Do-it-yourself veneering. Veneering at home

One of the significant disadvantages of wood is that it quickly loses its attractiveness. Even if the conditions for its storage and use of lumber products are the most favorable, over time the surfaces inevitably change color and “fade,” that is, the wood loses its original appearance.

Many technologies have been developed for restoration and renovation of furniture and structural elements. One of them is veneering (the term veneering is sometimes used), which is quite accessible for DIY implementation.

The need for veneer finishing

Plywood is a type of laminated lumber made from natural wood. But, despite its natural origin, the raw materials for the production of plywood are inexpensive wood species with an inexpressive fiber texture and an insufficiently attractive color.

In order to refine inexpensive material, rare or even valuable species are glued on top. As a result, the price of lumber increases slightly, while the aesthetic design improves significantly.

Finished veneered plywood and products made from it look as if they were made entirely from rare wood. However, along with a more attractive and solid appearance, as a result of veneer finishing, plywood acquires improved technical and operational properties.

Furniture made from inexpensive materials (MDF, chipboard, plywood) can be given a noble appearance by imitating their surfaces to resemble solid wood. To do this, you need to learn how to glue veneer in order to achieve a high-quality result.

Peculiarities

Products made of plywood with veneer finish look as if they were made of natural wood.

In addition to its noble and naturalistic appearance, veneered material also has a lot of advantages that manifest themselves during the use of the product.

Depending on the manufacturing technology, veneer material is divided into several types.

Peeled - it is obtained by cutting a thin layer of wood at the moment when thin plates of material are cut from a log clamped on a special machine. Veneer is cut strictly in the direction of its grain. Alder, pine, oak or birch are subjected to similar processing. This type of veneer is used for facing and furniture materials.

Sawn - this type of veneer is obtained on a machine equipped with sawing blades, their number is up to 20 units. After passing through such blades, the log is sawn into thin and even pieces. Sawn veneer has a high degree of wear resistance. Soft coniferous wood is subjected to this type of treatment. Finished lumber is used for the production of musical instruments, parquet boards, and expensive designer furniture.

Planed - made from hard and valuable wood. Mahogany, oak, and beech are processed. The process of cutting layers is performed on a machine. The layers are carefully cut with special knives perpendicular to the grain. As a result of this processing, high-quality and thin wood veneer is obtained. It is used to make expensive door panels and exclusive furniture.

In production where plywood is veneered, sliced veneer is most often used. Before cladding begins, the wood material is cleaned and thoroughly sanded. After this, the veneer must be cut according to the parameters of the surface being veneered.

Then the adhesive composition, which consists of a base and a polymerization hardener, is distributed onto this surface. Once the glue is evenly applied, the working surface is covered with a thin layer of veneer.

For its strong adhesion, the workpiece is sent under a press, where under the influence of high temperatures the surface of the product is leveled, and the veneer is firmly connected to the plywood. Excess adhesive that may form on the edges of the workpiece is removed by grinding. When the veneering process is completed, the product is treated with varnish - matte or glossy. The varnish will protect the product from mechanical stress and contamination.

Veneered material has a number of advantages compared to conventional plywood:

attractive appearance;
resistance to environmental influences;
large selection of colors and wood textures;
the ability to combine different textures and colors of materials in one product;
low cost of products compared to solid wood.

But no matter how high-quality veneered plywood is, it requires careful handling.

In terms of its resistance to mechanical stress, it is, of course, inferior to solid wood.

Purpose of veneer

Veneer is a thin plate of natural wood obtained by peeling, planing or cutting. This material preserves the texture and decor of wood, which allows you to give the renewed surfaces the sophistication of ash, the presentability of oak, the splendor of mahogany, the delicacy of birch, etc.

The main purpose of veneer in a home interior is the cladding of doors and furniture. If necessary, cornices, portals of decorative fireplaces, picture frames and mirrors are finished in wood. If an apartment renovation project involves the use of wooden wall panels, then in this situation, veneer glued to a cheaper material will cost less.

Preparation and cutting of material

Next, you need to buy the material (usually veneer is sold by the meter) and cut it. The rolls must first be straightened so that the veneer becomes smooth and takes on a natural shape. For faster straightening, you can moisten the sheets with a wet sponge and place them between layers of drywall and plywood.

The fabric must be measured carefully. Then you can cut, leaving a 5 cm allowance on each side. This will help avoid problems if the measurement was incorrect. Cut the material with a plunge-cut saw or plywood knife. It is best to use an electric professional tool, so all the cuts will be accurate and beautiful. It is forbidden to use scissors: they provoke the appearance of cracks in the material. Veneer in the form of strips, planks must be selected according to the pattern, the sheets must be glued with adhesive tape along the joints and perpendicular lines.

Preparatory work

Items on which veneer is to be glued must be wood-based. The doors are removed, decorative elements are removed, and the fittings are unscrewed. The old coating is removed with a heated spatula. All surfaces are carefully checked.

If coniferous materials were used as a base, it is necessary to treat the places where resin leaks appeared. They are cleaned with a knife and wiped with 25% acetone (you can prepare a solution of soda ash for this purpose).

Existing knots to which the veneer does not adhere well are first removed. The remaining small recesses are filled with putty. For large holes, corks from chipboard are cut to shape and placed on glue. If defects in the form of chips, cracks, or gouges are detected on the prepared surface, they are puttied with a special compound for wood. After the putty has dried, sanding is carried out.

First, fine construction sandpaper is used, and then zero-grade sandpaper is taken. The prepared base after sanding should have a velvety, slightly rough surface, ensuring better adhesion of the glue. The last step is degreasing.

The next step is preparing the veneer. It is unpacked and the sheets are laid out on a horizontal plane. This will allow you to study the texture pattern and select individual fragments to obtain a complete image. If you have artistic taste, you can select interesting combinations from different wood species.

Selected and carefully joined sheets are connected at the joints with adhesive tape. The total size of the set should be approximately 10 mm on each side larger than the surface prepared for gluing.

If the material was rolled up, after rolling it out on a horizontal, flat surface, it is necessary to evenly moisten it with a sponge, spread paper on top, which will absorb moisture, and lay a sheet of chipboard (plywood, MDF).

Without the skills to feel how to properly glue veneer, it is advisable to start with surfaces that have small dimensions and are not façade, for example, shelves.

From the video you will learn more:

Features of processing slabs before laying on the floor

To obtain a high-quality result when installing sheets on a horizontal base, it is necessary to take into account some nuances of applying a protective coating:

The panels should not have high residual moisture; acclimatization of the material for at least 24 hours is required. It is necessary to ensure ventilation of the sheets, so they are placed horizontally. To do this, wooden blocks are laid between the panels. High-quality grinding reduces composition consumption and promotes the formation of a reliable film. The ends should also not have a burr. Impregnation is carried out with the most suitable material according to the instructions

Particular attention is paid to the side that will face the base.

After laying the plywood covering on the floor, the surface must be sanded and primed, then covered with several layers of a protective composition, most often wax or varnish

It is taken into account that processing is carried out after cutting the product into the required size parts.

Bonding methods

Studying information on how to glue veneer, we can distinguish three main methods for carrying out this operation.

Watch the video to find out more:

Cold contact method

Involves the use of contact adhesive, characterized by a short period of exposure and setting. Because of these features, problems may arise when applying the method to large planes, since it will be impossible to correct inaccuracies when applying veneer, which very quickly sticks to the base. Important for high-quality veneer gluing is the compression force applied at the initial moment. The contact method is not recommended for large planes, being considered the most difficult, but it does not require the use of additional devices.

Cold gluing method with pressing

When it is used mainly on small objects, the glued veneer is fixed to the base with a clamp and the time necessary for the glue to fully set is maintained.

Hot gluing method

The layer of glue applied to the planes to be glued must dry for some time. Then the veneer is carefully and precisely applied, which, using a heated lapping hammer or iron, is straightened from the center to the edges along the grain. Due to the high temperature (≈ 150°C), the glue melts and provides reliable, uniform gluing.

Find out more from the video:

When using this method, it is necessary to take into account that the glue is taken with a thick consistency. During grinding, it is recommended to moisten the veneer with warm water, preventing the glue from drying out excessively. If during work, in places where the layer of glue was insufficient, swellings form, then it is necessary to make a small incision in the air bubble with a blade, introduce a little adhesive and rub it in.

When determining the algorithm for gluing veneer at home, to achieve high quality, it is necessary to first glue the side edges. A veneer plate with 10mm allowances is glued onto the façade planes, which are then carefully cut and sanded.

Before gluing veneer from the rarest and most expensive wood species onto a particle board, it is advisable to first glue cotton fabric or cheap veneer to the base as an intermediate layer.

To avoid deformation of the finished cladding due to different shrinkage of the material from which the item being renewed is made and the veneer, it is advisable to glue it across the fibers of the base.

The veneer is sanded along the grain using sandpaper No. 3. After the entire surface is cleaned of dust, the veneer is immediately varnished to avoid its possible peeling due to its ability to absorb moisture. You can use quick-drying transparent furniture nitro varnish.

If you follow the rules for gluing veneer, you can independently update the interior by upgrading furniture and other items with a beautiful finish that imitates the texture of valuable wood species. It will cost less than purchasing new furniture, and the effect will be no less impressive.

Once, at one of the “shabits”, I noticed a huge oak table in the owner’s garage, with massive cabinets, drawers, one of which even had a secret drawer. The table is covered with green cloth, reminiscent of the covering of a billiard table.

According to the hostess, the table was “with history,” and almost Stalin was sitting at it.

His son brought it to her from Abkhazia, after another Soviet sanatorium there was liquidated and everything they could was taken away.

Despite the fact that it was all worn out and the cloth was torn in several places, the table looked great. It was finished with the finest natural veneer, which in narrow places (front and end surfaces of drawers, doors, tabletop trim) was almost completely worn off, but the rest of the veneer finishing of such parts as sidewalls and partitions was almost not damaged.

I bought the table from the owner, and even then I had to learn the technology of veneering, which turned out to be not so complicated - I had to run around the shops longer, choosing veneer that would look like “aged” and would match the “Stalinist” in color. At that time, I couldn’t find the required veneer in stores at all; I had to start searching on the Internet, as a result of which I got a pack of veneer of the required shade, also, by the way, still made in the Soviet Union. By the way, I also bought the cloth on the Internet, ordered it from a man who makes excellent billiard tables with his own hands to order (at first he refused, but then, having learned what kind of table we were talking about, he immediately sent it, and took the money only for the cost price, for which I bow to him).

The table, however, didn’t stay with me for long - it’s not intended for apartments - it’s too big, and my ex-girlfriend demanded that I get rid of it, so I had to sell it.

But the technology of veneer finishing or veneering (veneering) can be useful not for such rare furniture, but simply for any furniture that you make with your own hands - after veneering it looks amazing.

Additional Tips

Professionals shared some useful recommendations that will help avoid unpleasant moments; before ironing the veneer with an iron, you should apply a cotton cloth, this way the material will be more protected from scorching.

When sanding the base, you should take coarse sandpaper and gradually move on to a finer stone. It is allowed to sand wood only along the grain, and a soldering iron with a thin tip will help to cope with heating the edges of the material or hard-to-reach places.

Veneering techniques and technology

Finishing with valuable wood veneers is a quick way to give a product made from ordinary plywood an elegant appearance.

This article will help you veneer a large product, for example, a wall table (read about how to make it yourself in one of the following articles in the “Furniture” section).

Editing veneer sheets

Natural solid wood veneer is so thin that it “remembers” how it was stored. Therefore, before working with it, the veneer leaves need to be straightened - to make them as flat as possible. Most often, the leaves will be curled or warped. This especially applies to veneer made from valuable species.

It is not very difficult to straighten the veneer.

To do this, use a small amount of water - just wet the back side of the veneer

with a damp sponge. The veneer will react almost immediately. But perhaps not as it should (it may curl like bacon in a roll). This is where the principle of flat laying comes into play. Simply place the veneer between sheets of plywood and press down the package with a weight (Fig. 1).

Note. To absorb excess moisture, place a layer of wrapping paper above and below the veneer.

Editing edges

Natural veneer is sold (nowadays you can buy veneer for almost any type of wood for veneering) in sheets of different widths (usually no wider than 300 mm). This means that in order to veneer large surfaces

, for example, the cover of a wall table, the leaves need to be fused. And to do this you need to straighten the edge of each leaf. Do not try to do this with a sharp utility knife along the ruler, as halfway the knife will choose the direction of the veneer grain rather than follow the ruler. Use a planer. Take two 50x150 mm boards and use clamps to clamp the veneer between them (Fig. 2). To get the necessary

Joining veneer sheets

If you use contact adhesive (it sticks almost instantly), it is difficult to get an unnoticeable, even seam. Use the edge pre-gluing method. The thickness of natural veneer is usually 0.8-1.0 mm, which is quite enough for gluing edges with PVA glue (Fig. 3).

Note. Transparent tape makes it easy to check the quality of the seam.

Core preparation

While the glue on the edges is drying, prepare the core (the material to which the veneer is glued). As a core, you can use maple, birch plywood, MDF, chipboard or dense fiberboard.

When gluing veneer, two rules must be observed: firstly, the veneer fibers must run across the core fibers, and secondly, the size of the veneer sheet must be slightly larger than the size of the core.

Note. If the veneer panel does not need to be mounted in a frame (for example, on the side walls of a cabinet), it is advisable to veneer both sides of the panel to protect the core from warping. The core must be cut to size in advance. The protruding veneer can be trimmed later.

Gluing veneer

When using contact adhesive, you do not need the clamps or clamps that are required when using other adhesives. Contact adhesive is sold in two types - water-based and .

When using water-based glue, there is a possibility that the seams on the veneer may come apart as the glue dries. This is due to the initial swelling of the veneer and its subsequent shrinkage as it dries.

Solvent-based contact adhesive does not have these disadvantages: with it, the veneer does not expand. This glue is easy to apply. Using a brush, apply an even layer to the core and veneer. When the glue has dried (usually it takes 15 minutes), a second layer is applied to the first layer of glue, and both glued surfaces are combined with light pressure. Please note that the veneer must be laid the first time.

To properly align the core and veneer, place sheets of wax paper between them. This way you can slide the veneer into position, then remove the paper from under the veneer and press it into place. For pressing, a heavy rubber roller is used, which is used to roll the veneer, starting from the joint lines to the sides. As a result, all air bubbles from under the veneer come out.

Sawing parts with veneer to size

When the veneer is glued to the core, you can cut the panel to size using a circular saw (Fig. 5). To keep veneer chipping to a minimum, you should use a disc with at least 50 teeth.

Note. If both sides of the panel are veneered, circular sawing is not suitable. Use a router with an edge bit instead, and you can trim both sides without breaking the veneer protruding beyond the core (Fig. 6).

Common Mistakes

Beginners often make offensive mistakes by choosing a gluing composition that is too liquid; the excess gradually seeps through the wood structure and stains the furniture. Partial peeling of the material also occurs due to the fault of the master, who unevenly distributed the glue.

The formation of bubbles is fraught with swelling of the surface and rapid damage to property; such errors occur due to greasy stains on the workpieces; you need to work on the base first.

Veneer finishing - technology

Veneer can be finished like solid wood. First, the panel is cleaned to remove fingerprints and traces of contact adhesive (read more). Remember that you cannot clean the same place for too long (especially with a sander), otherwise you will quickly wear through the thin veneer!

Finally, cover the veneer with stain and varnish, as is usually done on any product.

The photo shows the techniques and technology of finishing with veneer-veneering. The numbers indicate the stages of finishing:

Editing sheets
. Place the veneer between sheets of plywood, press down on top with a weight and leave overnight.
Straightening the edges
. To get an invisible seam, you need to straighten the edges of the veneer sheets being joined. Clamp them between the scraps of boards and run the whole bunch through the planer.
Gluing veneer edges
. To join the veneer sheets, apply a thin layer of glue to the edges with a brush.
Connecting parts
. When joining sheets of veneer end-to-end, before the glue hardens, glue them together with adhesive tape.
Sawing to size
. Using a circular saw, cut out the core with glued veneer to size. To keep chipping to a minimum (especially when cutting crosswise), saw with a fine-toothed blade.
Trimming with a cutter
. Trim the veneer protruding beyond the core with an edge mill. Mill counterclockwise.

There is no definition of the term “veneering” in various dictionaries. In essence, it means pasting materials with the thinnest layer of decorative wood-based coating. In principle (if you don’t go into specific details) this is the same lamination technology. The only difference is that, as a rule, products (objects, structural parts) made of wood are subjected to such surface finishing.

Veneer has a certain classification. Differences in production technology, as well as durability and specific use. A detailed description of the groups is unlikely to interest the reader. It is enough to note that if you plan to finish furniture with your own hands, then it is advisable to focus on peeled veneer (a natural product)

and fine line (the so-called reconstructed modification).

They have a lot in common - ease of working with the products (the layer is very thin), a variety of textures (especially fine-line modifications) and an affordable price.

Veneering technology is applied not only to wood, but also to materials (sheet, slab) based on it - chipboard, OSV and a number of others.

Therefore, talking only about furniture restoration is not entirely correct. With the help of veneer, you can give a “second life” to old door jambs and panels, wall panels, countertops - there are plenty of options for using such finishing.

There are several technologies for fixing veneer. There is only one available for DIY implementation - “hot”, which is based on the use of glue. This technology. The other two require special equipment and are not suitable for home use.

How is veneered MDF made?

The production of such material is a rather labor-intensive process, but with the help of high-tech equipment and the skill of workers, excellent results are achieved.
The enterprises use fully automatic mechanisms and high-quality raw materials. Natural veneer arrives at factories in rolls or bundles; packaging is carried out taking into account the required dimensions and properties that will distinguish the final product. Experienced craftsmen place prepared veneer sheets on the MDF surface prepared and treated with a special adhesive composition. When using rolled raw materials, gluing is carried out in one step. When gluing veneer, which is brought in packs, a special technology is used. It consists of longitudinal and transverse gluing, which resembles a fish bone. There are other gluing methods. But all processes are strictly controlled by workers and with the help of a computer, which carries out measurements and settings. The veneer is glued onto MDF boards using an adhesive. The next step is drying under a press, after which the surface still needs to be sanded and varnished. Today, many industries use a drying press at high temperatures. It makes it possible to glue veneer onto many MDF boards in a short time, therefore, much less time and money is spent on warehouses for drying the final product. If the MDF surface is uneven, for example, on shaped door panels, the vacuum gluing technique is used. However, this process is more expensive and time consuming.

After all these procedures, the resulting veneer board must be sanded first across and then along. Only after this a perfectly smooth surface is obtained. In addition, in order for the varnish to lay down more evenly, the veneered surface must be ironed with a hot roller. This must be done because there is a possibility of wood fibers rising on the veneer during the application of paints and varnishes. As a result, bumps or depressions may form on the painted surface, which greatly spoil the appearance and quality of the final product. For this reason, ironing technology is used, during which excess fibers are soldered to the surface, and it becomes completely smooth.

The slab is painted with transparent or opaque varnish, colored paint, and also special wax.

The most versatile material, widely used in the manufacture of furniture and no less actively used in the construction industry, MDF is characterized by a wide range of colors, excellent technical parameters and a fairly affordable cost.

Manufacturers, taking into account the two most extensive areas of use, offer this material in the form of sheets and panels. Both options have excellent qualities and long service life

Hot veneer technology

Preparing the base

Removing fittings (if any) and structural parts. For example, a peephole from a door leaf, the rim of a keyhole.
Dismantling the old layer of finishing on a wooden surface. It’s easy to decide what you’ll need – a spatula, an iron for heating the coating, and so on.
Elimination of existing base defects. Methods and materials are selected based on their nature and “depth”. Basically, grouting agents, putties and adhesives are sufficient. Upon completion of the work, the base is carefully sanded so that no bulges, dents or folds are formed when the veneer is applied.

Veneer preparation

Editing sheets. This thin finishing material is sold in rolls. Consequently, when straightened, it will try to return to its original position (memory effect). To restore their correct geometry, just walk along the reverse side with a damp sponge. The veneer will soften somewhat and straighten out. To consolidate the result, the sample should be clamped between two flat surfaces. For example, sheets of plywood, fiberboard slabs and the like, depending on the size of the fragment. To quickly remove moisture from the veneer, it is advisable to cover it with soft cloth or paper. After drying, it will remain in a straightened position.

Editing edges. When restoring large surfaces, one sheet will not be enough. Veneer is sold with a blade width (with rare exceptions) of 30 cm. Consequently, splicing of fragments cannot be avoided. Edge straightening is nothing more than cutting sheets along a line. At home, 2 pieces of boards with treated ends are quite suitable for this (as an option). A sheet of veneer is placed between them so that only its edge protrudes. All that remains is to clamp the resulting “assembly” with clamps and trim off the excess (irregularities) with a sharp knife. It is advisable to work with a special tool designed specifically for cutting cardboard or thin plywood.

Veneering

Applying glue.
Recommendations for using the selected adhesive are always given by the manufacturer. But those who have already done this work with their own hands advise processing the base in 2 passes. First, the thinnest first layer - a short exposure until it “sets” - then the second. This technology allows you to see all the imperfections and distribute the glue as evenly as possible over the entire area.

Fixing sheets.

Experienced craftsmen recommend placing a sheet of paper (only waxed paper) first. The reason is that the veneer is thin, easily damaged, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to place it on the base immediately as needed. This means that it will inevitably have to be moved. When it reaches the optimal position, it is quite easy to remove the wax sheet without damaging the glue layer.

Processing of joints.

Before the glue dries completely, in order to ensure the quality of the veneer, it is advisable to secure all joints with adhesive tape. Then it is easy to remove it.
In some cases, it is advisable to first fasten the veneer strips into a single sheet, and only then lay it on the base. You will have to decide for yourself what to do best. But it’s worth considering (as one of the acceptable options).
To avoid moisture absorption into the base, it is advisable to veneer not only the front part of the sample, but also the back and ends. This should also be taken into account when determining the course of action.

The final stage

After the adhesive composition has hardened (which implies reliable fixation of the veneer), a number of simple technological operations are performed.

Inspection of the surface and identification of possible defects in the work.
Removing excess (if any) glue.
Sanding joints (edges). Extreme care must be taken here. The veneer is thin, and excessive zeal will lead to bald spots. Everything will have to be redone, since it is difficult to disguise the stains to match the finish, and it will not always work. Of course, the highest quality polishing is ensured by a grinding machine, but not every home has one. If possible, asking friends for some time is the best solution.
Application of a protective coating. This is necessary mainly for peeled veneer. It is not difficult to choose a composition, depending on the design of the sample, its purpose and specific use. The range of various oils, varnishes, and stains is impressive.

Having dealt with all the nuances, it becomes clear that do-it-yourself veneering is not a very complicated process. Knowing the technology, anyone can implement it at home. And if you wish, you can bring some of your own “zest” to this work.

Good luck to you, home craftsmen!

There comes a time when wooden furniture or doors lose their original appearance. There is no need to throw away such products. Thanks to new technologies, a variety of finishing materials, and design developments, they can be given a modern look.

One of the finishing materials is veneer. To make it, wood is used, from which a thin layer is cut. At the same time, the material retains the structure of the tree.

You can decorate interior items using veneering technology. Making a new one out of an old product is not too difficult. If desired, repairs can be done by yourself. It is advisable to watch the video before starting work.

What kind of glue can I use?

Half of the success in your endeavors depends on the correct choice of the fixing mixture, so you should devote enough free time to resolving the issue.

It will not be superfluous to first familiarize yourself with all the varieties of compositions that are suitable for performing manipulations even before going to the store for shopping.

Pva

Water emulsion is most often used when gluing workpieces onto a perfectly flat base; for this, hot rubbing with an iron is used. There are no harmful components in the composition, which significantly expands the scope of application of the solution; the threat to human health is completely eliminated.

Applying PVA is quite easy; even beginners who have no experience in gluing the material can cope with the task; experts note good adhesion between planes.

Carpentry

On store shelves you can find contact and skin models, and the product is supplied in the form of granules, as well as dry powder. To work, the fixing solution must first be steamed; a hot method of applying the composition is used.

Experienced craftsmen introduce glycerin into the finished mixture, thereby increasing the resistance of glued parts to temperature changes.

Polyurethane

The polymer synthetic composition is characterized by the formation of a film during initial setting; the layer becomes resistant to acids, oils or alkaline compounds.

Advantages of the material

Natural veneer has a number of advantages:

Veneer made from wood is an environmentally friendly material. Its qualities are equal to solid wood.
Decorative trims with patterns, different colors and textures are available on the market.
The surface after pasting is smooth, chips, scratches, and mechanical damage are almost impossible.
Finished products covered with veneer are distinguished by sophistication and nobility.
Plywood is made from veneer.

It is important to know:

When choosing the right material, read the composition. Today there are similar products made of plastic or eco-veneer (glued together pressed wood waste).

It is not advisable to replace wood veneer with them; they are less environmentally friendly and have a short service life.

Do-it-yourself veneering

Veneering is a procedure for covering a base with natural veneer, which has good decorative and wear-resistant characteristics, in order to increase the aesthetics of the surface and protect it from mechanical damage. Veneering is also used to restore the surface or update old veneer finishing with your own hands. After all, it is not necessary to purchase furniture made from expensive solid wood, which also requires regular maintenance, when you can choose veneer from the desired type of wood, which perfectly imitates solid wood, at a budget price.

Let's look at an example of how to update veneer doors with your own hands, the veneering procedure at home. First, you need to choose the type of veneer and its shade to match your interior or the existing coating. You can do this at a good price in a specialized store shpon.ru

Please note that depending on what wood the veneer is made from, its properties will differ. For example, if you are going to finish wall panels in a living room, then you can take elegant oak veneer, and if you want to veneer a kitchen or bathroom door yourself, then it is better to take moisture-resistant teak, merbau, mahogany or larch veneer

At the preparatory stage it is necessary to prepare the surface for veneering. To do this, the door should be removed from its hinges, placed horizontally on a stand and the fittings removed. Then, using a spatula, the old coating that requires updating is removed. To speed up the process, you can run a heated iron over the surface, which will make the coating come off easier. All irregularities and defects must be smoothed out; this will require sandpaper. If sandpaper does not help, then you will have to apply putty.

Next, you should take care of the purchased veneer - before work, the tape must be straightened. To do this, you can moisten the sheets with a wet sponge and press down on both ends. After the tape becomes straight and does not curl, you can cut the blanks according to the pre-measured parameters of the door. At the same time, when doing veneering with your own hands, you should not forget that the veneer blank cannot be cut with scissors; it is best to do this with a special plywood knife so that the edges are smooth

It is also important not to forget to make a blank with a margin of a few cm, which will not be difficult to trim after finishing the work.

The next step is to cover the door with veneer yourself.

Preparatory work

To perform high-quality veneering you need to acquire:

veneer and glue;
ruler and paper for cutting out the template;
plywood knife and veneer cutter;
iron and syringe;
with a wooden roller or iron.

Restoration should begin with the dismantling of fittings and decorative elements on furniture walls, doors or other products. The old coating, which has served its purpose, is removed with a spatula.

The surface must be carefully leveled, eliminating any defects with glue or putty.

. After complete drying, sand it with sandpaper.

Under each sheet you need to put soft paper (to absorb moisture) and plywood. Place a small press on top. This is clearly visible in the photo. Smooth sheets are cut into strips with a veneer cutter or plywood knife, in accordance with measurements.

The facing material is glued to the base of the restored products using the hot veneering method:

The adhesive composition is applied to the prepared tape, as well as to the required part of the product. To ensure that the veneer is glued, the glue application procedure is repeated again after the first layer has dried. If the glue is applied only once, then it needs to dry slightly for 10 minutes.
Using an iron heated to 50 degrees, we iron our workpiece, using white paper as a backing. The glue should not boil so as not to lose its properties.
We press the veneer using a roller to the place to be restored on the product.
When joining, an overlap of approximately 4 mm should be used. In these places you need to work hard with the iron. If there are any defects left, you will have to trim the veneer and add glue by squeezing it out of the syringe.
After this, the area is ironed again with a hot iron.

Veneering using clamps

For better gluing of veneer, clamps or clamps are used. In this case, the veneer and base are clamped with chipboard scraps and pieces of linoleum are laid. Andrei Ermolkevich’s YouTube channel .

When gluing, only the base is covered with glue; the veneer is not coated with glue. Veneer is applied to the base, lined with newspaper, and then the structure is tightened with a clamp through 3 bars on top and 3 bars on the bottom. To prevent the structure from warping, the bars must be very accurately aligned with clamps.

If special clamps are used instead of clamps, then the method of pressing the veneer to the base is improved and simplified.

Compression clamp

The clamps are made from 35 x 50 mm bars. They are tightened with M16 studs. This design is more convenient for compression than a clamp.

One of the bars is shaped like a rocker to better press the veneer to the base in the center. If the bars are compressed on one side, then on the other side there will be a gap of 7-8 mm.

Gap between clamp bars

To glue veneer measuring 400 x 400 mm, use 3 clamps.

Pressing the veneer to the base

This design speeds up the veneering process, since there is no need to wait for the glue to dry. It is more convenient than separate bars and clamps.

Video about veneering using clamps:

Using veneered MDF

What are panels and profiles made of?

From the phrase it is clear that the product consists of two materials, where the base is a modified board and the decorative coating is wood veneer.

Let's start from the foundation:

the basis of such products is Medium Density Fiberboard
, hence the abbreviation MDF;
but the abbreviation in Cyrillic is MDF, this is already a transliteration
, since in translation it sounds like Medium Density Fiberboard;
such boards are made from fine wood chips
, which are pressed at high temperature and under high pressure, as required by the instructions;
It is noteworthy that the binding material here is lignin
- this is a substance found in algae, which means it is a purely organic substance that is absolutely harmless to the human body.

Table of technical parameters of MDF from "APSHERONSK"

Now let's move on to the decorative finishing:

in the original, in German, the word veneer (spane) sounds like wood chips, but it is a thin sheet of wood that can have a thickness from 0.1 mm to 10 mm;
such material is usually used as a glued coating - most often it is glued to fiberboard or MDF;
such products are obtained in three ways: peeling, planing and sawing - the product itself is named after the method of extraction;
in addition, it can be natural, that is, it is cut into thin sheets from solid wood and has the same color;
it can also be colored if it is painted and stained;
as well as fine-line - this is when peeled material is pressed into blocks, and then sheets of different sizes, colors and textures are made from it (this material has the lowest price).

Cabinet furniture and facades

Oak veneered MDF – “Chestnut Oak” kitchen

Veneered MDF facades, which can have a wide variety of colors and imitate various solid wood species, are very widely used in the furniture industry, as well as by small enterprises. At first it was synthetics - paper on which the structure of various types of wood was drawn.

This technology has been used for more than 50 years. This is an automated process, but such furniture “does not last long”, since paper still remains paper.

Furniture that uses natural veneered MDF, chipboard or even cheap wood is much more expensive than regular furniture that uses paper. Here, veneer plates are used, obtained by peeling or sawing, that is, the two most natural and expensive methods, especially since valuable species are used for this.

For production, such species as oak, ash, maple, alder, walnut, cherry, apple tree, and sometimes even mahogany or ebony, olive, beech and so on are used.

In the photo - the kitchen and natural veneered facades

Of course, various cabinets, tables, and kitchens made from natural veneered MDF are more expensive than synthetics, but, as they say, there is an underlined nobility and class here. Of course, for grace, the surface is treated with a primer or varnish.

This gives the furniture a matte or glossy finish. However, in addition to beauty, there is also a technical side to the issue, since this is some kind of protection against light mechanical damage. In most cases, polyurethane and acrylic varnishes are used, which are applied by spraying or roller method.

Different profiles

Furniture is furniture, and now let's talk about what you can make from such material with your own hands. I mean any repair and finishing work around the house. The fact is that there are various profiles available on sale that can be an excellent addition or even the main part of your home or apartment.

MDF plinth with natural veneer

But most often of all profiles of this type, cornices, baguettes, ceiling and floor veneered plinths made of MDF are used. They are combined with other finishing materials - decorative plaster, stucco, wallpaper, laminate and other materials.