If you’re considering working with timber veneers, there are some things you should know regarding why they’re used and the veneer production process.
Wood veneer has several functions and a clear production process must be followed to achieve your desired finish.
What is wood veneer?
Timber veneer is thin slices of wood that are glued to panels – including medium-density fibreboards (MDFs), wood, and particle boards. They are approximately 3mm in thickness and all veneer is uniform in size.
There are various veneer wood species that can be used depending on the look you want to achieve. For example, you can opt for:
– Blackwood varieties
– Hardwood varieties
– Jarrah veneers
– Blackbutt timber veneer
Raw wood veneer has no backing which means they can easily be layered up to form larger pieces. However, you can also get paper-backed veneer which offers a bigger surface and is more resistant to cracking.
Why is timber veneer made?
A veneer isn’t a manmade fibre which makes it a sustainable and renewable resource. This also means that it’s the most cost-effective solution when it comes to incorporating real wood into product design.
Wood veneer is incredibly versatile and has multiple uses. It provides a polished finish to multiple surfaces, including:
– Cabinets
– Doors
– Parquet floors
– Furniture parts
– Wall panelling
– Frames
– Ceiling
– Cabinet doors
– Stairs
– Shelves
Veneer has natural warmth abilities which contribute to wood appliances at a low price point.
Wood veneer production
Wood veneer is manufactured by slicing or peeling wood from timber logs.
To do this, the trunk of a tree is first debarked and brought to a uniform moisture level. This is achieved through soaking or steaming the trunk to prevent the wood from tearing and softening it.
Throughout this peeling process, the trunk is placed on a veneer lathe which rotates the log whilst a peeler begins to debark it. This creates a long sheet of wood.
Once the trunk is debarked, the wood is then sliced down into its required lengths for any given project. A veneer slicer is used to carry out this process and involves moving the wood back and forth against the blade.
The wood can be sliced at various angles to achieve a variety of grain patterns including: crown cut veneer; rotary cut veneer; quarter cut veneer.
The veneer sheets are then applied to panels of another material outlined earlier – including wood and particle boards.
With certified US, UK, and EU bodies that provide sustainable wood sources, Woodbois are more than happy to help you get your veneer production project underway. If you are in the market for container shipments of veneer please either contact your local trade specialist (details below) or visit our contact us page for more options.
