In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm (1/8 inch), that typically are glued onto core panels (typically, wood, particle board or medium-density fiberboard) to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry. Plywood consists of three or more layers of veneer, each glued with its grain at right angles to adjacent layers for strength. Veneer beading is a thin layer of decorative edging placed around objects, such as jewelry boxes. Veneer is also used to replace decorative papers in Wood Veneer HPL. Veneer is also a type of manufactured board.
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Veener Production
Making veneers is the most economical way of producing good quality, genuine wood facing products. Many wood species are so rare and valuable, that they are always available in short supply. Hence there is a marked scarcity of fine logs worldwide. It is only veneers that can meet such an ever increasing demand. By slicing a log into a veneer, the square foot of "face" material is increased by over 4,000% and a new economy is created for these forest products. Bo other kind of woodworking renders such a yield.
Production
- First a log is cut to required dimensions to obtain the desired finished product i.e. the decorative veneer sheet.
- Then beams are made from the log.
- The beam is then boiled in hot water for the following
- To ensure smooth slicing by avoiding tearing or splitting and thus perfect quality.
- To retain the true colour of the lumber or obtain a desired colour in certain special cases which are influenced by the cooking time. e.g. Steam Beech/Maple are boiled longer to obtain the desired colour. - Then the moist veneers are dried with the help of a dryer. A moisture content of approx. 10-14% is considered to be the average value as a result of correct drying. Veneers of dry consistency are brittle and not workable. On the other hand, moist veneers can become moldy, thus no longer usable.
- After sorting finely sliced and dried veneer leaves, their edges are trimmed to perfection.
- Leaves are manually grouped to match the veins.
- The leaves are joined together by sewing to obtain desired size.
- After a final quality check the veneer is pressed onto a substrate such as plywood to strengthen it. Different kinds of adhesives are used to do the same .
- Finally, after edge trimming and sanding, some of the most exotic woods in the form of finely crafted decorative veneer sheets are ready to use.
Storage of Veeneers
- Immediately on arrival, sealent should be applied to the material to avoid accumulation of dust.
- Should be stored in too dry or too moist conditions.
- Should always be kept in face position.
- Should be stacked vertically.
Veneers Cuts
There are various methods of slicing which give different pattern to the veneer of which Green Decowood primarily uses the following.
1. Crown Cut
Veneer cut tangentially to the growth rings produces Crown Cut veneer with the pattern that is characterized by straight grain intermixed with cathedrals. This cut retains the mother structure of timber
Veneer cut tangentially to the growth rings produces Crown Cut veneer with the pattern that is characterized by straight grain intermixed with cathedrals. This cut retains the mother structure of timber
2. Quarter Cut
Veneer cut perpendicular to the growth rings produces Quarter Cut Veneer with a consistent 'Striped' appearance. Due to low yield from the log, this veneer is usually more costly.
Veneer cut perpendicular to the growth rings produces Quarter Cut Veneer with a consistent 'Striped' appearance. Due to low yield from the log, this veneer is usually more costly.
3. Semi Rotary / Rift Cutt
Veneer obtained by fixing a quarter-log on the stay- log. This results in veneer with a striped grain or in the form of a half-cathedral. This is mainly used in American woods. Rift Cut method yields the least amount of Veneer that any other method can and hence is the most expensive.
Veneer obtained by fixing a quarter-log on the stay- log. This results in veneer with a striped grain or in the form of a half-cathedral. This is mainly used in American woods. Rift Cut method yields the least amount of Veneer that any other method can and hence is the most expensive.
4. Rotary Cut
Veneer obtained by fixing a quarter-log on the stay- Another type of cut in logs containing burls and clusters and for Birch and Sucupira species as well. Since this cut follows the Log's annual growth rings, a wide and bold grain pattern is produced.
Veneer obtained by fixing a quarter-log on the stay- Another type of cut in logs containing burls and clusters and for Birch and Sucupira species as well. Since this cut follows the Log's annual growth rings, a wide and bold grain pattern is produced.
Types of veneers
There are a few types of veneers available, each serving a particular purpose.- Raw veneer has no backing on it and can be used with either side facing up. It is important to note that the two sides will appear different when a finish has been applied, due to the cell structure of the wood.
- Paper backed veneer is as the name suggests, veneers that are backed with paper. The advantage to this is it is available in large sizes, or sheets, as smaller pieces are joined together prior to adding the backing. This is helpful for users that do not wish to join smaller pieces of raw veneers together. This is also helpful when veneering curves and columns as the veneer is less likely to crack.
- Phenolic backed veneer is less common and is used for composite, or manmade wood veneers. Due to concern for the natural resource, this is becoming more popular. It too has the advantage of being available in sheets, and is also less likely to crack when being used on curves.
- Laid up veneer is raw veneer that has been joined together to make larger pieces. The process is time-consuming and requires great care, but is not difficult and requires no expensive tools or machinery. Veneers can be ordered through some companies already laid up to any size, shape or design.
- Reconstituted veneer is made from fast-growing tropical species. Raw veneer is cut from a log, and dyed if necessary. Once dyed, the sheets are laminated together to form a block. The block is then sliced so that the edges of the laminated veneer become the “grain” of the reconstituted veneer.
- Wood on Wood Also called 2-ply is a decorative wood veneer face with a utility grade wood backer applied at an opposing direction to the face veneer.