Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Dan Donaldson

>I think that you may have some problems with expansion with veneer that thick over plywood, especially with wrapped edges. I think that you would need it thinner, and also you need to veneer both sides of the plywood or you will probably get warping.

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Mike,

I have done what you propose with 2 differences.

1. "Veneer" cut and planed to 3/16". [minor]

2. Substrate used was 3/4" MDF [major]

The MDF was more uniform and stable than a plywood core would be, and I didn't have to make an application to both sides to prevent warp. Plus, the top need not "float" and could be used as part of the structure of the suspended counter. The piece is now 7 years old with no sign of excess movement. The wood is walnut and the finish is oil poly.

mm

For Contrast

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Pic is of a side bin-table in cherry and walnut. Here the bin was done is solid panels, but the top was a composit of thin 3/8" stock glued to a ply core. In this one we get some opening of the joints at the centerpoint. Underside was done in thin vaneer to match; see second pic.

Re: For Contrast #2 

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Karl Kulp

>I just finished a 1/4 sawn white oak table and my stock measured about 13/16 rough. After gluing up the full width plus about 2 1/2 inches extra in width and length, I ripped off the edges and ends and rolled them under to make bookmatched edges about 1 3/4 thick. This makes a hefty looking top that is much lighter than a full thickness would be and it should not have as much problem with splitting. I've linked to a picture, and there are other pictures in the folder of the edges close-up and of the frame, etc.

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top *LINK*

Tom Stockton

>1/4" is to thick for sawn veneers, I resaw to about 3/32 and then clean them up with a drum sander and they end up close to a 16th thick. Another option would be buy some thick veneer from certainly wood I think it is about 1/16 already and they used to carry it in 1/4rd white oak. the problem with going 1/4 thick is the veneer is going to act more like solid than veneer and will have a tendancy to want to check and move more than veneer.

Tom


http://www.certainlywood.com

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Mike-in-Michigan

>Another vote for MDF for the substrate -- it won't move, it will be flat, etc.. what more can you want. I know it's sorta nasty to work with but it's better than Ply in this kind of app IMNSHO..

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Bob Lemon

>Karl, I took the liberty of rotating, shrinking and enhancing your picture.

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Karl Kulp

>Thanks!

Re: Shop made 'thick' veneer for table top

Ted Wong

>1/4" is definitely too thick to be called veneer. When refering to veneer one should think of it as a relatively stable laminate that isn't prone to doing what wood wants to do when it is restrained. I usually saw just shy of 1/8" and plane to around 1/16". At this thickness the material can still be edge planed for jointing and is easy to work handle and work with. thinner veneers from veneer suppliers would work well too but they are harder to joint and glue up to make a leaf.