[w4rtc]

Hi all
I have two questions on a Philco 16 B cathedral:
1 Is the top/sides walnut?
2 Does the grain run from front to back?
I have a cabinet that needs the veneer replaced (it has been removed by someone else ) I have never put veneer on a cabinet but have to try sometime I guess.
So wish me luck

Joe

[Ron Ramirez]

Hi Joe

Yes, and yes.

Let us know how it goes putting the veneer on the top/sides, OK? It seems as if it would be easy to apply veneer with the grain running vertically, but not so horizontally (front to back).

[w4rtc]

Man I am having trouble finding walnut with the grain going the correct direction.
Has anyone ever ordered any veneer. I have contacted two places and no luck but I will keep hoping

Joe

[Ron Ramirez]

Yesterday evening, I had my very first experience applying self-sticking veneer to a 44B cathedral cabinet. The grain is running the wrong way (side to side instead of front to back), but the owner didn't care as long as it had new veneer. It isn't the easiest stuff in the world to work with.

Make sure you have a small roller tool if you use this type of veneer. I didn't, and have a few small air bubbles left that I can't get to completely press down. At least I managed to line it up correctly so that there is no gap anywhere between the front arch and the new veneer.

The owner of this cabinet furnished the veneer; I do not know the source. I do know that I have not yet seen any veneer you can buy that has the gran running in the direction we need that you can buy in the extra wide widths that would be required for a continuous sheet to go around a cathedral cabinet.

[DeckApe]

Ron--any way you can lance the bubbles with a very thin knife blade to 'burp' the veneer, a la wallpaper?

[Ron Ramirez]

I don't recommend that, because then you have to fill the cut with wood putty, which will show afterwards. (I know because I tried, and it didn't work. Then I had to fill the cut with wood putty.)

However, I discovered a trick today: I had bought an old iron at a yard sale this past weekend for 50 cents. I purchased this specifically to iron veneer onto substrate, in order to speed the setting time. I learned this from watching a video made by "Hagstar" John H.:

http://hagstar.phanfare.com/slideshow.as...id=3128328

I've been slacking off on my studies this week to work on a Philco 44B cabinet, as mentioned previously. The cabinet was in really bad shape, and the grillework was delaminating badly. I used my yard sale iron to help glue the veneer back onto the front panel and front arch.

Anyway, figuring I had nothing to lose, I decided to try using the iron on the side of the cabinet where some air bubbles were showing.

It worked! It seems to have made the air bubbles go down.

I turned the iron temperature all the way up when using it on the cabinet. The iron does not scorch or burn the wood if you work carefully.

[w4rtc]

Hi Ron
Is the selfsticking veneer really wood or is it some plastic stuff?? I was going to suggest the knife job but you answered before I asked. I am going to still look for a while but may be forced to do something else.
Joe

[Ron Ramirez]

It's really wood, and it's thin enough that it bends quite easily. In fact when my friend whom I am repairing the 44B cabinet for brought the veneer over here, it was rolled up in a box.

[Steve Davis]

Another good option is the paper backed veneer. Paper backed veneer is available 48 by 96 inch sheets, so you can run the grain from front to back. I have purchased veneer from this fellow on Ebay and have received good service http://cgi.ebay.com/120533411147 A sheet this size will do several radios, so you might be able to share with someone else.
Steve

[w4rtc]

Hi Steve
Thanks for the info on the veneer, and he is here in Louisville, I sent him an email to see if I could pick it up local.
thanks for the tip
Joe