Laminating veneer onto fiberglass instrument panel?

[Noob builder]

Trying something a little different, wanted to lay a nice veneer onto a foam core fiberglass panel I'm building. Did my initial layup using Weldwood contact cement, but after about 2 weeks the veneer lifted and bubbled.

Anyone else done this, have any suggestions? This will be for a non-pressurized GA aircraft.


TIA,

[WLIU]

What kind of veneer? I have applied wood veneer to an aluminum instrument panel. Stained and polyurethaned. Looks great many years later. The details and technique of veneering is generally found in wood working books.

If the veneer "bubbled" does that mean that it was some sort of paper? Was the substrate clean of solvents, oil, and dust when the contact cement was applied? Finally, was the contact cement solvent based or the newer water based product?

Best of luck,

Wes
N78041

[steveinindy]

Was the substrate clean of solvents, oil, and dust when the contact cement was applied?

That was my first thought too.

My second was that there are some epoxy adhesives available from 3M that will bond it and never let go with proper prep of the surface.

I know this because of a prank pulled by two fellow volunteers firefighters where one epoxied the other's bumper to a dumpster in the station parking lot (Why you ask? When I talked to them about it the answer: "We were bored"). He tried backing up with the dumpster chained to a tree and it pulled the bumper off the truck leaving the bumper glued on one side to the dumpster.

[Noob builder]

The first try was done by a professional carpenter who has done a lot of remodeling for me, and is well known in the area, so I'm guessing he knew to clean the layup first. I'll check, though.

[WLIU]

So what was the material that was veneered and how thick was it?

Wood veneer is typically 0.040" thick. It needs a very smooth surface to glue to. Composite may need a skim of filler to make it smooth enough. Contact cement is very commonly used. My experience is that solvent based cement works better.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78041