it look too dang easy. :)

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I am very glad to hear that you liked my video!

[@jacknissen6040]

Planning a Gerstner style toolbox, veneer would be great but can only cut on table saw.

[@MrPysiaki]

Sweet!

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Hi ya Charlie, quick question for you: I have you heard of an old school veneer softening recipe that Calls 4 parts water, 2 parts Elmer's white glue, 1 part Glycerine, 1 part denatured alcohol? First day change paper towel or resin paper, 3 times under pressure, second day change paper towel 3 time a day, on the third full the veneer should be ready to use! My uncle is 40 years experience fine furniture maker gave it to me. He had stopped and saw that I was taking my 4 way book matching veneer panel out of my manual vacuum pump bag and was highly disappointed! I would have coming out prefect if not for the veneer seams bubbling up the rest was dead flat on the substrate! Maybe you should do a video on how to flatten burl veneer using MDF platen and clamping cauls?

[@GibClark]

nice vid Charlie !!!!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Gib!

[@68shiloh]

Jack I really enjoyed your veneer series, thanks for sharing. I was wondering what size mirrors do you recommend?

[@ESCAGEDOWOODWORKING]

I love the tips!! Thank you for sharing Jack Bench...>>>>

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Eloy!! Glad you liked it.

[@ESCAGEDOWOODWORKING]

I enjoyed it!!

[@lrdnvdv]

thank yo

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Cool!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!!

[@kennethbishop3188]

Thanks! Great video. I want to book match some very wavy burl. I soaked the pieces with veneer softener and clamped in caulks but they are still not really flat. How do I cut good joints?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I'm glad you liked the video. The veneer doesn't have to be "perfectly" flat, but it does have to be pretty darn close. Sometimes I can flatten veneer with a household clothing iron. The trick to this is to follow the iron with a piece of MDF, particle board or plywood. Iron a small area and then pull the follower over the warm veneer. The idea is to hold the veneer flat until it is cool again.

[@markscheiner3952]

Great video Jack. Thanks for posting. Quick question. After you’ve paired up the first half is there anything you do to ensure the second pair are joined perfectly to match the first pair, before you join the two ends to make it a four way book Match? Cheers

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI Mark, I look for the same distinctive marks and match all four pieces to those points. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching!

[@thomastieffenbacherdocsava1549]

Nice Job! Where did you buy your burl veneer? How many cfm is needed to work with the vacuum bag? Oh Yeah where did you purchase yours?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI Tom, I am not sure where I got that, probably Certainly Wood. Not sure about minimum cfm requirements, but you don't need very much. I got my pump on ebay and it way exceeds the minimum needed. However, I looked on Amazon recently and you can buy a brand new vacuum pump for under $60!!!

[@civil2912]

Looks amazing! Where can you get veneer like that?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Miles! My favorite source for veneer is Certainly Wood.

[@paulyanney3151]

I noticed your bag was much bigger then panel you were gluing but you didn’t seal the extra part of the bag?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI Paul, the bag is only open on one end, so I only have to seal it at that one point.

[@68shiloh]

Jack what size mirrors do you suggest?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Hi David, I like to use mirrors that are about 12"x12". But, I have used other sizes with no problem.

[@mckaybell4274]

Where do you get your veneers from

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Hi, my favorite places to buy veneer are certainlywood.com/ and www.veneersupplies.com/

[@markpower8805]

Thought for a second I saw Pennywise ... brrr

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

LOL!! That's funny, and scary!

[@jerseycornboy]

What is the purpose of putting veneer tape on show surface seems to be a wasted step as I have found in my practice

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I don't know how I would hold the veneer together for glue up without some kind of tape on the show side. Are you referring to the back side? I agree that using masking tape on the back side before taping the show side DOES seem like an extra step that might be avoided. I do still use masking tape on the back prior to using paper veneer tape on the front side. Sometimes, I will just use masking tape on the show side and skip the paper tape altogether. The risk of this is that the veneer can be damaged while removing the masking tape after the panel is pressed together.

[@chadlowrance3999]

hey charlie ill send you the before and after pics. if youll send me a link to.

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks!! Please send them to me at: [e-mail]

[@jimmpanik3402]

Great video series. Very helpful to us noobs. Q: What is the point of the veneer tape? I just use the blue painter tape and it seems to work fine. Is this white tape doing something I'm not aware of?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Hi Jimm, The veneer tape holds better than masking tape. Also, sometimes masking tape is difficult to remove after its been in a vacuum bag. The newer masking tape is better than the stuff they made years ago. If the blue tape that you are using works for you, then you don't need traditional veneer tape.

[@chaddydaddycomputers8794]

Are you all polite Canadians, or what? I see a huge piece missing from the bottom... I think, when you are wood working, you should always use as much as possible (never undercut your project, yet cool tricks).

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

Thanks Chad, I do try to be polite!

[@andersliljevall2946]

I would like to see how to make the edges or maybe you say borders. To make the wood look solid

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

If you mean the edges of the substrate (plywood, etc), then there are a few ways to deal with it. One way is to glue veneer around the edges. Another way is to glue matching or similar hardwood around the edges. With hardwood, you can before or after you apply the veneer, depending on the look that you want.

[@68shiloh]

A great video, thanks for sharing.

[@68shiloh]

Jack I really enjoyed your veneer series, thanks for sharing. I was wondering what size mirrors do you recommend?

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Hi ya Charlie, quick question for you: I have you heard of an old school veneer softening recipe that Calls 4 parts water, 2 parts Elmer's white glue, 1 part Glycerine, 1 part denatured alcohol? First day change paper towel or resin paper, 3 times under pressure, second day change paper towel 3 time a day, on the third full the veneer should be ready to use! My uncle is 40 years experience fine furniture maker gave it to me. He had stopped and saw that I was taking my 4 way book matching veneer panel out of my manual vacuum pump bag and was highly disappointed! I would have coming out prefect if not for the veneer seams bubbling up the rest was dead flat on the substrate! Maybe you should do a video on how to flatten burl veneer using MDF platen and clamping cauls?

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

HI Phil, yes that is tried a tried and true formula. You can also buy commercial veneer softeners and they work very well. If your veneer wasn't flat before you put it in the bag then that is almost certainly why it turned out that way. Some veneers press more easily than others and some are more prone to bubbling once the moisture from the glue hits them. It sometimes helps to put a thin caul over the top of your panel when you put it into the press. I will use 1/8" plywood for this. Be sure to wax the side of the caul that touches the panel to ensure that they don't stick together. I have also had good luck repairing bubbles like that. If it is bubbled or loose when I take it out of the press then I will do what I can to add more clamping pressure to those areas. Sometimes I will just put it back in the bag for a while longer and other times I will clamp a block over the top of the bubble with regular screw clamps. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching! Charlie

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Thanks charlie, very useful informative I just hated wasting expensive material like maple burl veneer. Actually, I was shocked that the rest of the panel came out so flat and smooth! Then looked at the joints were I had veneer tape and surprised that all 4 centered joints bubbled and lifted of the substrate. I will try to see if I can find commercial veneer softener, If not I use the recipe my uncle gave me (just something I never heard of before) I should known better than to question my uncle!! lol thanks for the helpful advice!

[@JackbenchWoodworking]

I usually don't do this, but you can actually edge glue the veneer pieces together before pressing them. Just spread a little glue along the edges and "clamp" them together with blue tape. Usually this is unnecessary, but if you have problematic veneer then it might be worth a try.

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Thanks Charlie! Sound advice!