Iron-On Veneer Glue is the latest craze in veneering because it's easy, convenient and inexpensive. This glue is applied to the substrate and the veneer back and allowed to dry. The veneer is then placed on top of the project panel and heated with a clothes iron. Heat Lock™ is excellent stuff... especially for small, curved or oddly shaped pieces. Click here to learn more. This adhesive is not a replacement for a vacuum press; it's a complement to it.

Heat Lock
Veneer Glue

Cold Press Glues are available in two types. One is a premixed liquid glue, and the other is a powder in which the user must add water. The differences between these glues and yellow PVA glue are what make these more suitable for veneering.

Cold press veneer glue is much thicker than yellow glue which means less bleed-through. Also, cold press glues are tinted to a wood tone which inconspicuously fills voids in the veneer much better than PVA glue.  Finally, cold press glues dry to a hard film that does not allow as much "creep" or movement of the veneers on the substrate.

The premixed Better Bond veneer glue is now available is 3 wood tones (light, medium, and extra dark). The use of a glue which is tinted to match the tone of your veneer is completely optional. The benefit of the toned veneer is a less conspicuous glue line and a significant reduction in the after-effect of sanding the veneer too much. If you're not doing a lot of veneer work and just need a general purpose veneer glue, go with the medium toned version.

The choice between powdered cold press and premixed cold press glues should be based on the type of use the veneered project will be subjected to. Powdered glues like Ultra-CAT™ are more heat/water resistant and create a Type-II bond. This type of glue is also ideal for bent laminations and shop-sawn veneers.

I use the liquid veneer glue for 95% of the panels I build. The powdered glue may offer more heat and water resistance, but any project that would be subjected to that much environmental abuse would not be a likely candidate for a high end piece of veneer to begin with!

Epoxy can be used in veneer work but its expensive, requires mixing, and has a short life once its mixed. Epoxy is best used for substrates where ordinary veneer glue will not adhere (plastics, etc).

The good news is that it's a highly effective grain filler for veneer that you are not going to stain or dye. The key is to use a plastic spreader and use just a little more hardener than you normally would. When it's dry, hand sand the panel with 150 grit paper and finish with your favorite top coat.

Polyurethane Glue bonds to anything. It is suitable for veneering when the veneer has to be pressed to a non-porous surface such as plastic. I would suggest using this glue only on small panels because it is difficult to spread, and it bleeds-through more than most adhesives due to the foaming action. It's also quite expensive.

Unibond 800 is a two part urea resin glue that offers excellent adhesion and stability. The real benefit is that you are not introducing water to the veneer and substrate which can cause seams to separate, thin substrates to warp, and some veneers to develop moldy areas. Cleanup can be difficult and a gallon of this adhesive is a bit expensive, but for that ultra-special veneer, this might be your best option. This adhesive is also good for adhering oily veneers such as rosewood. Unibond requires 4 to 6 hours in the vacuum press to bond.

Yellow glue (PVA) is probably the first glue that comes to mind when you say "glue" to a woodworker. Despite the recommendations of many woodworkers, I have never found yellow glue to be suitable for veneering. This type of glue never fully hardens, and thus allows the veneer to "creep" or move during seasonal changes in humidity. And because of its thin consistency, yellow glue also has a tendency to bleed through and discolor the veneer. Lastly, since yellow glue dries with a soft glue line, it is also very difficult to sand.

Hotmelt glue film is not good for veneering. I have only had limited success with this type of adhesive. When I have used it, the veneer looked nice at first and a day later it had bubbled up and the project was ruined. This adhesive was developed for the fabric industry and its use in veneering is highly questionable. I'd recommend the Heat Lock glue instead because it penetrates the wood surfaces more than hotmelt film.

Hide Glue is the most traditional veneering adhesive. Its use dates back over 4,000 years ago to Egyptians who used it on furniture for the pharaohs. The method is called hammer veneering which derives its name from the use of a tool called a veneer hammer. The hammer is used to press the veneer sheets onto the substrate. The method also requires a means of heating the glue typically in a "double boiler." Hide glue is very durable and it can be re-heated and reactivated if bubbling occurs. Hide glue can not be used in a vacuum press unless the appropriate salt or urea is added. For those interested in hammer veneering without the use of hide glue, check out the FSV adhesive below.

FSV or Flex-Pro is a good adhesive for paper-backed veneers when a vacuum press and a cold press veneer glue can not be used. It is applied in a manner similar to contact cement and has a very high initial tack but it dries harder and doesn't allow delamination when cured. Generally speaking, it should be used on porous substrates but I've also used this glue with great success to veneer over painted window and door jambs as well as stair stringers. It is also an excellent adhesive for those who prefer the traditional hammer veneering method.

Contact Cement is available in two versions. One is solvent-based and is highly flammable. It emits dangerous fumes that can linger in the shop for days.

Thanks to advances in chemical technology, there are now water-based contact cements which are non-toxic and work as well or better than the solvent-based type. For several years, water-based contact adhesives were considered inferior to the solvent-based cements (and they were inferior) but this has changed dramatically with the introduction of water-based cements such as Titan DX™.

Keep in mind that contact cements are only suitable for use with paper/wood backed veneers. There has been a lot of debate over this and it's one of the most common emails I receive. Check out this link.