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Introduction to Veneer

Introduction to the Art of Veneering

The art of veneering, and it truly is an art, if properly done, dates back to around 1500 B.C.! Veneered items have been removed from Egyptian tombs of the Pharaohs, and are still intact!

Veneered furniture has suffered a reputation of inferior furniture, due in large part to furniture manufacturers, who chose to exploit the opportunity to hide poor workmanship under the veneer. This practice started in the late 1800's and continues to this day. With the modern machinery now being used the problem has been reduced, although new finishing techniques are permitting cheaper grades of veneers to be used. It is typically dyed to look acceptable. Notice I didn't say good.

The truth is some of the very finest furniture of all time has been built using veneers, and would not have been possible using hardwoods!While this might sound far fetched, it is true. The reason for this is veneers can be applied to substrates, or cores, that are very stable, and will not crack, or warp, due to humidity changes. Expansion and contraction is not an issue, using these substrates. Provided you veneer both sides of the substrate. In most cases, veneering only one side will cause the panel to warp.

Some of the advantages to using veneers is the fact that the finest logs are sent to veneer factories, to gain the most profit from the log. This is a wonderful practice, in that the yield, or usable lumber will go much further cut into "sheets" generally ranging from 1/28" - 1/40" in thickness. Compare that to cutting it into 1" thick pieces, and it becomes apparent that it is a better solution.

These "sheets" are kept in the order they are sawn from the log, and are called flitches. The differences from one sheet to the next is minimal and is why matching patterns are possible. It is important, when purchasing veneers, to number the sheets in the order they are stacked from the supplier, as they have been kept in order through the entire process of cutting them from the log.

Also, the ability to create patterns that are absolutely incredible, are just not possible with solid lumber. We would be hard pressed to build something using stumps, but for a veneer, it is not a problem, and will produce furniture that is museum quality. Or working with a burl, or growth. much like a wart on the tree, would be pretty much out of the question. But in veneer form, again, it is no problem, and the patterns found can be spectacular.

Titebond Cold Press for Veneer
Titebond Cold Press for Veneer is a high-quality, economical alternative to contact cement for large-scale bonding of veneers to flat surfaces. Titebond Cold Press for Veneer

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Written by: Lee A. Jesberger  © 2006

Inventor of Ezee-Feed systems  ®

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