How to veneer: history, technique, process

Words and photos: Louen Pinpin

When I first arrived in Australia and started looking for a job as a furniture maker, I found that only a few companies seemed to work with veneer. Veneering was a significant part of my trade qualification and very common among furniture makers in Europe, so I was surprised at apparent supremacy of solid timber work. Don’t get me wrong – I love a sharp-looking dovetailed drawer or a well-fitted through tenon, and I think Australians are very skilled, and lucky with the diversity of timber available to them.

What is veneer?

Veneer is simply thin sections of wood that can be applied to solid timber or substrates such as plywood and MDF. Commercially sawn veneers are around 0.6mm in thickness, while shopsawn veneers are generally thicker and 3–5mm thick.

Using veneer allows you to make the most of rare and/or highly figured timbers, while exploring a host of grain arrangements. Used alone or with other materials, you can give a unique touch and push the aesthetic and technical boundaries that solid timber imposes.

1. Use a wood under-surface and a piece of wood as a straightedge. Cutting tools shown include a Japanese single bevel knife and two types of veneer saw.

Veneering and marquetry

The history of veneer is connected to that of marquetry as far as techniques and uses go, however they are separate crafts. Marquetry is also an art in its own right and taught as such. In essence, the main difference nowadays comes from the curves employed. Furniture makers work with straight lines or continuous curves, whereas marquetry artists focus and develop techniques, imagery and patterns based on non-continuous curves.

Veneering as a furniture making art has its roots in ancient Egypt, from the technique of intarsia, where shapes are carved out of a main material and filled with others. Many surviving examples of furniture throughout history were inlaid with precious timber, glass, stones or bone.

2. Apply pressure to secure the veneer sheets.

These techniques spread across most ancient lands before subsiding with the Roman Empire, even though furniture remnants displaying elaborate techniques were later found.

Fast forward to Italy in the 15th century, and we see those techniques again used by the so-called Scuola Fiorentina for inlaying solid marble slabs with marble, jasper, and semi-precious stones, all of which bring us closer to modern marquetry techniques.

By the end of the 16th century, new woods started arriving in woodworking workshops, with ebony leading the way. The Dutch were the first to import small quantities into Europe, however it was expensive and used sparingly. Gradually, the idea emerged to veneer a thin layer of ebony onto solid local wood.

The birth of the cabinet as a furniture form accompanied the development of veneering. The new veneering techniques rapidly spread across Europe and were imported full-blown to France after the mid-17th century, where furniture of
unprecedented luxury was created to decorate Versailles and the other royal residences of Louis XIV.

3. Note how the teeth of a veneer saw angle towards the apex of the curve so you can crosscut from both sides. 

Andrée Charles Boulle led the way in developing new processes using tortoiseshell and brass combined with his veneered works. From there, other furniture makers specialised in veneer, separating themselves from solid timber furniture makers.

Veneering went through a resurgence in the 20th century during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, where the preciousness of the materials used were highlighted. After World War II, new materials were used for furniture making and veneer was then seen in either very fine furniture, or in conjunction with plastic laminates, which probably led to the bad reputation which some veneered furniture gained.

4. Follow the direction of the grain as closely as possible. 

How veneer is made

Sawing logs to obtain veneer was done manually until the end of the 18th century, after which the mechanical saw appeared to accomplish what is known as vertical wood sawing. This technique uses an oscillating saw that operates horizontally.

The log is hung on a metal frame that lifts at each passage of the blade. It can take up to an hour or more to saw a veneer sheet from a four metre long log – it’s a slow operation and the wood lost in the kerf of the blade makes sawn veneers very expensive.

Nowadays, manufacturers use highly efficient slicing machines, including significant preparation such as softening the fibres before processing is required. Slicing is however the main technique used today, as it is more efficient and faster. Some of the old veneer saws still remain today, mostly to provide veneer for pre-industrial furniture restoration or for very rare veneers as the preparation for slicing, especially steaming, can result in a slight loss of wood colour.

5. Use only knives with a single bevel. 

Techniques and processes

Veneering is a tricky art to master. Every timber is different in the way it reacts to the processes of cutting, gluing, or even taping, and any potential pitfalls are magnified by the thinness of the material.

Some tapes tear out grain on some timbers, some veneers are very brittle to cut, and others are very hard to trim after gluing. However, within the same species there are similarities that help processes. Always be careful when working with a species or grain type for the first time.

Veneer work can be broken down into five main steps – below are some general principles, tips, and techniques for each step. Before you start, make sure to mark the order of the sheets in your bundle with chalk to keep grain continuity.

6. Using a shooting plane to trim veneer edges. 

Cutting

There are many ways to cut veneers using a circular saw, router, or hand tools. I will focus on hand tools such as a knife or veneer saw as these are usually enough for most projects and an important step in learning how to veneer. I also use a shooting plane, but a regular bench plane will do just fine. There are three principles to note when cutting veneer.

• Blade sharpness: A blunt blade will compress your veneer before it cuts and result in an inconsistent or torn cut. Make sure you use only blades with a single-sided bevel, as with a veneer saw or veneer knife. Don’t using double bevel blades or knives as you will end up with V-shaped cuts and these will show in your finished work.
• Grain direction: Every time you cut veneer it’s very important to follow the grain direction as closely as possible. This is why a veneer saw has teeth which angle towards the apex of the curve allowing you cut in both directions. You can do crosscuts, going inwards towards the inside of the veneer you’re cutting from both sides. Veneer will tear out along the grain on the ends if you don’t pre-cut it first.
• Support the veneer: Always make sure that your veneer is held down securely. If your sheets are loose, it can result in tear-out and misalignments. It’s important to always use a wooden straightedge for guiding the cut on top and a wooden cutting surface underneath. When working with a shooting plane, clamp your veneer between the straightedge and cutting board to lock it in place.

7. Use moistened veneer tape to join freshly cut sheets – first tape perpendicular to the cut...

8. ...next tape along the join. 

Taping

To join veneer sheets, the freshly cut edges need to be reassembled and first taped perpendicular to the cut to tighten them together before taping along the joint. Veneer tape shrinks when it dries and this helps to make a neat joint.

It’s best to avoid using regular tape for joining veneer, as this can be very hard to remove after pressing. However, it does come in handy for intricate patterns when you need to follow and match the grain from different sheets.

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9. Taped up top and bottom veneer matches for a box lid prior to gluing showing ply substrate in the centre. It’s important to veneer both.

Gluing

PVA is the most commonly used glue for veneer. It’s important to note that both sides of a panel need to be veneered as the panel will warp if not counterbalanced. It’s advisable to trace your pattern onto the panel edges as a reference when positioning your veneer. To prevent the veneer slipping under the press, small pieces of grey cardboard or thin MDF can be glued on the veneer overhang with hot glue.

10. PVA glue is suitable for veneering – a grooved spreader or a roller helps to distribute glue evenly onto the substrate. 

11. The taped-up veneer sections, called layons, are carefully placed onto the glued surface. Stop the veneer slipping when pressing hot gluing small pieces of grey cardboard or thin MDF on the veneer overhang.

Trimming

After pressing, the veneer needs to be flushed on the panel. A chisel, veneer saw or knife are usually the best tools for this. Use the panel edge as a reference for the chisel and flush the four sides of the panel back. Once this is done, place the panel on your cutting board and flush the front with the veneer saw once again using the panel edge as a reference.

12. You can press the laid up veneer in a mechanical press (shown here) or in a vacuum bag that uses compressed air. 

You can use the end of a scraper to remove the veneer tape. First soak a sponge in a container of warm water. Dampen the tape only, making sure not to wet the veneer too much or allow the scraper to mark or dent the veneer – the tape should then come off pretty easily. Wait till the surface dries before you proceed to scrape or sand your panel.

13. After pressing, flush off the veneer overhang with a chisel, knife or veneer saw.

Sanding

Sanding veneer can be tricky. Never go below 120 grit, and always make sure that your sander is flat on the panel. Sanding has to be done with an 8-pattern disc if using an orbital sander or along the grain for manual sanding.

14. To get the tape off, dampen it but don’t overwet – the tape should come off easily with a scraper. Take care not to mark or compress the veneer fibres.

15. Use a light touch when sanding. Never sand lower tan 120 grit, and make sure that your sander is flat on the panel.

Veneering stands as a testament to the history of furniture making. From its ancient origins to its current applications, the use of veneers allows artisans to marry tradition with  innovation. Veneered furniture offers a canvas for creative expression and a link to centuries of craftsmanship. Let us not forget the enduring beauty and craftsmanship encapsulated in delicate layers of veneer.

First published in Australian Wood Review #123, June 2024

Louen Pinpin trained at École Boulle, France’s renowned school for art and design. His Soil and Sea boxes were a category winner in Maker of the Year Awards 2022. Now living in New Zealand, he can be contacted via Instagram @louenpinpin and @lapinfurniture.com.

Above and below: Closed and open views of a completed box by Louen Pinpin that utilises the creative possibilities of combining the colour, figure and grain orientation of different wood species.