Applying Veneer

A piece of veneer with swirling grain can turn a project into something special. But getting the piece centered on the panel can be difficult. Here's a trick that makes the job easier.

First, cut a cardboard mask the same size as the panel you want to cover, and then find the bestlooking area from a sheet of veneer. Trim the veneer to rough size and apply a coat of contact cement.

Before attaching the veneer to the panel, place a piece of waxed paper between the two pieces, see Fig. 1. This allows you to move the veneer around and position it before it's permanently attached.

Once you have the veneer positioned where you want it, slowly pull the wax paper out while applying pressure from a roller.


Finally, trim the edges of the veneer by turning the panel upside down and running a razor knife along the edges, see in Fig. 2.