I wasn't certain where to put this, but since I am spending my time here, so be it.
I like to play with veneer, and experiment with it. Some veneers work quite well with speakers, and some just don't. For instance a beautiful mahogany crotch veneer looks wonderful on a door, or table top, but is horrible on an enclosure. Most people like to cover a cabinet with a single piece, but I prefer bookmatching, so either way works fine.
However, I have been experimenting with an interesting type of veneer, that is very uniform AND is quite a bit less expensive than regular veneer. It is called "Reconstituted" veneer. What is interesting is that the grain is straight, and almost flawless in character.
Now, I'm not trying to push anyone, but I just bought some reconstituted teak from one of the E-Bay sellers, and it came in today. It's beautiful. I also have reconstituted oak, and it is absolutely flawless in grain and is straight as an arrow.
If you ever get a chance to work with this type of veneer I highly recommend it. It is perfectly flat, easy to cut, and has beautiful lines.
I like to play with veneer, and experiment with it. Some veneers work quite well with speakers, and some just don't. For instance a beautiful mahogany crotch veneer looks wonderful on a door, or table top, but is horrible on an enclosure. Most people like to cover a cabinet with a single piece, but I prefer bookmatching, so either way works fine.
However, I have been experimenting with an interesting type of veneer, that is very uniform AND is quite a bit less expensive than regular veneer. It is called "Reconstituted" veneer. What is interesting is that the grain is straight, and almost flawless in character.
Now, I'm not trying to push anyone, but I just bought some reconstituted teak from one of the E-Bay sellers, and it came in today. It's beautiful. I also have reconstituted oak, and it is absolutely flawless in grain and is straight as an arrow.
If you ever get a chance to work with this type of veneer I highly recommend it. It is perfectly flat, easy to cut, and has beautiful lines.
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reconstituted
Just to clarify for anyone (like myself) who is unfamiliar with reconstituted veneer, I'll post this description from baconveneer.com:
RECONSTITUTED VENEER - This product is mad by laminating a block of veneers from what one would call the “edge” of the block; i.e. across the layers of veneer laminated together,. In its simplest application, it is obvious the edges of the laminated veneer become the “grain” of the Reconstituted Veneer and so the “grain” is perfectly straight. By maneuvering the contour of the laminations in the block form, any desired configuration can be attained. Reconstituted Veneer may be dyed as well (see Dyed Veneer). This product allows the “natural” substance to be maintained while freeing the designer to manipulate his/her own horizons.
Thanks for the tip, the teak looks great in the pic.
Just to clarify for anyone (like myself) who is unfamiliar with reconstituted veneer, I'll post this description from baconveneer.com:
RECONSTITUTED VENEER - This product is mad by laminating a block of veneers from what one would call the “edge” of the block; i.e. across the layers of veneer laminated together,. In its simplest application, it is obvious the edges of the laminated veneer become the “grain” of the Reconstituted Veneer and so the “grain” is perfectly straight. By maneuvering the contour of the laminations in the block form, any desired configuration can be attained. Reconstituted Veneer may be dyed as well (see Dyed Veneer). This product allows the “natural” substance to be maintained while freeing the designer to manipulate his/her own horizons.
Thanks for the tip, the teak looks great in the pic.
There is one thing about the Teak, that is different from the oak material. The oak material is absulutely flawless: no imperfections, broken lines, or dark spots. All the lines are absolutely straight and there is no pattern to the grain as with the teak.
However, the teak has character in the middle of the veneer, and this has a real advantage when veneering a wide part of the cabinet. But.........there is one irregularity with the veneer. For those who have worked in teak, they will attest that the dark wood also contains darker patches, akin to what you will sometimes find in cherry, that to a perfectionist, will appear to be an imperfection. The same thing happens here. You may go along and everything will be flawless, and then there will be a darker spot appearing suddenly.
It really doesn't bother me, but some may not be as overjoyed, especially after working with the oak(all my pieces are absolutely flawless). As cheap as the reconstituted veneer is, one can afford to pick and choose which they wish to use, and simply bypass any dark pats sticking out in the teak.
Almost all this reconstituted veneer appears to be coming from China at this time, or all the web sites are Chinese companies. So naturally there is one material that they should be exporting in huge quantities: bamboo.
I cannot wait to try out bamboo veneer. This is really the only way you can veneer the stuff, and I predict it to be a Huge Hit, when it reaches the opoen market. I have closely inspected the bamboo cuttingboards and small bowls and trays made from bamboo, and bamboo's character is such that is will make a wonderful covering in the veneer business.
However, the teak has character in the middle of the veneer, and this has a real advantage when veneering a wide part of the cabinet. But.........there is one irregularity with the veneer. For those who have worked in teak, they will attest that the dark wood also contains darker patches, akin to what you will sometimes find in cherry, that to a perfectionist, will appear to be an imperfection. The same thing happens here. You may go along and everything will be flawless, and then there will be a darker spot appearing suddenly.
It really doesn't bother me, but some may not be as overjoyed, especially after working with the oak(all my pieces are absolutely flawless). As cheap as the reconstituted veneer is, one can afford to pick and choose which they wish to use, and simply bypass any dark pats sticking out in the teak.
Almost all this reconstituted veneer appears to be coming from China at this time, or all the web sites are Chinese companies. So naturally there is one material that they should be exporting in huge quantities: bamboo.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I cannot wait to try out bamboo veneer. This is really the only way you can veneer the stuff, and I predict it to be a Huge Hit, when it reaches the opoen market. I have closely inspected the bamboo cuttingboards and small bowls and trays made from bamboo, and bamboo's character is such that is will make a wonderful covering in the veneer business.
Scottmoose said:
This guy has some right here. With it being 30 1/2" wide, you could easily fit it in as a one piece. Judging from the picture, it appears that the 30 1/2" is running the direction of the grain. I could be wrong though. You could always ask him.
ped said:Hi John,
Is the recon veneer paperbacked?
What method did you use for attaching?
I just "won" both the oak and the teak
It is raw veneer, not paper backed. With paper backed veneer you can use contact cement, or other glues. But the Huge limitation with paper backed veneer is that it is just so thin. If you sand it, it may get sanded through too easily. I stay away from that stuff, because it is not good enough for permanent application IMO.
Both the teak and oak veneers are very flexible and will easily go around a 3/4" roundover. I have done this with my two buyout speaker's speaker cabinets. I just haven't finished trimming the three long sides yet, and will have to veneer the top part of the cabinets
Oh, my gosh, I have just been outbid on my teak auctions. BTY, are you don19766, because if you are you just outbid me on two of those teak orders. Boy am I p1ssed!
Anyway, Ahem, you will have to use a good quality wood glue. A waterproof glue is better, but the best is a dedicated veneer glue, like what you can get at Veneer Supplies.com. You can get the Better Bond in "light', "medium", or "dark". I generally stick with the 'medium' for most gluing.
You can get a lot of information about veneering from this site under Joe Woodworker.com. Another suggestion is for you to get a veneer saw above all else. Exacto blades are nice, but the veneer saw is the ultimate in cutting veneer, and also trimming it.
BTY, Steven/GreatDane6, Emailed me to say that unlike my teak, there were no blemishes in the veneer. That is why I was trying to bid on another couple of auctions. he will get more though, so I can get some of that later.
I'm still awaiting his getting reconstituted bamboo veneer.
John L said:
Not yet, this my first venture in veneer so I need to aquire a few things before proceeding and I am certainly open to suggestions. I completed a set of Fonkens a month or so ago and out of the ten pairs of mains I've built over the last few years they're the first to warrant the time and expense. I do plan on practicing on some flat boards and then a simpler set of boxes (no angles) to get some experience before tackling them
Do you have any experience with the "Heat-Lock" product?
ped said:
Not yet, this my first venture in veneer so I need to aquire a few things before proceeding and I am certainly open to suggestions. I completed a set of Fonkens a month or so ago and out of the ten pairs of mains I've built over the last few years they're the first to warrant the time and expense. I do plan on practicing on some flat boards and then a simpler set of boxes (no angles) to get some experience before tackling them
Having at least one veneer saw is a must, IMO. Nothing else will be able to cut a straight line into veneer, allowing for bookmatching and quartermatching. Also, it does a great job of trimming excess veneer by cross cut. YOu can also use it running with the grain, but make certain that the grain is running out and away from the substrate.
Joe Woodworker advises his veneer saw, which has the teeth pointing toward the sawer. I have one of them, but wound up making a custom handle and turning things around so I can use it left handed. I'm left handed and prefer to do it that way.
I also have another saw, which has the teeth pointing outward. I like that best, because it works well in crosscut as well as ripping.
Today I was looking around and found a really neat veneer saw. It's called a French Veneer Saw. I really like that type of handle instead of the regular ones, because it is adaptable for we lefties who are discriminated against.
Now, if you till tap on the French Veneer saw, you will see it in larger size. Note the uniqueness of the teeth here. One half of the teeth are pointing one direction and the other half are pointing the other. I can Really see the advantages to this arrangement, and I will have to get one to try out.
Here are some more nice articles on veneering
And here is one on sharpening a veneer saw. You will have to do this when you get yours in, or it will not cut as well.
Here is a good veneer saw, with the teeth pointing downward, not backward. Whan sharpened, this will work well with both crosscut and rip. You can also pick up extra blades too, which I advise.
No, never used it, but have considered doing so. What is nice about this approach is that the glue is allowed to dry first and then it is heated to fuse together. That way there would be less glue squeezed out of the edges, making it harder to trim later.
I'll probably get around to it eventually, but still have a little over one gallon of adhesive left.
Oh, another saw that works well for trimming veneer that has overlapped the side, you can also use a small Japaneese hand saw. The blade is highly flexible and you can get into corners and make straight cuts.
Also you can use the reversable offset dovetail saw. Lots of possibilities, but the veneer saw is a MUST.
Hi John, Sorry it was me who won the 2 auctions on ebay for the teak veneer. What's funny is that I did not find this forum until after I had won the auction. I was looking for some information on applying this material and found your post under a goggle search for reconstituted veneer. Wow strange.
Sorry again, I hope they put more up for action and I won't bid.
Any way the project I have in mind is in my 1976 Airstream trailer. Prior to the 70's, Airstream used real wood in their cabinets and interior walls. It was beautiful. Then in the 70's the real wood was replaced with Formica and plastic. I am replacing the cabinet doors and some other item with veneer on a new thin plywood base. It should look great. But I am not familiar we working with veneer. I am hoping to gain some knowledge on the best method o apply the veneer.
Don
Sorry again, I hope they put more up for action and I won't bid.
Any way the project I have in mind is in my 1976 Airstream trailer. Prior to the 70's, Airstream used real wood in their cabinets and interior walls. It was beautiful. Then in the 70's the real wood was replaced with Formica and plastic. I am replacing the cabinet doors and some other item with veneer on a new thin plywood base. It should look great. But I am not familiar we working with veneer. I am hoping to gain some knowledge on the best method o apply the veneer.
Don
Hi John! Thanks for the great post. I really like the bamboo veneer, will have to get some.
Funny, they guy selling it is in High Point, N.C. I worked a least a dozen furniture market shows there, years ago.
I'm in the process of building a pair of baffles with bamboo "veneer". In fact it's 1/4" bamboo ply that I glued to a 1" pine board. Looks great. Splits something awful, though. The 3/4" bamboo ply I've used doesn't split. But it's $220 a sheet here in Hawaii.
The bamboo veneer could be a lot of fun. Thanks.
Funny, they guy selling it is in High Point, N.C. I worked a least a dozen furniture market shows there, years ago.
I'm in the process of building a pair of baffles with bamboo "veneer". In fact it's 1/4" bamboo ply that I glued to a 1" pine board. Looks great. Splits something awful, though. The 3/4" bamboo ply I've used doesn't split. But it's $220 a sheet here in Hawaii.
The bamboo veneer could be a lot of fun. Thanks.
adonh said:
No problem Don. Steven will always have more veneer to temp me and others. He sent me an E-mail yesterday and told me that he would look around and see if has any more.
I have found that one really has to be careful when getting anything on E-Bay, because people can be less than honest, as most of you well know. However, there are quite a few folks selling veneer, who are honest and really want you to be satisfied with your purchase. In other words, they are in this for the long haul. I have bought veneer from more than a few in the past, and I have been satisfied every time.
But hey, I should have made my bid higher, shouldn't I? I just figured that there would be less bidding on the veneer than ended up. The important thing is that you folks have access to great veneer too, and being selfish is not good for any of us in the long run. Besides, I have a lot of veneer sitting up in need for me to go through and use.
Anyway, I suspect Steven will be getting in some bamboo veneer soon, if he can get it. I'd like to see him get some more, but I would be very happy to see more of that teak. A coat of shellac sealer, and more shellac to build up a nice finish would be great.
BTY, I just ordered that French Veneer way from one vender, and the heat activated adhesive mentioned above. I've never tried it before, and want to try some new techniques. If it makes a great seal, I will probably wind up using it for most of my jobs in the future.
Incidentially, here is another seller from High Point, whi I have bought veneer from in the past. He is a pretty big time dealer, and not as personable as some of the others. But if you like variety, such as Santos and Planetree burl, he is where you can get a lot of it. Heres his regular site, and as you can see, he is a pretty big dealer.
There are some other great dealers, who do business on E-Bay, such as "ssatram", and Lepkowski. There are others, but I have bought more from the ones above than others.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy your veneer. I will post on other great deals as they come up, because I love raw veneer. You can pretty easily do great things with it, and it is far more reasonable than the veneer you get from retail sellers. I feel like it is Christmas time when I go through all the veneer on E-Bay.
Don, stick around. You may find some speaker cabinets you will want to make, or recover.
panomaniac said:
they probably have to import everything, and the transportation costs must be quite high. However, I would think that there would be certain woods there that make great veneers. Also, many of the logs are imported whole from places like S America, Africa, or the orient. If they have a locak veneer producer, then the costs should be cut down considerably.
John,
I've tried that method, and it works well. I've got to put my $.02 in here in praise good old fashioned hide glue.
* Extremely Strong
* heat/moisture activated, so if you make a mistake, like I always seem to, you can fix it.
* You don't need any fancy equipment except for something to heat the glue in (crockpot or electric kettle work well) and something to work like a veneer hammer
* sets up quickly.
* Can veneer infinitely large pieces.
* does not screw up finishing like pva can
* Some even use the stuff as a finish (fills pores in open grained wood very well)
* Has that fantastic hide glue smell (inhale ahhhh) that makes you feel like a real woodworker
BTW, I'm not talking about the pre-mixed stuff.
here are some links:
Hide Glue FAQ
making a veneer hammer
Hey, Has anyone tried using this stuff for a cone treatment?
As Mick Jones once wrote:
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