Traditional Hide Glue Veneering

Learn traditional methods with a veneer hammer and hot hide glue.

Veneering has been practiced for thousands of years. It’s a way to take some of the world’s most spectacular but unstable woods, cut them to paper-thinness and glue them to a stable foundation. By veneering, you can repeat natural patterns, create intricate borders and inlays, arrange grain direction and create surface designs that would  be impossible to make with solid wood.

Using veneer adds a new dimension to furniture making and offers wonderful opportunities to the woodworker. However, from a technical perspective, there is the problem of attaching this skin securely to a wood substrate. You don’t want a veneered surface to peel, crack or buckle.

From an aesthetic perspective, it allows the maker to design the “look” of his or her creation, almost like a painter working on a canvas. Veneer can change the perception of a piece. A delicate inlay can emphasize a feature: a cuff around a leg visually anchors a piece; bookmatched doors provide symmetry. Veneer can elevate your furniture from simple to sophisticated.

But, some woodworkers shy from using veneer. First, the term “veneer” implies to some people poor quality and shoddy, dishonest craftsmanship. Then, the process itself is so mysterious. Veneer is thin, fragile and prone to breaking apart. The tools and techniques used in veneering seem difficult and strange.

If a woodworker were interested, where would he or she start? What tools would be needed? How large and difficult a project should be attempted? As a teacher, I’m always searching for ways to make woodworking more accessible. A project such as this gentleman’s dressing mirror is a perfect introduction to traditional veneering.

Traditional Hot Glue and Hammer Veneering

There are several ways to apply veneer to a piece. And if you’re serious about veneering, it’s a good idea to become familiar with all of them. I think the best method to learn first is traditional hammer veneering.

Of all the methods, gluing veneer with hot hide glue and pressing it with a hammer can be the most challenging – and the most satisfying. To achieve success takes a generous amount of patience, a delicate but firm touch and a critical eye. Tackling this method on a small but manageable scale will build confidence and develop your skills.

For this project, I used mahogany crotch veneer. This is a rich and shimmering veneer filled with light that often features a feather-like grain pattern down the center. Because the cabinet is small, the feather should also be small, and scaled to the cabinet. Many veneer suppliers have photos on their web sites to help you make your selection.

I ordered several sequential leaves to ensure color and grain pattern uniformity – or in case I made a mistake. And having virtually identical leaves will make your inevitable patches almost invisible.

Flattening the Veneer

When the veneer arrives it will probably be buckled and brittle. Veneer in this state is difficult to work, so you’ll need to flatten and soften it. This is easily accomplished with a solution of water, glycerin, alcohol and glue (fish or hide). For this project I used about 1 quart of the solution I typically mix; 3 parts water, ¾ part glycerin, 1 part alcohol, and ¼ part glue.

After soaking the veneer on both sides with the solution (dispensed from a spray bottle), I pressed the veneer leaves between sheets of plywood, using absorbent paper (either brown kraft paper or plain newsprint) between the leaves, and then weighted everything down for 24 hours. You only need enough weight to keep the veneer flat, so scrap wood or anything else you have around your shop will do.

If the veneer isn’t flat the next day, repeat the process. Or if the veneer is flat but still damp, change the absorbent paper and wait another 24 hours. When the veneer is completely dry, flat and pliable, it will cut easily and glue up nicely with minimal checking or buckling. 

Cut the crotches for the project parts (allow generous margins all around), reserving the most striking veneer for the sides, top and drawer front. Then lay out the sides and top so that the grain is continuous, running up one side, over the top then down the other side, without interruption. The underside of the cabinet is not veneered. Save the second leaf for the drawer front. Everything else can be cut from the leftovers.

Rest your veneer on a flat scrap of plywood and put a wooden straightedge on the line. Rest your veneer saw against the straightedge and gently pull it toward you. It will take several passes to make the cut.

When preparing the narrow strips for the cabinet edge, the mirror frame and the feet, I first apply veneer tape to the strips to protect them. This paper tape (activated by moisture and available from veneer suppliers) acts as reinforcement, helping to keep the veneer strips flat and in one piece.

Lightly wet the veneer strip on both sides, apply the tape to the top side, and press gently with a rubber roller. Then weight the strips down with a piece of scrap until they dry. Highly figured wood usually has small cracks or other defects and I also use veneer tape to repair these.

Preparing the Glue

Hide glue has been used in veneering for thousands of years, and was used on most of the antique veneered furniture you find today. The glue is made from animal hides, blood and bones that have been dried and pulverized. It comes in pearl or flake form and is activated with heat and water. I obtain hide glue from Tools for Working Wood. They also carry the glue pot and other tools mentioned in this article.

Hot hide glue does have some advantages over other adhesives. When it cools, it sticks. That eliminates the need for a press. It can be reactivated with heat – or by the addition of more glue. It is water-soluble and cleans up with warm water.

For a project of this size, I place about ½ cup (dry) of hide flakes in a small jar then cover over the glue with warm water and let it sit for about 20 minutes before placing the jar into the glue pot sleeve.

After 15 minutes, stir the glue until it runs freely from the brush. Then take a small amount between your middle and fore fingers and rub. The glue should develop tack in a couple of minutes.

If left uncovered, the glue will thicken as the water evaporates. To maintain the consistency of your glue, cover the jar with its lid or a damp towel. If you add more water to thin the glue, remember to allow the glue to warm to its proper temperature (140°F) before brushing it onto your work.

Gluing Down the Veneer

When you apply veneer at any corner, one layer of veneer is trimmed flush with the substrate surface, then the next layer of veneer is applied perpendicular to the first. The second layer covers the first, but its edge remains visible – and vulnerable.

You must consider the order in which you veneer. And it’s always a choice between hiding the veneer seam and protecting it. For example, you usually veneer the edges on a drawer front first, then veneer the front itself. When the drawer is closed, the veneer edge is not visible.

Apply warm glue to the box edge, then to the edge veneer. After centering the strip on the edge, apply glue on top of the tape (this lubricates the pressing). Then with firm but careful pressure, press down along the edge with the veneer hammer (more like a veneer squeegee), looking for light glue squeeze-out along both sides of the edging.

Work your way around the box, overlapping the edging at the corners. Then, with a sharp marking knife, cut through both layers, across the corners, to make the miters. After cutting through both layers, carefully remove the cut-off pieces with the tip of the knife and apply veneer tape to draw the miter joint closed. If the glue cools before you can trim the miters, rewarm the joint with an iron or by applying more glue, then trim and tape.

When the glue cools and bonds, trim off the excess veneer with the saw and flush the edge with a file. Any small gaps between the veneer and the box’s edges are warmed with an iron and pressed down. Finally, scrape the edge, working in toward the center for a clean surface and a tight joint so that veneer applied perpendicular to the edge will produce an invisible seam.

Gluing the Sides and Top

Apply glue to the substrate. Then  lay the veneer face down on the surface and into the glue while brushing glue onto the back of the veneer. Next, flip the veneer over and place it face side up, then use the veneer hammer to press the veneer down firmly. Work from the center out toward the edges, applying more glue to lubricate the hammering if necessary.

If a bubble appears, brush glue onto the bubble and the surrounding area, and press from the bubble toward the nearest edge.

When the sides are down and secure, saw off the excess, then file the edge flush. Apply hot glue to any gaps and press them down until the glue cools. Repeat the process for the top.

Veneering the Curved Drawer Front

Set the curved drawer front securely in the vise to allow clearance and good access to the corners. Then repeat the process for applying glue and laying down the veneer. While the glue is warm, press down with the veneer hammer until the corners and edges are down nicely and all the bubbles are pressed out.

Be careful not to slide the hammer off the drawer front and fracture the veneer as you apply pressure to the corners.

Next, cut off the major excess and replace the drawer front in the vise so you can press down any small gaps.

Be careful – even though I was, I still slid off the edge and cracked the veneer. But after inspecting the damage, I determined it would be an easy repair once the glue was dry. The next day, I used a warm household iron to heat and press down several small gaps along the corner before repairing the edge of the drawer front.

Trimming and Cleaning Up

After setting the box aside to cool and settle down, carefully inspect the edges for clean, tight and attractive joints. I use four tools to trim, clean and flush veneer seams:

• Veneer saw – to trim edges.

• Grobet detail file – a tapered half-round file with coarse teeth on one end and fine teeth an the other to remove excess glue and expose small gaps.

• Flat card scraper – to flush the veneer to the substrate.

• 8″ second-cut mill file – to perfectly flush and joint edges.

Tuning up a Veneer Saw

Once at a woodworking show, I witnessed Frank Pollaro making up veneered chess boards. He must have produced more than 30 pieces and each was perfect. The seams were tight and clean; there was no tear-out or split veneer. What impressed me most was that he was getting these results straight from his veneer saw, with no fussing or cleaning up on a shooting board later. After that, I was determined to improve the performance of mine. Here are the steps I take to “soup up” a veneer saw. It’s not necessary to do this to learn veneering, but it helps.

How to Flawlessly Patch Veneer

Veneer is fragile; mistakes and accidents will happen. Most of the damage will occur at the edges and corners, where patches can be cut and easily let in.

First, select a piece of veneer that closely matches the damaged area in color and grain (wetting both the patch and damaged area will give you a good idea of the final appearance). Then take a curved carving gouge and punch out a patch that covers the damaged area. With the same gouge punch out the damaged area and clean it out with a bench chisel. Check the patch for fit, color and grain. Then glue the patch in place and secure it with masking tape.

After the patch dries, carefully file off any excess, then file the patch flush and sand. After sanding, your project will be ready for finishing.

When the surface is sanded, any significant traces of glue are removed, which leaves an open-pore surface that is receptive to stain and finish. Unlike when using yellow glue, any hide glue residue remaining on the surface will have no adverse effect

---