Q.V.P. VAKUUM FRAME PRESS - Manual (Page 9)

Quality VAKuum Products, Inc.
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OVER
BASIC VENEERING
PRINCIPLES
03/08/2007 r1 - Basic Veneering Principles.cdr
FLAT SURFACES
1. You can either cut the substrate to finished size or
slightly oversized and trim later. Good substrate materials
are; MDF, particle board or plywood. If solid wood is to be
used, a cross ply must be applied and allowed to dry
unless the panel is less than 1/4" thick.
2. Prepare a caul by rounding all edge that will be touched
by the VAK bag. The caul should be approximately 1/2"
larger than the substrate and made from 1/2 to 1" thick
melamine coated particle board. If the caul has too much
of an overhang, it can bow up in the center and you will not
have a good pressing. Any flat material can be used,
however, the coated stock has the advantage of the glue
squeeze out not sticking.
3. Glue one face of the substrate and place the veneer on
the substrate. Do not glue the veneer. Use veneering tape
(not masking tape) to tape the veneer to the substrate on
opposite sides, not on all 4 sides (the veneer has to be able
to move when pressed). The veneer should be about 1/4"
larger than the substrate so that it overhangs the substrate
by approximately 1/8" on all sides, this allows for slight
movement and trimming later.
4. Place the caul on the veneer and tape it in place.
5. Slide the whole assembly into the bag.
6. If you want to veneer both sides at the same time, flip the
assembly, at step 3, over and repeat for the second side.
You may want to use a bottom caul for ease of handling. It
can be larger than the substrate since it will be laying flat on
the baseboard and will protect the veneer as you slide the
assembly into the bag.
CURVED SURFACES
1. Build your form with the knowledge that it will see almost
1 Ton/sq.ft. of pressing force. A weak mold will get
crushed. This is also true of curved furniture. Veneering a
hollow round base can be a problem unless the inside is
structurally sound. If you are veneering a curved piece of
finished furniture (like a juke box) that cannot be taken
apart, stuff it with bubble pack. Bubble pack can be stuffed
into every corner and is much better to use than a general
purpose inflatable bladder.
2. Make the mold convex whenever possible and do not
totally close it in. Leave the bottom open or cut some slots
in the bottom so that air is not trapped inside.
3. Assemble your veneer “sandwich” as per the flat panel
instructions. Place it on the form and slide it into the bag.
Hold the assembly on the form as the bag is being pumped
down. Once evacuated, the bag will hold everything
down.
4. Tape the top caul to the assembly only at the front and
bottom edge and not the side edges. If you tape sides, the
inner plies may not slide into their proper radius without
causing a misalignment problem.
Notes:
A. Always try a dry run to make sure all the pieces fit to
gather and fit in the bag without problems. Go as far as to
pull the maximum vacuum with a new piece or shape.
B. Know your time limits for assembly, glue, and bag
evacuation so that you don't get caught short.
C. For guidelines on building a form go to
https://www.qualityvak.com/tech2.html.
Base Board
Bottom Caul
Substrate
Top Caul
Veneer
74 Apsley St. - Hudson, MA 01749
Tel: 978-562-4680 - Fax: 978-562-4681