To get the full plans and directions for building these Veneer Press Made of Steel Pipe CLICK HERE
THE ultimate goal of most home wood workers is the mastery of veneering technique. Not until a workshop is equipped to lay richly-grained veneers on sizable panels can the craftsman duplicate some of the fine furniture he wants to own. Aside from their advantage in appearance, veneered panels have practical value; they are less subject to warp and they cost less than solid wood of good cabinet grade.
With very little effort and expense on the part of the home craftsman a highly satisfactory veneer press can be made of pipe and pipe fittings. A press of the type shown in the accompanying sketches can be made to handle any size of panel that the craftsman may want to veneer. The pressure units are made as separate, movable pieces as shown in Fig. 1. The number of these units required will depend on the length of panel to be veneered. Three units will handle panels up to 24″ in length.
The pipe and fittings may be obtained from the local plumber already cut to size and threaded as required. If 3/4″ pipe is used throughout, as suggested in Fig. 1, the horizontal nipples should not exceed 6″ in length. If a pressure unit capable of handling panels wider than 12″ is needed, the use of larger pipe, measuring 1 1/4″ in diameter, is advisable. In this case, each horizontal nipple may be as long as 12″. When the pipe is being purchased, double extra strong pipe should be specified.
The base of each pressure unit is made of 2″ x 6″ wood, having a length of at least 8″ greater than that of both horizontal nipples. If each horizontal nipple is to be 6″ in length, then the length of the base should be 20″. The vertical pipe of the pressure unit should have a minimum length of 6″; this size will provide sufficient depth for veneering 3/4″ stock. If assembled boxes or other deep units are to be veneered, vertical pipes must be longer.
The center pipe should be at least 8″ long and should be threaded its full length. The tee that receives the horizontal nipples must have a clearance hole drilled through it to permit passage of the vertical center pipe. The various pipes and fittings are assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, before the flanges are bolted to the base with stove bolts.
When the veneer press is put into service, cauls must be provided for covering the panel that is being veneered, as shown in Fig. 2. Each caul is made of several pieces of 3/4″ stock measuring a little longer than the panel being veneered. Cauls are faced with a sheet of 1/4″ plywood or fiberboard as shown in the sketch. A block of 2″ x 6″ stock is placed between the caul and the end of the pressure screw to distribute the pressure.
To get the full plans and directions for building these Veneer Press Made of Steel Pipe CLICK HERE
