How thick are your veneers?

[wood2woodknot]

I don't have the capacity for resawing, but I'm curious about making one's own veneers.

When I read about WNers making their own veneers, I always wonder how thick they are talking about? Are they as thin as those prepackaged ones available commercially, or are they more along the line of 1/8", other? Ultra thin or fairly stiff? Can you do normal glue-up laminations, or do you use a vacuum press or hammer veneering?

Not looking for an in-depth training course, but how do you make your veneers? What would it take to be able to make my own?

Thanks for your experiences.

-ajh

[JGrout]

my veneers run from 1/16" (.062") to 1/8"(.125") depending on the application. 

the 1/42" (.023) is done with a knife not a saw ergo the ability to cut thinner veneers 

Mostly the only time I care to make thinner veneers is when I am bending for lamination's on very tight radius bends 

As for application to substrates I mostly use a vacuum press but I have been known to do hammer veneering even do hot iron on applied (partly cured) glue 

so here at least it mostly depends on the application and the tools available 

Joe

[rwe2156]

Veneer is rotary cut that's why they can get such thin slices.

I generally start with 1/8" & after sanding it will be down to 3/32 or so.

I wouldn't attempt anything less than 1/8 because you won't have material to remove imperfections and saw marks.

Of course, then there's always this machine.

[jlanciani]

I typically saw at 3/32"- and sand to 1/16". Glue up is done in a vacuum bag with PVA glue (Either Lee Valley GF2002 or Better Bond PVA). I like 1/16" because it acts like veneer but works more like solid wood than ultra thin commercial veneers.

[fredhargis]

The only ones I've made were done by resawing on the bandsaw, and then smoothing on a drum sander. I try to saw them at 3/32", and then sand to 1/16" and that usually works out as planned. When resawing, I'll take a slice off, then run the parent piece across the jointer to get the face smoothed again, and then back to the band saw. Doing it this way it's better to start with wood that's a little thicker, maybe 2" or so. You can glue peices together face to face to increase the thickness. If the glue seam shows up in a bad place just work around it.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

Manufactured veneers are peeled from logs with specialized machinery. They are very thin but uniform. I resaw mine and like to be generous. Most of them are about 1/4". That way they can be planed or sanded into submission if they lack uniformity.

[jteneyck]

For most of my work I slice veneers on my bandsaw to about 0.090" and drum sand them to 1/16".  But I've made them as thin as 1/32" up to a fat 1/8" depending upon the application, same as Joe G. discussed.  I bought a new bandsaw several months ago (Grizzly 0636X) specifically for resawing and slicing veneer and those tasks are now a pleasure compared to the slow, painful process it was with my old Delta 14" with riser.  With the carbide tipped blade I have on the Grizzly I can cut slices so smooth and uniform that I can just cut one slice after another w/o having to reflatten the stock on the jointer.  

Most commercial veneer you would buy for a furniture project is sliced, not rotary cut.  Rotary cut is mostly used for making plywood and hollow core door skins.  

There are several advantages to cutting your own veneer.  You can use whatever wood you want and any cut of wood, be it plain sawn, rift sawn, or quarter sawn.  That allows for a perfect match between your veneer and the solid stock you would use in the same project.  You can make the veneer any thickness you want or need.  Sawn veneer behaves like solid stock, because it still is, just thin.  Even at less than 1/16" you can shoot straight edges on your jointer for seam matching.  And sawn veneer is good on both sides, unlike commercial sliced veneer which has stress fractures in it from the slicing process. 

I use a home built vacuum bag with Weldwood Plastic Resin Glue for veneering whatever substrate I'm using. 

John

[zaret]

i target .050 for my shop-made veneer.  i've found that when i go up to 1/8", i get seasonal movement and splitting.  0.050 is thick enough to work with (easily) but acts like veneer.

the wide belt sander helps a lot.  

-- dz

[Aram]

I cut them 3/32 to 1/8 with one face already jointed. I've had good luck hand planing the edges (no hollow), edge gluing the veneer pieces (I use wedges), then cauls when gluing to the substrate. Unibond 800. Plan on losing a little thickness after hand planing or scraping.

[wood2woodknot]

Wow! I had no idea you could be cutting that thin on your band saws, and all the other steps for flattening, sanding, planing. This is just amazing to me. I would love some day to get the chance to see this in action.

Thanks for the information.

-ajh