Veneering over veneer options (with considerations)

[booja]

I have a pair of JBL 4312A's that I bought recently. I committed fairly early on to re-veneering them because there were a few really poor repairs to corners that had obviously been damaged. We're talking colored wood wax covering bondo seeping through damaged and re-glued veneer. These poor repairs hid some softened MDF that needed to be removed.

I have spent a week or so removing the bad material, replacing it with wood epoxy, and getting sharp and solid corners back. They're pretty much ready for veneer now, but I have a few things I need to decide.

I decided to not try to completely remove the old veneer because of advice I read on this site (but in 10+ year old threads). People had said removing old veneer from MDF cabinets is a huge can of worms and basically results in a loss of will to live. I can see this being the case -- even with tens of hours with a heat gun, a good scraper and the patience of a saint, you're left with rough MDF coated in glue. Trying to sand off the glue gums up the paper, and you end up wondering if you should just burn the cabinets. Finally, I am fairly convinced that the original veneer is adhered well.

I am going to be veneering with new paper-backed veneer, probably teak. I don't mind the original American walnut, but it's hard to find new veneer that isn't a lot darker than the original stuff (that probably came from older trees). And I really like teak.

ACTUAL QUESTION(S) BELOW:

So the question is, which method of veneering is most appropriate for veneering over the top of old veneer? I am tempted by the method I've read about here (and elsewhere) involving multiple coats of Titebond II on the veneer and cabinet, letting it dry, then fixing it by re-activating the glue with an iron. A lot of people have had great success with this method, and there are even some decent YT videos showing the method.

The nagging issue is the risk that applying heat to activate the glue may end up softening the old glue holding the original veneer. For this reason some people have recommend contact cement or a 'cold press' method (e.g. same glue but applying veneer while glue is still wet and clamping).

The problem with a cold press method for me is I currently live in an apartment in Spain. It would cost a lot and take a lot of space to buy 4 or more F-clamps large enough to clamp the veneer down properly. And as far as contact cement is concerned, it sounds like a decent idea except that people have mentioned that it may not be great long term since it never truly hardens, and is susceptible to high humidity (I live in a humid city next to the Mediterranean).

So, for those that have veneered over veneer, what method(s) have you used? What worked and what didn't? What would you recommend given the constraints of 1) small apartment, and 2) not wanting to buy a bunch of expensive tools for one time use?

Thanks in advance.

[tjm001]

I don't know of anybody that knows more about applying veneer than these people: https://www.oakwoodveneer.com/

[macaroonie]

The Titebond method works really well , the key thing is not to overheat.
You only need a quick heat to activate the Titebond. If you overheat you then leave excess heat in the background material wqhich will likely cause bubling in your new veneer as the Titebond does not set as quickly as it needs to.
Practice on the bottom of your speakers. You don't have to linger long with the iron but you just need to get a feel for it.
I did a pair of 4312's this way and had no trouble at all even on the narrow front edges.

[booja]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I've got almost all the equipment to do @saeman's method so I think I'll go for it. Worst case I'll have to start over but it will be a good learning experience either way.

I think I'm going to have to find something to practice on. I thought about doing the bottom first, but then I read some advice about doing it last so that the sides and front strips would be less likely to 'catch' on things if or when the speakers are slid around. I might put some sort of minimal feet on them to protect the bottom corners/edges, and in that case it would be less important.

[Mr. Widget]

I think I'm going to have to find something to practice on.

An excellent idea. There are several types of veneer that may be available to you in your area. The simplest to apply are sheets of veneer that are glued up in larger rolled panels. These can be wood veneer that is glued to a crossbanded veneer layer or veneer that is glued to heavy paper or melamine. All of these work slightly differently, but they are the easiest to apply.

True plain veneer sold in stacks or by the flitch will give you thicker veneer to work with, but unless your species comes in very wide pieces, you will need to joint one or more pieces which can be tricky. Also this type of veneer is just plain harder to work with if this is a first or second go.

Lastly, to do the job right, you should lay up a crossband layer first and then place your finish layer. You can use poplar or any stable inexpensive veneer and glue it up perpendicular to the grain that is on there now, then lay down your top coat in the correct direction. This will give you the best results.


Widget

[booja]

My plan was to use paper backed veneer, maybe Decoflex (https://www.decospan.com/en/wood-sol...nels/decoflex/). I haven't bought any yet, but I came across a few threads that called it out. I found some veneer from UK sellers on the auction site that are interesting, but its not easy to get a sense of product quality from feedback ratings.

Ordering from somewhere in the EU would be simplest and fastest (no customs inspections, import fees, etc.) and I can do that with Decoflex for example. I may even be able to find something locally, but I live in the city center without a car, and the veneer/hardwood retailers seem to be out on the edges of the city.