Where can I buy thick veneer?

 Today veneers are often sawn paper thin on automated machines. While this is understandable I also fear the pieces we make won’t last as long as we hoped. This is why sawing your own veneers is a recommend option. 

Below are two example on how veneer was sliced in the old days.

Today I recommend using a bandsaw or buying from certainly wood who offers a thick veneer section on their website. There isn’t a ton of designer options but there is plenty of great material.

Examples from certainly wood website:

Another issue with manufactured sliced veneer being so thin is that the logs are soaked in water for a long time and steam dry heated as they are sawn. This removes a lot of the beauty and color of the wood. But I’ll dive into this much later on another blog post. 

A bandsaw like a delta 14 inch with a 1/2 inch wide blade with 2-4 teeth per inch skip tooth does wonder in resawing solid stock. If you can get air dried lumber the results I believe are even better. Just reminder to set up the bandsaw properly have your jointer and planer tuned up so the veneer can be cleaned up with ease.

Lastly don’t fear trying veneer, it amazing what you can do with wood at 1/16 of inch thick. 

Cheers! 

Veneer thickness these days!

 

 When I got into the trades I remember my mentors complaining how thin veneer was being sawn/sliced. At the time 1/32 veneer became the norm versus 1/28. If you’ve never worked with veneer the 1/32 designation means in 1 inch thick material the veneer manufacturer cuts 32 pieces (1/32 means 32 pieces). Fast forward to today 1/42 is the the standard thickness.

I understand that wood is precious and sadly we as humans have destroyed our Forrest. But I’m also thinking longevity and the future of the pieces made.

Unfortunately at the 1/42 thickness the veneer fractures and tiny cracks appear over time and really there isn’t a great fix for it.

Thicker veneer allows for filling and sanding. At 1/42 in thickness I wouldn’t bother since you will burn through the veneer and hit the substrate quickly.  

This is the reason I believe in sawing my own veneer at 1/16 of an inch or thicker. This thickness allows me to hand plane, scrape, sand, and smile that the future restorers have the ability to fix my furniture/cabinetry. 

Now please understand this process of sawing my own veneer is more time consuming and often mor money. But I’m not just making for the current, but for the future. 

With all that said, there are still amazing makers making pieces with this thickness of veneer. The main difference is that these pieces won’t be abused in the everyday life, but they will be cherished and not used daily. This ensures longevity. 

So think long and hard before you just grab a piece of veneer off the shelf.