Architectural Woodworking

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Veneering a Cylinder

10/23/17       
Wood Dust

Hey all, leaning on the group for help coming up with a way to veneer a cylinder.

What the end result needs to be is a 48'' round cylinder that is 42'' tall. What I have made thus far is two halves that will get pushed together once veneered. I have done smaller versions of this before but nothing of this size. I am weary of using contact cement, and my vac bag wont take anything this tall and wide.

What would you do or what have you done? Thanks !

10/24/17       #2: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Matt Krig Member

We just order them. http://www.tapeease.com/Wood%20Cylinders.htm

Love an adventure, but lots of specialty companies making things more efficiently than I can.

10/24/17       #3: Veneering a Cylinder ...
B.H. Davis Member

One solution is to use standard Titebond glue in a contact cement sort of application.

You apply regular (red bottle cap) Titebond to both surfaces and let it dry. Then you can bring the surfaces together and use an iron to warm the veneer surface. The heat will soften the Titebond glue and the two layers will bond as it cools. Slowly work your way around the cylinder letting the iron heat and press the two surfaces together.

You'll want to experiment on some scrap first to get the feel but I've done curved projects with this method with good, long term results.

BH Davis

10/24/17       #4: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Kevin Jenness

Outsourcing is a reasonable option. If you are bent on doing it yourself consider bagging your layup outside the form. This is common for large glue-ups like stair stringers.

It sounds as though you have made your semi-cylinders using contact cement. I would not want to rely on that method.

10/24/17       #5: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Wood Dust

Thanks guys,

Matt- I have looked this route but have not found anyone that will or can do this. For one offs I am always on board to source to people who have experience in the needed item.

Bh Davis- I have done a few smaller veneer jobs like this , had good results but I am weary of this too.

10/24/17       #6: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Adam

If you already have the skills and knowledge of vac bagging I would use one.

When bagging big or odd shaped projects you can buy vac bag plastic and use the tape to stick it all together. It works perfectly. That's how we bag big boats(40').

In the shop its also handy for making flat parts. You can make a table from melamine and tape the bag to it.

Jamestown Distributors is an excellent company and resource.

Vac bag tape

10/27/17       #7: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Wood Dust

Adam,

I didn’t know I could buy supplies to make my own bag ! Never even thought of it , learn something new everyday ! Thanks

10/27/17       #8: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Adam

Its often easier to make a flat table on a bench or saw horses out of a sheet of melamine. Build your bag 30% bigger than the part. Then use the tape to stick it to the table. It will all suck down. Use the tape to stick your hose to the bag.

You can also use the mastic to fix holes, leaks and to make different length bags out of the tube plastic.

There are all kinds of tricks to using vac bags. One of my favorites is using a shop vac to pull the huge volume of air out of a big boat mold. Once you get most of the air you can switch on the vac pump to suck it down.

10/27/17       #9: Veneering a Cylinder ...
B.H. Davis Member

Making your own bag is a great idea. However making a frame table can be a problem if you have a strong enough vacuum.

A bag will press evenly from all sides. A frame table (panel on the bottom, bag material on top) can easily crush the parts being pressed.

As an experiment I once put a joint compound bucket with a piece of 3/4" particle board on top of the open end onto the frame table. When the vacuum was activated the pressure punched a hole in the particle board right down into the bucket.

If you go this route you will need to build a ribbed support form for the half cylinder. It is much easier in the long run just to make the oversized bag.

BH Davis

10/27/17       #10: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Kevin Jenness

Wood Dust,

As B.H. suggests, you can do this with a large home-made bag and no form, just omit the table or platen. Lay up the veneer on your semi cylinder with some breather fabric and pull a vacuum. Or follow his original direction and use reactivated Titebond with an iron, although that would not be my first choice. Hammer veneering would be another option.

The one thing I would be concerned about is your substrate. Your initial post suggests that you may have made your half cylinders with contact cement, which gives me pause. How did you make them? Kerf Kore or similar?

Once the half cylinders are veneered, you need to true up the mating edges, probably with a router and straightedge, index the outer surfaces with splines (dowels, dominoes etc.) and join the cylinder halves with strap clamps.

It would be useful to know how your elapsed time when complete compares to a quote from a specialist (http://www.kellerwoodproducts.com/high_pressure_laminate_hpl_veneered_consoles.ph
p, for example). Also, how true a cylinder you wind up with.

10/27/17       #11: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Adam

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't suggesting using a vac table for a cylinder. It would crush it in some manner as BH mentioned.

I was mentioning the other benefits of using the sheet/tape method.

10/27/17       #12: Veneering a Cylinder ...
B.H. Davis Member

Adam,

No..........you were quite clear. I'm the one that didn't read it carefully enough.

BH Davis

10/28/17       #13: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Wood Dust

Thanks all, I’ll keep you posted how it turns out.

Kevin , believe me I would of loved to of bought this in already done . Keller wood products wouldn’t do it . Said it was to big and weren’t willing to Do it . I found a supplier that could sell me the half cylinders , Roberts Plywood in ny.

10/28/17       #14: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Kevin Jenness

What are you going to do with these gargantuan tubes?

I found a reference to Shapes Unlimited which claims to stock up to 48" diameter tubes made of fiberboard. That might be worth checking out if you do any future similar projects.

It would be interesting to hear how this project turns out for you.

10/28/17       #15: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Adam

wood dust,

What's your plan on connecting the two halves? I'd be interested to see how they have distorted.

10/29/17       #16: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Wood Dust

Once completed these get solid wood end grain top and ties together two long marble slabs .its for a commercial job, I’m not concerned with the distortion because I am going to Cnc half circles to pull the half columns back to shape. And as for the joint, should end up fairly seamless as it’s rift oak running vertically, custom 8’x4’ sheets

10/29/17       #17: Veneering a Cylinder ...
B.H. Davis Member

When we do this type of thing in the shop we bring the two halve cylinders together into a full circle. Then we take it to the table saw and rip it in half. That is for a 48" high cylinder we would end up with two 24" high cylinders.

Then we edge glue the two back together while rotating one 90 degrees. This locks it in as a near perfect circle.

Admittedly we do this with maybe up to 24" tall cylindrical jambs so the two halves are less wide than in your case. At 48" tall I'd be tempted to rip it into 3 sections.

BH Davis

11/1/17       #18: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Paul Downs

Try Northcreek Woodworks. They do a lot of cylinders.

11/7/17       #19: Veneering a Cylinder ...
Jim Baldwin

Sometimes old ways work best.

I would use hot hide-glue and a drywall trowel.

Buy the beating apparatus, follow directions and apply veneer like pasteing wallpaper.
If it doesn't come out perfectly, you reheat, remove and try again.

No pressing required, just complete contact.
Hide-glue is amazing stuff!


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)