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Thank you everyone you have just given me so many reasons for not getting involved in this particular travesty of our hobby!

Veneering topics merged - Site admin.

Just bought a French allwin. Unfortunately the case was recently veneered with ply. Just taken this off but most of the original veneer is missing. Can anyone identify the wood? Think it's walnut, as I am going to attempt re-veneering.
Anybody got any tips on the glue to use? Anybody tried glue film or is preglued the way to go?

Hi, def looks like walnut to me too. I'm not a fan of the iron on veneer. We used it on some pool tables 20 years ago and I remember it peeling and tearing off quite easily over time. OK for use on modern furniture I guess. But you should go the traditional route and use real veneer and wood glue. As long as you cover the whole veneer piece with a suitable size board and then clamp it securely you should have no probs. I cut the veneer slightly oversize and then tape it into place as it likes to slide around with the layer of glue as you're clamping. I have some huge steel blocks I use in the middle of large boards to keep them flat when my clamps won't reach. Good luck!

I have to confess to having done extremely little veneering. But thought I'd mention that I was once told that if you use animal glue rather than modern wood glue, the advantage is that if you don't get it right, you can use an iron to heat it up, re-melt it and try again. I did use animal glue once; not quite as simple and fast as wood glue squirting out of a plastic bottle, but it worked fine...so didn't have to try melting it again. Obviously, with animal glue you need to melt it down from pelets in the first place and need a glue pot, so as I say, its not a simple as squeezing it out of a modern plastic container. As Gameswa mentions, clamps and heavy weights are essencial to have on hand as the one bit that isn't firmly pressed down will stand proud once you take away the clamps etc.

Coinop, good point. I've messed around with hide glue but found it complicated to get right, seemed to set way too quickly for me? The normal wood glue is water soluble so you can just lay a wet towel over the veneer and it will peel off pretty quickly. Even old wood glue joints will open with some water. Which also works for old hide glue too. Though usually they've already broken from being brittle with age. I get my vintage veneer from old furniture panels and leave them in the rain or soak with a hose and it will eventually lift off by itself if you don't rush it. A buddy in the US sticks his wrecked Wurlitzer cabinets outside and then cultivates the veneer. He had a few drawers full and let me take what i needed for some of my restorations. You can't get any closer a match than that!

Thanks for the replies from gameswat and coin-op, and site admin for veneering the topics and subtly pointing out the subject had been brought up before.
I like the idea of cultivating Wurlitzer veneers, I used to steam them off, but that seems better, just leave them by the bin to mature.

daveslot wrote:thanks for the replies from gameswat and coin-op, and site admin for veneering the topics and subtly pointing out the subject had been brought up before
like the idea of cultivating wurlitzer veneers, i used to steam them off, but that seems better, just leave them
by the bin to mature

Moving from Coventry to Derby has caused a very sad occurence for me, namely losing my compost heap from which many a treasure has been plucked.

Badpenny wrote: Moving from Coventry to Derby has caused a very sad occurence for me, namely losing my compost heap from which many a treasure has been plucked.

BUGGER!!! That means I am going to start paying for my machines
But on the plus side.....you have moved nearer to Slotalot's secret slot machine restoration facility.

Funny this should come up again. I am now on my third attempt to veneer the same machine I started the thread about. I have tried wood glue, the iron on sheet glue and I am now on the ready glued veneer....
I got in contact with a veneer company on the net, can't remember who at the minute and he told me to use the glue sheet and veneer tape. I bought all the kit including a veneer saw and it still looks rubbish. I gave up before even trying to do the front of the case. Took me ages to get the glue sheet off. Third time lucky I hope.

Stoxman

Topic merged - site admin.

Has anyone had any experience of re-doing the veneer of a machine?

Is it easier to repair it or just start over with new?

Thanks

See below thread.

Threads now merged - site admin.

Depends how much of a purist you are. I rarely ever totally reveneer as the orig patina is lost forever. If you're careful, flakey parts can be glued down and missing pieces matched in. Often, all it takes is painting in the matching colour and grain lines afterwards to totally hide a repair. Otherwise, I've had success stripping period veneer from old furniture to recycle and that can work amazingly well. Worth experimenting on discarded verge-side scrapped furniture to see what you can do. No better teacher.