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Seam
Taping
Veneer tape is required to keep the veneer edges tight while inside
the press. The beauty of veneer tape is that as it dries, it shrinks.
This shrinking action helps to hold the seam together while in
the press. There are a variety of veneer tapes available. Tapes
come in various weights and widths. It also comes in a solid and
a perforated variety. The solid tape is suitable for thick and
unruly veneers that require a bit more strength to maintain a
tight joint. The easiest veneer tapes to use are those which are
perforated with holes. Three hole tape allows the user to see
the seam under the tape which allows for adjusting/tightening
of the seam before the tape dries. Additionally, this type of
tape is thinner and will not create a thick buildup if multiple
pieces of tape are used for making complex joints. And three hole
tape can be used on the glue side (as opposed to the face side)
of the veneer if necessary.
Ok...
let's get taping!
Mark
the back side of the veneer as shown in figure 1. There
are two markings on each sheet. The first is the blue tape indicating
that this is the back of the veneer. The second marking is light
chalk indicating the two edges that are to be taped together.
The
blue tape, commonly called clean release tape, is available at
your local hardware store in the paint aisle. It's expensive but
will last a long time. You can find it reasonably priced at VeneerSupplies.com
Carefully
pull the two veneers together tightly and place small pieces of
blue tape across the seam as shown in figure 2. Remember, the
blue tape goes on the back of the veneer. If the veneer is
being stubborn and does not lay flat across the whole length of
the seam, place a strip of blue tape longitudinally on seam as
shown in figure 3.
Next,
tear off a few dozen small "cross strips" of veneer
tape. These will be placed perpendicular to the veneer joint about
3-4" apart on the face side of the veneer. To activate veneer
tape, simply slide a piece of it along a very wet sponge or wad
of paper towels (figure 4). Remember... the adhesive is on the
shiny side of the tape. Be careful that you don't saturate the
tape with water. Too much water on the veneer tape will cause
the veneer to have light markings on it after staining.
Roll the veneer tape smooth with a wallpaper
seaming tool or "J" roller (figure 5).
Then
place a piece of veneer tape along the entire length of the joint.
Lay a piece of dry paper towel on the seam line and firmly smooth
out this last piece of veneer tape with the seaming tool (figure
6). The paper towel will absorb any "loose" water in
the veneer tape. By doing this, you'll prevent the veneer from
absorbing the water which might cause it to get swollen and ripple
up. And again, it would cause the veneer to stain unevenly.
Let
the assembled veneers sit for 5 minutes so the brown veneer tape
can "set up". Then carefully flip the veneers over and
remove the blue tape.
Since
brown veneer tape shrinks as it dries, it will pull the joint
tight when all of the water has evaporated. I
like to place a scrap board along the length of the seam and place
a weight on top of that. This prevents the veneer edges from stacking
on top of each other as the tape pulls the seam together. I recommend
leaving the seam under the weight for a half-hour before you put it
in the press.
Before the veneer is placed in the press, check the seam for any areas that do not fit together correctly. If the veneer has rippled up a bit, the seam may look bad. You can check to see if the veneers have truly separate by pressing down the veneer where it is rippled. Usually, you can press the veneer flat with your fingers and see the seam go back together. If it does, you are in luck because the platens in the veneer press will force the veneer flat and once again, the seam will come together. |
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