[Zuman]

Hello, all. I've read the older posts (including the Veneering Resource Center stuff) and I've watched the online videos, but I'm still a bit nervous about veneering my CSS Criton 2 diy cabinets.  The front baffle will have a 3/8" roundover on the top and bottom edges, but will have straight (90 degree) edges on the sides. I'd like to "wrap" a single veneer sheet from the bottom panel (8.5" wide by 15" deep), up the roundover and over the front baffle (8.5" x 22"), and then over the top roundover and the top panel (8.5" x 15" again).
I've never veneered before.  Would you recommend the thin paper-backed stuff or the thicker wood without the paper. And how about adhesive-backed vs contact cement or heat-lock adhesive?
Thanks so much!

[Peter J]

Can I assume you've seen my video on veneering the X-LS? Your project would be virtually the same except for the position of roundovers and perhaps grain direction.

The face veneer on wood backed or paper backed should be about the same thickness...around .030-.035. (1/40th"). Not all wood backed are the same construction, but most paper backed is pretty similar. Paper back is more than adequate for the task at hand and for ease of installation I'd certainly recommend Heat Lock. Really easy to get good results and forgiving to boot. You give up nothing for the versatility.

PSA needs more surface prep (sealing) for good bond, and both PSA and contact glue are not at all forgiving. If you decide to use contact glue, which I don't recommend, don't cheap out with the crap from big box like Weldwood. It's awful in terms of workability when compared to 3M 30NF or comparable glues.

Make a test sample for the roundovers so you can be sure you can wrap them with chosen veneer and grain direction.

If you haven't been there, Veneer Supplies has lots of good products and info. https://www.veneersupplies.com/

[Zuman]

Oh, yes, Peter. Your level of experience and expertise is several levels beyond mine, though, so I'm absorbing all the advice I can get!

[Bullitt5094]

I recently took my first stab at Veneer using Peter's video and additional advice from him. It turned out great. Use Heat Lock and also the wood file Peter recommends to finish the edges. Also use the technique he recommends with the file. On the round-over I would also suggest using the paper backed Veneer and the wood softener solution. Maybe I got unlucky but my veneer tried to crack on a long round-over on the floor standing speakers but I had zero problem on the smaller center channel. Maybe Peter will chime in on this observation.

[Peter J]

I'm kinda guessing without seeing what happened, so take this for what it's worth.

Most, if not all, oak species have big, open grain structure which may show their inherent weakness in some areas when manipulating around a radius. Compare this to tight, even grain like cherry or alder.  Add to that the length of the bend. That might have been a contributing factor.

Veneer softener might be a good idea. Larger radius can be a help too. For a "no surprises"  build, I always recommend test driving on something other than the cabinets themselves. The fact is real wood is fickle, not consistent like man-made material.

[Bullitt5094]

What I encountered and the type of wood makes sense and it's good to know. I actually did a trial on a smaller pieced with good results. Then I did the center channel, which was a smaller length and it did great too. I only had problems with the long floor standers.

Is there any reason not to use the softener solution? I haven't so far, but I'm building a pair of X-LS encores right now and intended to use softener on those as a learning experience. If I like the sound of the book shelf speakers I'll likely move the drivers to an X-SLS box. If I do that, I'll certainly want to use the softener on the lengthy round-overs. What are the pitfalls of the softener?

And THANKS!! for sharing your experience and advice Peter. The Lores would not have looked that good without you sharing your knowledge.

[Zuman]

Bullitt, your enclosures look spectacular!
The standmount Criton 2TD-X speakers I'm building each have two 7" midwoofers in a vertical configuration with a 25mm tweeter between them, and I doubt that the small roundovers they designed at the top and bottom of the 8.5" baffle will make a sonic difference. Because of that, I think I'm going to roundover the sides of the baffles instead and wrap the veneer horizontally instead of vertically as I was intending. I ordered the paper-backed (10 mil) rotary-cut, rolling figure bubinga veneer from VeneerSupplies (I also bought the Heat-Lock glue and roller and the spiral flush router bit).
Peter...have you worked with the bubinga veneer at all? (BTW, I downloaded and watched your full-length video!).

[Peter J]

Zuman, you must be a glutton for punishment, that surely constitutes a veneering overdose...

I have used figured Bubinga, often called "waterfall", but never paper backed. It's beautiful wood. Both these used raw veneer.

[Bullitt5094]

And you thought my boxes looked good? Those are awesome! Peter did you wrap the wood on those around the vertical round-overs against the grain without the wood cracking? I couldn't imagine that working with the walnut I was using. It didn't want to wrap against the grain at all.

[Peter J]

And you thought my boxes looked good? Those are awesome! Peter did you wrap the wood on those around the vertical round-overs against the grain without the wood cracking? I couldn't imagine that working with the walnut I was using. It didn't want to wrap against the grain at all.

Not wraps but faux inlays.

[Bullitt5094]

Even cooler.