Experimental Project Proposal: Wood Veneers

I have decided to explore wood veneers for this project. I've been wanting to try them out for a while, but have never had the opportunity. For the time being, I am more interested in how well they work on a smaller scale. There are entire stores full of different veneering supplies, so it is kind of difficult to figure out where to begin, but I am considering some tips from the following web sites:

http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/getting-started.htm

http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/no-vacuumpress-veneering.htm

http://www.diyinfo.org/wiki/Using_Veneers

http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com/Veneering_Index.html

Some experiments I would like to try are:

1.Simple, flat veneering. I might try this on a cut out shape to get a feel for application and finishing.

2.Vacuum Veneering, if the Vacuuform machine would work for this, I'd like to take advantage of that by trying it over a curved surface.

3. Bending veneers. What kind of angles and curves can I get different kinds of veneer over and what are the limits on the shape/angle before the wood breaks down?

4. Decorative. I am going to try out different things, such as laser cutting and staining. I would like to see what types of colorants outside of woodstains the veneer would accept. I've had good results staining cork with watered down acrylic, so I'd like to see how it works on veneer. I'd also like to see how well a laser cut peice would bend.

Figuring out what materials I need and don't need is a bit daunting, as there are so many out there, especially in regards to what type of glue I should use. Here is what I think I might need:

Veneer sample pack
MDF or other substrate
Appropriate glue
curved X-acto blades
glue roller
veneer softener?
paints