Furniture repair help

[slinkp]

How does one glue veneer that's splitting like this?  Krazy glue did nothing and is all I had in the house, will have to order something but don't know what.

Also don't know how I would clamp such a thing ... would have to buy clamps too and no idea what would work on a curve like this...

[Pilgrim]

I would want to treat that a little like a veneer on a hollow body guitar.

Super glue is the last thing I'd use, and I'd scrape it off before trying any other glue. Starting with a clean surface is important.

I'd suggest Titebond or another good wood glue that has enough working time to get clamps in position.  For that curve, I would think that the most effective way to glue it would be to make a caul or form that's matched to the curve of the lid.  I think you would want 2 or 3 clamps from inside the lid (possibly with a strip of wood between the clamp and the lid to avoid cracking the lid) to hold the caul/form in position and apply clamping force.

You may also want to steam that strip of wood and gently pull it toward the lid over a few days if you think it might break.  I also think you might use the caul on the wood next to it that's already cracked.

Others who are more used to woodworking may have better ideas.

[Dave W]

I messaged godofthunder, he does furniture repair.

[slinkp]

Thanks for the suggestions all. Sorry I dropped the ball on this!

[godofthunder]

Late to the party. Pilgrim is spot on. I would give this softer a try. There's an old veneer softener recipe of consisting of 3 parts water, 2 parts yellow glue, 1 part vegetable glycerin (which can be found at most pharmacies), and 1 part denatured alcohol. This combination will soften veneer but it's sticky, messy, and hard to dry. It will also seal the wood cells which can have an effect on the wood's ability to accept a stain and finish. If you opt to use homemade veneer softener, you will find that glue content causes the veneer to stick to the absorbent paper. You can avoid this issue by placing a piece of fiberglass cloth between the veneer and the paper. Fiber glass cloth can be found at your local hardware store near the adhesives aisle.