Mute_Requiem Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Hey, My name is Josh. I have been browsing the project guitar forum for nearly a year now but it is only lately that i have started posting. My first real project has been stripping an 80's (not sure the exact year) samick strat. I have added a 0.7mm quilted maple veneer. (I had to go so thin due to the guitar's curved top.) i purchased 3 bookmatched sets of veneer and am after removing my first attempt (not completly happy with my work) and starting over. Now, the 2nd half i glued on has several large air bubbles and the glue is long dried. Is there any way to remove these or should i completely start over for the 3rd time? (maybe i'll burn the ****er since i have been at the project since june and im going insane.) Any advise would be greatly appriciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 The easiest and most consistent way to apply a veneer is with a vacuum bag. This is probably out of your price range, if you're only looking to veneer one guitar. That said, if it's a flat surface you're veneering, your best bet is to (remove the previous attempt and) put another veneer on. Press the veneer on with a large (and very) flat board with lots of weight on top of it. If you're using two pieces of veneer joined at the middle, invest a few dollars in veneer tape (look at veneersupplies.com) to join the two pieces. peace, russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 A suggestion for something super flat is glass, a thick piece of glass would work great, assuming that you're not too hard on it. Glass is made perfectly flat, so it should work great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mute_Requiem Posted November 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 the top is curved, i have been using sandbags and weights on top of it, nearly 70 pounds in all. I tried an iron to loosen up the glue and straigten it up. I managed to get rid of some large bubbles, but there are still some wrinkles and smaller bubbles. Still up for suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Can't help you then. I had problems veneering a curved surface...so I built a vacuum pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Do a search through the forum for vaccum (sp) or vaccum bags or veneer. I remember seeing some where a topic of vaccum bags came up and someone posted a link to a vaccum press that used like a foot pump or something. It was a lot less expensive than a vaccum press though. I think someone was even using it to make skate board decks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Do a search through the forum for vaccum (sp) or vaccum bags or veneer. I remember seeing some where a topic of vaccum bags came up and someone posted a link to a vaccum press that used like a foot pump or something. It was a lot less expensive than a vaccum press though. I think someone was even using it to make skate board decks. Yep, I read in one of my woodworking magazines (Woodsmith, I believe) that a skate-boarding thin air press kit works quite well for doing small veneer jobs. I purchased two different sized bags and it works well for the price I paid. If you're serious about building, I strongly suggest sticking with an actual vacuum pump. Here's a link to the bag for guitar bodies: http://www.roarockit.com/proddetail.php?prod=01301 Here's mine in action, anything with thin veneers has glued down flawlessly. The thicker pieces (1/2"+) will need some more pressure than a hand pump can offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 Heh. That's a Vac-u-vin pump. Funky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 Long story short here is that trying to (1)apply veneer on a (2)arched top for your (3)very first project is most likely (4) way way way beyond your capabilities right now. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong and all that...but my strong guess is that this is simply 'advanced building techniques', while you are at 'basic building techniques' stage. Abandon the idea, get better at the basics, then maybe revisit it again in a year or two after you have successfully completed some other guitar-oriented projects. I think it's a bad idea to even TRY to tell you that this is possible for you at this point, unless you have several more sets of veneer you'd like to sacrifice in the name of knowledge...if so, then great, you will learn a lot over time...but it will certainly cost you in time spent and materials bought. Laying veneer over an arched top and have it come out acceptable, smooth, and straight isn't easy for -anyone-, on -any- day, much less someone just doing their first project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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