By
Sal Marino
Selecting Veneer (101)
Types
Of Commercially Available Veneer
Today, there are many different types of veneer available to both
hobbyists and professional. In general, veneers can be broken
down into two categories, Flexible and Standard. Both are
used extensively by pro and amateur, however there are significant
differences in cost and ease of application. I will briefly
describe these two types of natural wood veneer.
Just as every tree has its own character, so does every individual
sheet of veneer. When veneer is cut from a log, the manufactures
are very careful to stack each sheet in the same order as
it comes off the log. If this care was not taken, and the
sheets were stacked randomly, you would be unable to select
and purchase two or more sheets almost identical. This is
especially important if you need to joint two or more sheets
together to create a wide matched panel. However, even matching
sheets have some variation in grain and color. Whatever
your source of supply, make sure the supplier offers consecutively
sliced sheets of veneer.
Standard
Veneer
Standard veneer is what our fathers and grandfathers were used to
working with. The sheets are cut from a log, stacked in
consecutive order, then sent to a drier and once again stacked
consecutively. Years ago, most standard veneers were cut
to approx. 1/16" to 1/20" thick. With advances in cutting
machinery and technology along with the need to get more
material out of one log, today most standard veneers are
cut to a thickness of about 1/28" to 1/40". However, certain
species of veneers like oak, walnut, maple, cherry, mahogany
and some others can still be found in thicker sheets.
Standard veneer is usually available in random widths ranging from
about 3" to 12". Some species like oak and mahogany which
grow in larger diameters are available in wider sheets.
Veneer distributors usually sell the sheets in 3 to 10 foot
lengths. However, many species are only available in short
3 foot lengths. If you are purchasing standard veneer by
the square foot and plan to apply it to a door or kitchen
table, make sure you specify if you need long sheets or
you will probably end up with 3 foot lengths.
Standard veneer should not only be purchased in consecutively sliced
sheets, but it also should be of good quality: relatively
flat, with little or no knots or sapwood, generally uniform
in color, with very few or no checks or splits. There are
some exceptions to this. Certain highly figured veneers
like burls and crotches are almost impossible to find in
perfectly flat sheets, free of splits or some knotholes.
This is because highly figured woods are not as stable as
flat or quartered cut veneer and tend to warp and buckle
much more. Therefore, do not be surprised if you purchase
some burl veneer and it is wavy and includes some checks
and knotholes. This is a normal condition for these types
of veneer. Much more preparation has to go into flattening,
filling knotholes, and taping these types of standard veneers
before gluing them down. I will cover this in detail in
a future document. Also, see the document on flattening
veneers.
Standard veneer is usually sold by the square foot. The price varies
depending upon species. Some species like poplar can be
purchased for about 40 cents per sq. ft. while others like
ebony can run $3.50 to $4.00 per sq. ft. No matter what
species you are planning to work with, when working with
standard veneer, make sure you purchase at least 20 to 30
percent more than what you actually need. This figure factors
in waste and excess for trimming and jointing.
Flexible Veneer
Over the past 20 years, this new type of manufactured natural
wood veneer product has been gaining popularity with both
professional and amateur alike. Flexible veneer is manufactured
by slicing very thin sheets of veneer (approx. 1/64" thick)
and then treating the veneer to make it more pliable. Once
the cutting and treating is done, the sheets of veneer are
then jointed together to produce a wide sheet. Finally,
a paper type of backing is permanently mounted to the back
to bond it and give more flexibility.
The two main advantages are: Ease Of Application Because of
its flexibility, it can be cut easily using a craft knife
or razor type blade. It can also be cut to rough size with
a pair of shears. Unlike some standard veneer, flex veneer
can also be easily bent around forms and contours without
the need to wet or steam the veneer. Available In Large
Sheets The manufacture joints narrow slices together to
produce a wide sheet. Most flex veneers are available in
18". 24". 36" or 48" widths and in lengths of 8, 10 or 12
feet. This saves the buyer a lot of time, especially if
they would have to joint a number of narrow of pieces prior
to gluing down the sheet.
There are other advantages to using flex veneer. Some species
of burls are also available in flex. Not only are the smaller
pieces pre-jointed to give you a large sheet, but the burl
is perfectly flat, and any defects such as knotholes and
or cracks have been filled and repaired. Flex veneer is
sanded smooth at the factory and needs little or no sanding
prior to finishing. Because the actual veneer face is so
thin, you can not do much sanding or you will cut through
the face. Once the flex is glued to its surface and the
glue has cured, it can be finished like any other veneer:
(stained, filled, sealed, varnished, lacquered, oiled waxed,
etc.). By this time you may be asking "Then why should I
use standard veneer?". The only consideration is price.
Flex veneer is much more expensive than standard. You are
not only paying for the product, but also all the work the
manufacture is saving you. For the pro, I feel it is still
worth the extra cost, but for the amateur, it's a toss-up.
If you have not worked with veneer, flex will be much easier
to handle and apply, but on the other hand, if you have
the time to prep and joint standard veneer, the price may
be too high.
Sal Marino is a woodworker
and a finishing expert from New York. He works for Constantine's.
He teaches woodworking classes at Constantine's, offers private
instruction, lectures around the United States and is a finishing
consultant to many woodworking and restoration companies.
He is also the author of numerous woodworking articles.