Painted MDF - can Veneer be applied ?

[ricky101]

Hi,

Have some loudspeaker cabinets that are mdf and finished with a mdf primer and 2 coats of oil based gloss.

Is it possible to apply plain veneer ( not the self adhesive type) directly to the sanded paint or must all the paint be removed and what type of glue would be best ?

thanks.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

As far as possible the surfaces must be sanded back almost bare - if you don't do that they whatever glue you use will not be able to give a good bond and may even delaminate in areas. For an over-veneering job I'd suggest that you consider either Titebond Liquid Hide Glue or hot-melt glue film sheets. They both require a pressure roller (Google "J-roller") or similar to press the sheet down as well as (in the case of the hide glue) some method of keeping the veneer pressed down whike the glue sets (e.g. MDF board and weights or even bricks in poly bags will work).

How do you intend to trim the edges?

 

[ricky101]

How do you intend to trim the edges?

Thanks for the info, the cabinet has no edges, just a smooth box - pic from original plans.

Had read some posts about oak veneers being a bit 'dry and brittle' to work with.. ?
Many, many years since I used any veneer, would you say thats true and can suggest a similar but more easier medium veneer to work with ?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Edges = corners, so there are certainly edges to deal with and for veneer those need to be square, not radiused. The main thing about cutting veneer is that you need to make sure it is flat and use an extremely sharp single bevel knife frun against a steel straight edge - not a Stanley knife as they have a double bevel blade. It is possible to buy veneers ready mounted on backing sheets (paper backed veneers) and even veneers with a self-adhesive backing, both types being a lot flatter than traditional veneer leafs