Lifting veneer

[chunnybh]

I found a rare speaker cabinet in a cold damp garage.
It's from the 1930's and is made from plywood and finished in a wood veneer.
The veneer is lifting along some of the edges and there is white mold everywhere, even between the ply and the veneer.
My first instincts were to dry out the cabinet so it was placed in the sun for a few days.
The veneer has lifted even more.
I'd like to glue it all together as soon as possible so I don't loose or break any of the veneer.

What should I use to remove the white mold?
What glue should I use to stick it back again.
Any advice is welcome.

[Cody K]

I have used ordinary white vinegar to remove and kill mold, with good success. Dampen a cloth with vinegar, and wipe away the mold with it. You don't want to saturate the wood, of course, because that will only cause the veneer to lift more. To kill mold under the lifted veneer, soak a stiff, thin piece of cardboard with vinegar, and carefully push it up between the veneer and the body of the cabinet, sort of scraping the enclosed surfaces. Push the surfaces together to squeeze and spread some of the vinegar between them. Before re-laminating the veneer, let the whole piece dry thoroughly.

If all of the veneer that's lifting is at or near edges, you're in luck. You'll be able to take a piece of stiff plastic an inch or so wide and as long as needed to reach as far under the lifted veneer as you can (I use strips cut from plastic quart containers), coat both sides with glue, and carefully push the strip up between the body of the cabinet and the lifted veneer. Be sure to rub glue onto both inner surfaces; push down briefly to spread the glue underneath, and let the veneer up again. Wait a couple of minutes, press flat with sturdy strips of wood, and clamp solidly, then let it sit clamped overnight.

Lifted veneer in the middle of a panel is, of course, more complicated to deal with.

I've got to leave for a couple of hours to take the dogs running in the woods, but I hope this will help you in the meantime.

[HisMastersVoice]

What glue should I use to stick it back again.
Any advice is welcome.

Unless you're a member of PETA, you should use hide glue. It comes in granulated or liquid form. The former is preferred, but requires a glue pot to melt it, and the smell is nauseating. I use the liquid stuff, it's made by Titebond. I'm not sure if that brand is available in the UK, but I imagine there would be something comparable. It takes longer to set than wood glue, but it's what was originally used, and is more reversible if you make a mistake. I just repaired lifted veneer on a Hawthorne & Sheble cylinder cabinet with it and had great results.

[JohnM]

What glue should I use to stick it back again.
Any advice is welcome.

Unless you're a member of PETA, you should use hyde glue. It comes in granulated or liquid form. The former is preferred, but requires a glue pot to melt it, and the smell is nauseating. I use the liquid stuff, it's made by Titebond. I'm not sure if that brand is available in the UK, but I imagine there would be something comparable. It takes longer to set than wood glue, but it's what was originally used, and is more reversible if you make a mistake. I just repaired lifted veneer on a Hawthorne & Sheble cylinder cabinet with it and had great results.

Not to pick nits, but Brandon is referring to hide glue, made from animal hides and other collagens. Hyde glue will turn you into a monster if you sniff it!

[HisMastersVoice]

Yes, "hide" glue... I typed that on my phone over lunch, evidently I mistyped it.

[Bruce]

I spoke to a local wood carver about veneer and he recommended using a clothing iron for refinishing cabinets.

First spread wood glue on both sides to be glued together. Let this dry until the glue is just past tacky then press them together and use the hot iron to heat the two pieces. This melts the glue and presses the two boards together with great results. A side benefit of this method is if there is any original hide glue left it will also remelt and bond the two pieces together.

I had great success with both the flat areas and curved surfaces using this method.

Another hint is to use a water spray bottle to moisten the non glued side of the veneer. If you apply wet glue to one side only it will curve the wood before you can iron it or clamp it down.

Good luck and let us know how it worked

Bruce

[JohnM]

I spoke to a local wood carver about veneer and he recommended using a clothing iron for refinishing cabinets.

First spread wood glue on both sides to be glued together. Let this dry until the glue is just past tacky then press them together and use the hot iron to heat the two pieces. This melts the glue and presses the two boards together with great results. A side benefit of this method is if there is any original hide glue left it will also remelt and bond the two pieces together.

I had great success with both the flat areas and curved surfaces using this method.

Another hint is to use a water spray bottle to moisten the non glued side of the veneer. If you apply wet glue to one side only it will curve the wood before you can iron it or clamp it down.

Good luck and let us know how it worked

Bruce

That is a great (although not easily reversible) method of veneer repair. However, BE SURE to use yellow glue for this NOT white glue. Dried yellow (aliphatic resin) glue will melt to itself when heated. White glue will not.

[Brad]

I'll throw in a second for the Titebond Hide Glue. I have had great results repairing veneer with it. Another advantage is that it is easy to remove any squeeze out with a small damp cloth and little finger grease (not quite as much grease as elbow )

[Cody K]

Important to note, that if you use a hot iron when fixing veneer, you should use a lint-free cloth between the iron and the wood surface, something like an old cotton or linen (does anyone still have those?) bed sheet folded over a few times. Check beneath the fabric frequently to be sure you're not re-amalgamating the finish with the heat. Also, keep the iron moving, to avoid imprinting the wood with the shape of an iron!

[zenith82]

If you want to use hot hide glue and don't want to spend a ton of money on a glue pot, you can get one of the small $10 crock pots and it works just as well for a job like this. Use a glass jar slightly taller than the crock pot to soak your hide glue crystals in for about a half hour. Then, fill the crock pot about halfway with water and set the jar inside. Turn it on high. In about 15 minutes, the glue will be melted and can be applied with a small brush or through a syringe.

The Titebond hide glue is ok, but it has a finite shelf life. Hide glue crystals last longer as long as they don't get exposed to moisture, plus you can only heat up as much as you think you will need. When I crack open a bottle of the Titebond hide glue, it remains useable for maybe 3 months.