What can I do to extend the open time on the cold press veneer glue?
The Better Bond™ cold press veneer glue has an open time of 10 to 12 minutes. For larger projects, this means you need to work quickly to get the project into the bag. But there are easy ways to increase the open time to as much as 20 minutes. You can lengthen the open time by “priming” the substrate with a 50/50 mixture of cold press veneer glue and water. Brush or roll this on to the substrate and let it dry. Then apply another coat of undiluted veneer glue to the substrate just before you attach the veneer. The primer coat will seal the pores of the substrate so the water from the glue is not pulled out. This will add 5 to 8 minutes to the open time without affecting the adhesion. You can get even more open time by lowering the temperature in the shop. For some, this means turning down the heat. For others, it means cranking up the air conditioning or working in the evening when shop temperatures are lowest.
