Wood Veneer Dinette Bench

[joshua32064]

As promised, I have started to produce a prototype of the dinette bench that is used in the 22, 25, and 28' International CCD. As stated before, the difference between my prototype bench is that my bench will be covered in wood veneer rather than the laminate that is used by Airstream. The weight of my bench will be approximately 1 to 2 pounds more than Airstream's and I don't think that anyone would ever have an issue with that.

We are now two days into the project and I have posed three pictures to the photo gallery. Picture #1 shows the mold that is used to bend the wood that is needed to make the bench. Picture #2 shows a piece of wood that is actually being bent and picture #3 shows several boards fused together after being bent. The bench will be able to hold 400 lbs. I think that is more than enough.

I'll be sure to update the photo site with more pictures as we make more progress each day.

My goal is to have the bench finished in the next week.

[59toaster]

Very impresive work. Look forward to seeing some more.

I would really love some tips on installing veneer surfaces. Our cabinets in our 59 are rather beat up visualy but still structurally sound. I am thinking of put a veneer on them to bring them back to their former glory.

[joshua32064]

What typre of cabinetry do you have now? Would it be wise to start with stripping the finish and see where you are?

[59toaster]

Originally posted by joshua32064
What typre of cabinetry do you have now? Would it be wise to start with stripping the finish and see where you are?

The original 59 cabinets, The years have not been kind. Things screwed into them and removed, nicks and bangs, corners pealing, etc. With a veneer I could cover all the previous damage.

The cabinets are a wood frame with a 3/16 veneer ply wood over them. I had thought about just popping the pannels off and replacing them but my concern is I would cause damage to the frames. If I veneer the exterior I would be less likely to have problems. I will also be able to match everything together color and grain wise including some areas where full pannels do have to be replaced.

I have to replace one partition wall between the bath and bed area. It has delaminated over a large area. I'm also getting rid of the 40 year old heater so I will have to replace the end of one cabinet on the Galley to get rid of the hole. I am also going to build a new surround for the Reffer.

[joshua32064]

To be honest with you, placing wood veneer over a laminate is not the best thing to do. In fact, I don't even think it would work.

In order for wood veneer to be applied correctly, the piece that is going to be veneered needs to be veneered to a wood surface with a good wood glue. The piece then needs to be sandwiched in a press for a period of time.

If you are simply looking to replace cabinetry doors, maybe it would be wise to start from scratch and simply duplicate the size of the doors that you presently have.

In my opinion, trying to fix your old cabinets by covering them up with a veneer is not the way to go.

[Stefrobrts]

Your CCD style bench looks great!

Toaster, I have some of the same issues as you. I need to replace panels (like the end of the dinette seat right inside the door which has taken more than a little wear over the years), and was hoping a veneer might be the answer.

I'm considering just building new panels out of plywood, but have had trouble matching the stain. I've already done some samples with Mahogany stain and Red Oak, and neither matches the current interior very well. The previous owner did a very good job of replacing the panel next to the fridge, so I might contact him to see what stain he used. Otherwise it looks like a good thin plywood will do the trick, if I can just get it all stained to match.

[3Ms75Argosy]

J -
I'm very impressed with your work - but after looking at your photos, how does one do the actual bending of the wood - and what type of wood are you using?

By the photos, it looks like 1/4" birch, with the grain perpendicular to the bend? I always assumed it would be easier to bend with the grain parallel to the bend. Do you wet the wood, or use steam, or both to assist with the bending? How does it stay bent?.

I'm assuming you are using some kind of spray adhesive to bond the pieces together?

I've been searching some time to figure this out, and I'd love to hear about the process! I'd like to recreate the upper bends and soft corners of the CCD in my Argosy cabinetry. I've held off replacement until I could learn the "bends."
Thanks for any help!
Marc

[joshua32064]

Marc,

The first thing that you need to create a bend is to create a mold. I am sure that you saw the mold that we made in the pictures that I posted online.

Once you have made your mold, you can use 1/4" sheets of either birch, ash or whatever you think might work. The sheets need to be slightly moist and steaming definitely plays a major role in forming the final product.

Once you have all the sheets completed, they are then fused together with an adhesive. One thing that I should mention is that your end sheets on each side need to be covered with veneer, before they are placed into the mold.

We are going to start rounding our edges and making some big changes to what you have seen so far.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.

Josh

[joshua32064]

One thing that I forgot to mention is that we are running the grain parallel to the bend. For some reason, the photo may not be clear enough to show the actual grain lines.

[59toaster]

Originally posted by joshua32064
To be honest with you, placing wood veneer over a laminate is not the best thing to do. In fact, I don't even think it would work.

In order for wood veneer to be applied correctly, the piece that is going to be veneered needs to be veneered to a wood surface with a good wood glue. The piece then needs to be sandwiched in a press for a period of time.

If you are simply looking to replace cabinetry doors, maybe it would be wise to start from scratch and simply duplicate the size of the doors that you presently have.

In my opinion, trying to fix your old cabinets by covering them up with a veneer is not the way to go.

Nooooo, No wood veener over laminate. Wood veerer over wood veener plywood.

I think I may have used the wrong term with "delaminating" One of the 3/16 plywood panels has been exposed to moisture and the glue holding it together has falied.

[joshua32064]

Mr. Toaster,

I apologize for the confusion. I guess the only way to decide whether you should veneer over the plywood is to really think about the condition of the materials that you have. You mentioned that one of the panels has been exposed to moisture and has been a problem.

Can I ask why you just dont start from scratch on this?

[59toaster]

Originally posted by joshua32064
Mr. Toaster,

I apologize for the confusion. I guess the only way to decide whether you should veneer over the plywood is to really think about the condition of the materials that you have. You mentioned that one of the panels has been exposed to moisture and has been a problem.

Can I ask why you just dont start from scratch on this?

The panel that has been wet will be replaced. The galley cabinet is structurally sollid but it has a lot of nicks in it. We are restoring so the atempt will be to save our cabinets. They fit already and while I'm a good mechanic my wood working skills and tools are minimal. Veneer, I understand can be worked with a sharp razor knife and hand tools and on some products an iron to activate the adheasive. That's up my alley. We can regain our attractive wood appearence without haveing to rebuild tha cabinets. Then stain and finish to taste.

My understanding is I can fill screw holes where they are not wanted sand smooth and veneer over as well.

[joshua32064]

OK, I understand now.

I will tell you this. Wood veneer can most definitely be applied the way that you mentioned, but I have to warn you that you will not have the same look as if it was professionally done.

When manufacturers produce a product with wood veneer, we use a press like the one shown in the photo below. Unfortunately, when you use an iron, you just cant match these results

You may be able to come up with something that is very nice and fits your needs. I guess it all depends on what your standard is.

[joshua32064]

For your reference, I am attaching a photo of a desktop that is having glue applied before the veneer is placed on the top and put into the press.

[joshua32064]

This picture shows the top with the veneer attached after coming out of the press. The excess veneer is now being trimmed.

[InsideOut]

I agree that professionally applied veneers are superior, however, most people don't have access to that type of high-end equipment Joshua, nor can they afford to have custom interiors built professionally.

For the DIY vintage A/S restorer, self-applied veneers can provide options &/or variety with different woods and improve the interior substanially. I fabricated the panels used on our new dinette (see photos), matching the original oak cabinets that are intact and of course, they are not high-end "furniture quality" finishes... the vintage cabinets never that level of finish, but they certainally blend in well enough with our interior.

Toaster, I would encourage you to consider reveneering your original cabinets as a viable option. Mock-up some test panels, finish them as you would in the trailer and see what you think...

Shari

BTW Joshua, I like your new bench...I'm sure it will be beautiful when it's done.

[59toaster]

Originally posted by joshua32064
OK, I understand now.

I will tell you this. Wood veneer can most definitely be applied the way that you mentioned, but I have to warn you that you will not have the same look as if it was professionally done.

When manufacturers produce a product with wood veneer, we use a press like the one shown in the photo below. Unfortunately, when you use an iron, you just cant match these results

You may be able to come up with something that is very nice and fits your needs. I guess it all depends on what your standard is.

I don't think I can con the wife into buying a press like that LOL......Now that said I might be able to find one to use. does that monster have a heat plate or is it simply presure?

My old employer had a big die cutting press that was 3x8ft and rated like 10 tons per square inch. We used it to cut fabric 30 layers deep in one shot.

I asume the goal is to provide even presure for a contact cement to bond evenly?

[joshua32064]

If after discussing the press with the wife, if she decides to veto the idea of buying one, I agree with Shari that you should make some test panels and see how they turn out. There is no way for you to see what the outcome could be or will be until you take the time to try a few things. I'm sure that with a little care and experience you can get a nice veneer panel without having all the tools that may be needed for a 100% professional job.

Regarding the press, there is no heat plate and the machine is only used to apply uniform pressure.

I am looking forward to hearing about your test panels and how they turned out.