Anyone have experience veneering a luan door? Any do's and dont's? I don't see an issue but i thought i'd check here. Thanks

Is this door:

Interior or exterior?

Solid core or hollow core?

Passage or cabinet?

Finished or unfinished?

How will you attach the veneer?

Glue type and process?

Veneer is raw, paper backed, two-plied or?

Right. Info helps, lol.

these are interior doors

client is looking at solid core

these are all passage doors to match the kitchen we are building them

they will be finished

veneer glued and vacuum bagged

probably would use 10mil paper backed veneer. 8x4 rift white oak

Seems you've got a handle on it, Matthew.
I'd go solid core for sure for a couple reasons. A more satisfying closing experience (marketing hype!) and won't squash them in your press.

I've never tried bagging a hollow core, but many I've seen are kinda wavy which I assume is the fault of coring material. Plus they sound....well, hollow when closing!

I would build my own core for this. Custom veneer work deserves, a quality custom built core. Agree with going solid.

Don't throw away your reputation because the client insists on having you veneer a $20 box store door slab.

I agree Jake. However this is my neighbor and they are already spending $80k on cabinetry and have asked me to help them with this. They know it's low quality but don't want to spend the $1300/per to have us build them. thx

Years ago I was handed a couple of solid core oak faced doors from a major manufacturer to veneer with red birch to match a kitchen I was building. I sanded them, put them in the bag, and when they came out the veneer was loose on the ends because the door shop's sander had left a major snipe I failed to detect. Peeled it off, sanded flat and did it again, it worked and no callbacks. Make sure the blanks are flat enough to work with your press.

They will not think you are helping them out if the doors are not up to the quality of the rest of the work. I would pass on it unless I was sure I could do it well.

My father did a bunch of them using 1/8 oak door skins.
Might have to move the stops of shave them down.

I hate paper backed veneer. More than a few times there have been issues with adhesion talked about on this site. I agree with the door skins, two wood plies. I'd be cautious of even throwing a solid core in the vacuum bag. No idea what kind of voids and conditions under the skin. I get a kick out of what they call solid core. Usually just a slab of particle board these days. Lucky if it is really solid.

If you look around a bit, I bet you will find that a local solid core vendor can get you some R W Oak faced doors off the shelf for a reasonable price. I often forget that some things are common, and then go about making it by standing on my head, etc.

Last I got some doors like that, they were about $180 each from the wholesaler.