Hardwood veneer is a thin wood layer sliced or peeled from a hardwood log. It is a one-of-a-kind and precious forest commodity. Typically, it is crafted from the finest logs with minimal imperfections like knots and decay. There are numerous applications for hardwood veneer.
There Is Veneer Everywhere
Veneer serves to conceal a less appealing or valuable item under a more appealing outer layer. Veneer is used to cover tables, kitchen cabinets, doors, and floors. It also includes a variety of musical instruments like guitars, pianos, and organs. Employing veneer assists in reducing the expenses associated with manufacturing wooden products. This results in wood products being cheaper. Hardwood veneer typically has a thickness of 0.6 millimeters which is equivalent to 1/42 of an inch.
Nevertheless, its thickness can be adjusted to suit its intended purpose. Thin veneer is ideal for wrapping moldings and furniture, whereas thicker veneer works best on plywood flooring for added durability. Red oak, black cherry, black walnut, sugar maple, tulip poplar, and white ash are the most popular trees utilized for creating appealing hardwood veneer. Veneer is made from only around 2 percent of the trees harvested in Pennsylvania. Seventy percent of the remaining wood is turned into hardwood lumber, while twenty-five percent is used for paper and other wood fiber products.
Veneer is used to cover products that are less value or appealing, such particle board.
A Interesting Process
The process of producing veneer starts with cutting down trees in the forest. At that location, tree trunks are divided into logs and categorized into two groups: logs intended for turning into lumber (known as sawlogs), and logs meant for chipping in order to produce wood fiber items like paper. The sawlogs are transported to sawmills where workers categorize logs into veneer quality and non-veneer quality. Buyers of veneer logs visit the sawmill to examine those logs. They determine which logs adhere to the quality standards and engage in negotiations for buying them. The value of these logs surpasses that of other logs, leading to fierce competition among buyers. After being purchased, truck drivers transport the logs to a veneer manufacturing facility.
At the plant where veneer is produced, a debarker is used to strip the bark from the logs. Next, a metal detector is used to examine the logs to search for metal objects such as wires, nails, and bullets. Metal needs to be extracted from logs to prevent costly damage to the veneer cutting machinery. Next, a worker places the logs either in a high-moisture steam chamber or in a hot water vat. The logs are left to "cook" there for around 48 hours.
The specific cooking timeline varies for every type of wood. Cooking the log for too long alters its color, whereas cooking it for too short a time leads to poorly cut or uneven veneer. Mill workers, with the help of computers, regulate the temperature and cooking duration until the wood cells become more pliable. This enables the slicing of veneer from the log. Following the cooking stage, the logs transition to either a "slicing" or "peeling" section.
The technique most frequently utilized in Pennsylvania is slicing, which entails passing a log over a blade to create separate veneer slices. Cut veneer displays a more pleasing grain design and is commonly applied to high-end furniture and cabinetry.
The rotational lathe in the peeling process rotates the log against a blade to remove veneer from the log. This method is similar to unfurling toilet paper. The slender outer layer peels off the log smoothly in one piece. The term used is rotary cut veneer.
At first, both sliced and peeled veneer have a high moisture content. Drying is necessary to avoid splitting, twisting, and cracking. A veneer is transported through a large dryer via a stainless steel screen. The veneer's tenderness and flatness post-drying depend on the temperature, humidity level, and dryer speed. After they have been dried, clippers are used to trim the edges and remove any splits from the ends of the veneer pieces.
Procedure For Creating Veneer Step By Step
1. Logs without bark are "cooked" to make the wood cells pliable for slicing.
2. Slicing logs
3. After drying and stacking, veneer is prepared for sorting and cutting.
4. The edges of veneer strips are adhered to form sheets.
5. Last-minute trimming and fixing
A Natural Product
To make larger sheets, edge-gluing and splicing are commonly used to unite slices of veneer. Veneered surfaces like plywood, doors, and furniture are used by manufacturers to hide other materials and improve the final product's appearance. Plywood is often made from veneer that has been peeled or rotary-cut. Multiple bonded veneer layers that have been crushed or laminated together make up plywood. For extra visual appeal, hardwood veneer slices are commonly placed on top of softwood plywood. Curved windows, chairs, vanities, and kitchen cabinets can all be made with rotary cut veneer.
Due to its popularity, a wide variety of fake veneer options are available. Artificial veneer is any material that imitates real wood veneer but is not authentic. Instances of fake veneer can be spotted on desks that feature a pressed board or plywood material with a veneer image adhered to it and then sealed with a layer of plastic or vinyl. Some items may feature a veneer design that is in fact ingrained into the pressed wood. These treatments enhance the product's worth, but they are not as valuable as an authentic hardwood veneer finish.
Natural hardwood veneer is used. The best-quality logs that are cut from the forest go toward making it. This forest product is both attractive and practical. Veneer enhances the yield of usable material from premium logs and reduces the cost of appealing wood items.
