Veneer conditioner.

Veneer is a wood product that is very similar with the wood panel. Problems of arching, cracking, bending and other problems resulting from the changes of moisture content are also often happened to the veneer. The veneer may be more fragile since it is just a thin sheet then thick wood panels. To help overcome various problems in the veneer, then the finishing materials industry has provide a special material called veneer conditioner.

Veneer conditioner (veneer softener or veneer plasticizer) is a material that is specially designed to soften the veneer to become soft, plastic, and flexible. It is glycerin diluted with water with some other solvent and chemical. Glycerin is a humectant that would keep the veneer at the higher moisture content to keep it to be soft, plastic and elastic. Veneer conditioner serves to straighten the buckled and curled veneer. Veneer if is not stored or handled properly may be curved, uneven or wavy. Directly straighten the hard veneer is risk to crack and damage the veneer sheet Veneer conditioner will help to soften the veneer; after the veneer is plastic and soft then it can be straightened. 

 crotch mahogany veneer panel

The veneer conditioner can also be used to help reduce the problems to 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. The veneer softener help to make the veneer to be soft and plastic. The soft veneer will make the better lamination and thus reduce to the veneer problem.

How to apply the veneer conditioner.

 
Apply the conditioner by brushed or sprayed on both side 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 straight board or plat to make it be straight. The veneer is held flat while it is dried, and the straight veneer is resulted after it is dry. It can be placed in the dehumidifier room or heated to faster the drying. Heating the veneer give an advantage since the heat makes the wood even more plastic.
The veneer conditioner is also helpful to reduce the problem of crack at the veneered panels. Wet the veneer with veneer conditioner before its being laminated. Spray or brush the conditioner to the veneer and then put the veneer at the dehumidifier room until it reaches the standard m.c. (about 8%-10%). Then glue and laminate the veneer to the core panels. The veneer conditioner help to plasticize and soft the veneer and then produce a better attachment. The result is better lamination and then reduce the problem at the veneered panel.