Mirror Frames- Veneered Panels

I need to make two veneered panels for two cherry mirror frames. I like to use baltic birch for the substrate. It's flat, uniform, and free of voids.



I cut two pieces larger than the finished dimensions, then I select a couple of pieces of eucalyptus veneer from the flitch.



I give the sheets a LIGHT spritzing with water to soften them. You don't want to wet the veneer, just raise it's moisture a little. It's wrapped in plastic and placed on a flat table.



I then place a weight on it to help flatten it and prevent it from curling. Here I am using an MDF bent lamination form for bending table skirts.



While the veneer is getting ready I turn to the substrate. Glue is applied.



A roller is used to spread and level.



The veneer is placed on the glued face, then the whole panel is placed face down on a platen. The platen is covered with plastic to prevent the veneer from adhering to it.



The bundle is then placed in the vacccum bag and left there for thirty minutes.



I give the panel a day to cure before continuing to work on it. I start by trimming the veneer flush with a knife, making light passes until I have a kerf, then increasing pressure until the waste is severed.



The panel is then ripped to width, keeping the veneer up to avoid the blade from chipping it.



Then it's chopped to length.



The rabbet this panel fits into was router cut, so the corners aren't square. I use a set of Wheel Gauges to layout the corners. I like these gauges a lot, I find new uses for them all the time.



The edge sander follows the line.



Before I place the panel in the frame, I give the edges a heavy break. This prevents the veneer from catching and chipping when it's removed from the rabbet.



Being very careful to not go through the veneer, it's sanded to remove the glue and to polish the surface.



Oil brings out the colour and the figure.