Gluing Veneer Panels Part 2.....
In photo 9 you will see the amount of glue push out that you can expect after clamping for several hours. When the palette knife glue application and hand pressing out of the excess was done properly the excess is manageable. Sometimes if the lifted veneer area is large, rather than press using my fingers, I press the veneer panel with the wood blocks and the clamps while wet, remove the wax paper, wood blocks and clamps, and then remove the wet excess glue. I put down fresh wax paper and then reclamp the panel for the 2 hours.
In photo 10 you can see the tip of the rounded palette knife being used to strip the partially cured glue. The palette knife is flexible enough to arc the blade and work it along the joint. I use my finger nail at times and a lightly dampened paper towel, whatever works best. When the glue is removed and the joint is clean of excess glue I then reclamp with the wax paper, wood blocks, and leave it clamped for 8 hours. If a little additional glue squeezes out, it will be minor, and it will be removed at the 8hr unclamping time.
In photo 11 I am gluing the refrigerator veneer panels. This one will want to be done when the fridge is off and you are not on the road. The Bessey strap clamp strap is worked around the entire door. The strap will go around the wood panel with the two stacked wood blocks that are placed over the lifted veneer section, then around the interior plastic door panel and then attached back to the clamp head which I located on the outer door edge. The fridge door is left open during this gluing process. The clamp tightens as you rotate the handle. I use just enough force to flatten the veneer and push out the glue. The gluing routine is basically the same as before, just a different stye clamp is used.
In photo 12 I am gluing the pocket door. This one is important to have on your list if the lifted veneer is scraping on the pocket door frame as you open or close the pocket door. The veneer could catch and be broken off. The trick here is to use the pocket door frame as the clamping device. You will butter the edge with glue of a veneer panel that is lifted along one vertical section of the door and glue it in place while parking the door in the best position to use the pocket door frame and the shim shingles as the clamp. In order to remove the excess glue each section will have to be "clamped" with the shims several times, once to force the excess glue out, once to clamp for several hours, and then the final clamping until the glue is fully cured. The door will be then indexed to a top or bottom of a veneer panel section and then you will be gluing that section when the prior section is complete. Eventually the other vertical side of a veneer panel can be done by indexing the door in the opening appropriately for clamping with the shingles. Basically you can get about a 3 or 4 inch width of clamping force at a time with this shim shingle method. Both the fridge and the pocket door are projects to be done when not on the road. You will lose access to the bathroom. As part of this procedure I use a shingle or a bock of wood at the floor level between the door and the door frame to brace the pocket door on the bathroom side. This holds the door from moving away when the clamping shim shingles are pushed in place on the kitchen side. I start at the top of the veneer section being glued and work my way down using pairs of shingles in a stack. The trick is to gently work them in place, by adding a new shingle stacks along the vertical, and then lightly pushing on all the shingle stacks above the new one to keep the pressure and friction even along the vertical. This is so that none of the shingles fall out due to the door or frame flexing due to too much force on a single shingle pair flexing the door causing the ones above it to drop out. It is not hard, you just have to get a feel for it and keep them all in place as you work along the glue joint.
So that is it, a way to glue all the panels with minimal tools and minimal disassembly. These coaches have beautiful woodwork and this gluing goes a long way in keeping your coach cabinetry in top shape. Hope this helps and have a Merry Christmas.
Later Ed
