Cutting Veneer in Many Ways: Rotary Peeling Or Slicing

Veneer can be produced from raw wood in a number of ways, the most important of which is the method of cutting: rotary cutting or slicing.

Rotary Peeling

When a log is being rotary peeled, its whole length is placed in the middle of a lathe and continuously turned against a sharp knife. As with unrolling a roll of toilet paper, quite similar to unrolling a toilet roll, the rotary peeling process follows the tree’s annual growth rings resulting in bold, irregular markings.

Due of its width, rotary cut veneer is usually trimmed to fit and any flaws removed. Because of its productivity, this cutting process is very cost-effective.

Slicing

When making decorative timber veneers and cuts, slicing is the method of choice. The most popular styles are quarter and crown, but there are countless variations available, only constrained by your imagination.

The log must be chopped into quarters before being sliced to make quarter cut veneer. A quarter-length piece of wood is set on a support so that the blade crosses the yearly rings of the tree at a perpendicular angle. The result is a veneer with stripes that, depending on the kind of wood, might or might not be straight.

This method of cutting wood necessitates using trees with a significant diameter, resulting in lower yields compared to other methods and causing quarter cut veneer to be pricier.

Crown Cut

Crown cut, also called flat cut or plain sliced, requires moving a half log up and down towards a knife. The pieces, called leaves, are arranged in consecutive order after being sliced.

It is a commonly employed slicing technique in veneer production that usually produces a straight grain with cathedral patterns, also referred to as crowns.

Half-round Slicing

Other methods for creating veneer include half-round slicing, which is a variation on rotary peeling, and rift cut,  which involves slicing the log at a slight angle. When cutting oak, this method is primarily used to lessen the sight of a feature known as the medullary ray.

The Mutian team is pleased to offer a variety of veneer rotary cutting machines and plywood production line equipment, you can contact our expert Miranda for more information.