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I have seen many restoration jobs of wooden cases (specifically Edison cases) that have been nearly demolished, to being joined back together, stripped, and refinished. What are the best methods for doing this? What I thought is to use wood glue and vices to hold the pieces together, but anyone with experience in doing this, I would like you're advice.

Another question; If there are entire sections of veneer missing, how do you replace it? Is there anywhere to buy large panels of wood veneer that will match?

Thanks
Martin

I bought a Victor 5 here on the forum and it arrive with the motor board three pieces. Use a biscuit jointer and gorilla WOOD glue and then blended color. As for veneers, I go to sells that have players with bad or broken victrola cabinets. And strip the veneer off those to use later on another. Also veneer is sold retail and online. Home depot has 4 inch oak on rolls

chrisg wrote:I bought a Victor 5 here on the forum and it arrive with the motor board three pieces. Use a biscuit jointer and gorilla glue and then blended color. As for veneers, I go to sells that have players with bad or broken victrola cabinets. And strip the veneer off those to use later on another. Also veneer is sold retail and online. Home depot has 4 inch oak on rolls

Gorilla glue?? NOOO!!! MAYBE their wood glue in a pinch, but NEVER use regular/transparent Gorilla glue on ANYTHING! Regular Gorilla glue expands, bulges out, and quickly becomes impossible to remove.

Hide glue is the preferred glue for antique restoration because it is reversible.

I used Gorilla wood glue to glue the top of my Model E Edison case after it came apart in shipping.

For areas that require a strong bond and you want to join hopefully forever, I use regular white wood glue and clamp over night. For areas that may need work again somewhere down the road and you want to have the option for a do-over, I use hide glue. For veneer, I use contact cement. For gorilla glue, I use NEVER.

I use Titebond III wood glue for work that is permanent, like the repair of a break. For joints that may need to be separated in the future, hide glue is best.

Titebond wood glue and lots of clamps. Be careful to place small squares, (maybe 2" square), of scrap wood under the clamp pads to prevent the clamps from indenting into the woods you're trying to glue together and making an unsightly dent. Also, place some wax paper under the clamp pads so that oozing glue doesn't inadvertently glue the pads to your project. If you're gluing a corner together, you'll most likely need to clamp from both directions to place an even and balanced pressure on the joint. And please, wipe off any glue that oozes out, with a damp rag, before it dries. I too do not like Gorilla glue, or any polyurethane glue for that matter.

I should have said it was GORILLA WOOD GLUE. I DID NOT MEAN TO START ANYTHING

chrisg wrote:I should have said it was GORILLA WOOD GLUE. I DID NOT MEAN TO START ANYTHING

You didn't start anything, don't worry. Always a good thing to remind people what not to use, as what as what's OK. Kind of like saying Goop and GoJo are great, but not the pumice versions.

I'm not one to tell anyone what he or she should do, but I highly recommend hide (or animal) glue. As someone has noted above, it's reversible. So even if you think you are making a permanent repair, why make it harder for a future restorer/conserver? Much furniture hundreds of years old has survived intact with this glue. Purists will use a heated glue pot. I have used that in the past. Modern liquid hide glues provide you with sufficient set-up time and I personally don't see a difference. So, yes, I recommend hide glue.