Veneer Conditioner to Care the Brittle Veneer

Veneer is a wood product that is very similar to the wood panel. Problems of arching, cracking, bending, and other problems resulting from the changes in moisture content are also often happening to the veneer. The veneer may be more fragile since it is just a thin sheet than thick wood panels. To help overcome various problems in the veneer, then the finishing materials industry provides a special material called veneer conditioner. Veneer conditioner (veneer softener or veneer plasticizer) is a material that is specially designed to soften the veneer before it is laminated into the core. It is glycerin diluted with water with some other solvent and chemical that will soften the veneer and make it more flexible and less brittle. Glycerin is a humectant that would keep the veneer at the higher moisture content to keep it soft, plastic, and elastic. 

Veneer conditioner serves to straighten the buckled and curled veneer. Veneer, if not stored or handled properly, may be curved, uneven, or wavy. Directly straightening the hard veneer is risky to crack and damage the veneer sheet Veneer conditioner will help to soften the veneer; after the veneer is plastic and soft, it can be straightened. 

Crotch mahogany veneer panel

The veneer conditioner can also be used to help reduce the problems with the hard and brittle veneer, such as crotch, burl, or veneer from hard and brittle wood. The brittle veneers tend to crack when attached at its core to make panel. In some cases, the veneer conditioner application has reduced the crack problem significantly. The hard veneer may be difficult to be laminated perfectly and veneer softener helps to make the veneer soft and more plastic. The soft veneer will make the lamination better and thus reduce to the veneer panel problem.

How to apply the veneer conditioner.

 

Apply the conditioner by brushed or sprayed on both sides of the buckled veneer. Make sure it layers perfectly and wet the veneer evenly. The wet veneer will be soft and plastic; it can be pressed with a straight board or plat to make it be straight. The veneer is kept flat while it is dried, and the straight, even veneer is resulted after it is dry. It can be placed in the dehumidifier room or heated to speed the drying. Heating the veneer gives an advantage since the heat makes the wood even more plastic.

The veneer conditioner is also helpful to reduce the problem of cracks at the veneered panels. Wet the veneer with veneer conditioner before it's laminated. Spray or brush the conditioner to the veneer, and then put the veneer in the dehumidifier room until it reaches the standard wood moisture content (about 8%–10%). Then glue and laminate the veneer to the core panels. The veneer conditioner helps to plasticize and soften the veneer and then produce a better attachment. The result is better lamination, which then reduces the crack and uneven problem at the veneered panel.