Veneering: making good the substrate?

[nigelmercier]

... I've bought enough sapele veneer to do the whole panel if necessary. I will need to patch the panel, and ideally remove the existing veneer...

I've patched the large holes and removed the veneer from the panel, using a belt sander followed by hand sanding. As expected, there are a couple of areas that need filling, either where there was a hole, or a slight depression on an edge caused by the sander.

I'm using iron-on veneer, rather than the hot-melt film I discovered (http://amzn.to/1wT3cgN) but I imagine the result will be similar.

I'm not sure what to fill and level the substrate with. Any suggestions?

 

[coopec]

Nigel

I'm surprised no-one has responded to your query.

I've never done this before but if I did I would use epoxy glue. If the glue was the " runny" type I would use some talc as a filler to thicken it up. If you didn't have epoxy then polyester resin would be fine. And if I didn't have either I would go to the hardware store and get a tube of....................
(Don't blame me if you stuff it up!!)

 

[tillergirl]

I would have thought ordinary troweling cement would do - of course it has to have a posh name nowadays eg International Interfill.

 

[ccscott49]

Make up your own thick epoxy filler, or buy some, the bought stuff is harder to sand, but with a power orbital easy peasy, get it flat and it will be fine, where did you buy your veneer by the way?

 

[Seashoreman]

I have never used iron-on veneer so am not sure of its adhesive qualities. I have been veneering fine furniture for many years with wood veneer and contact glue.
If I need to fill small holes or damage I use two part 'wood filler' which is fast drying and easy to sand flat.

 

[Pete735]

As per Seashoreman, 2 part car body filler (aka 2pt wood filler without the pigment I suspect). Sticks to anything, is flexible,dries quickly and easy to sand. Again, I have never used it with iron on veneer but I do not see a problem, although I would experiment on a scrap piece of ply first just to be certain.

 

[nimbusgb]

Provided it's very small depressions I'd go with polyester body filler as well. Gives a good keying surface for adhesion afterwards. Epoxy would be too hard and subsequent sanding will probably make the panel wavy.

 

[nigelmercier]

If I need to fill small holes or damage I use two part 'wood filler' which is fast drying and easy to sand flat.

Thanks, ordered some Ronseal High Performance Wood Filler http://amzn.to/1ywX3IT

I actually got it in B&Q as I want it today, but paid exactly twice the Amazon price.

 

[vyv_cox]

As per Seashoreman, 2 part car body filler (aka 2pt wood filler without the pigment I suspect). Sticks to anything, is flexible,dries quickly and easy to sand. Again, I have never used it with iron on veneer but I do not see a problem, although I would experiment on a scrap piece of ply first just to be certain.

+1. I know that my brother, who is a woodwork professional, uses it for this kind of job. Its beauty is it is so easy to sand flat, being designed for the purpose.

 

[nigelmercier]

Thanks, ordered some Ronseal High Performance Wood Filler http://amzn.to/1ywX3IT ...

I've just used it: total nightmare. Bloody stuff went off in 3-4 minutes; I had to mix 5 batches. I've emailed Ronseal to complain.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I would have thought that fine body filler would be suitable - the kind that you don't have to mix with hardener. Sets hard and sands easily to a fine finish. Not so convinced about the 'iron on' veneer but I've only used that stuff for edging on Contiboard.

 

[vyv_cox]

I would have thought that fine body filler would be suitable - the kind that you don't have to mix with hardener. Sets hard and sands easily to a fine finish.

Although the info says it is good for up to 3 mm I have never found that to be the case. I have used it for very shallow indents very successfully but, being solvent based, there is some shrinkage with anything deeper.