What Is Rotary Cut Veneer?

Rotary Cut

Rotary cut veneer is a type of wood veneer that is produced by the rotary peeling method. A log is placed on a lathe or rotary peeling machine during this process, and it spins as a knife or blade cuts it. Rotary cutting gets its name from the way the blade rotates to continuously remove the surface of the log.

Wide, lengthy sheets with a consistent grain pattern can be produced using the rotary peeling technique. It is continually stripped as the log rotates against the blade, resulting in a broad, seamless veneer sheet. This method is useful for turning larger, more malleable wood species into veneer.

Plain Sliced

Unlike Rotary cut veneer, which peels and turns the log continuously, plain slicing involves turning the log little by little as it is being cut. The cathedral grain pattern produced by plain sliced veneer is similar to the pattern produced by plain sawn lumber.

It can be tailored to suit a wide range of applications. It is widely used in the manufacture of cabinets, interior paneling, architectural millwork, furniture, and other decorative surfaces. The regular and uniform grain pattern of plain sliced veneer allows for bookmatching, which is the art of creating a mirrored impression by flipping successive sheets open like a book.

Quarter Sliced

A veneer slicer is used to cut tiny slices of wood at a 90-degree angle to the growth rings. This process is known as quarter slicing. These slices can vary in breadth and typically have a thickness of 0.6 to 6 millimeters.

Veneer sheets with a distinctive grain pattern that includes vertical, straight lines are produced using the quarter cutting technique. The evenness and consistency of its pattern make it highly sought after. The resulting veneer sheets have a crisp, vertical-looking straight grain pattern.

Rift Cut

Rift cutting produces a straight, striped grain without the flakes found in quarter-sliced veneer by cutting at a 15-degree angle to the radius of the log. To avoid a flaky appearance, red and white oak wood are usually the ones that are rift sawn.

The rift cut method is the priciest of all the techniques since it yields the least amount of veneer. Additionally, using this procedure yields thin veneer pieces that resemble those created with quarter-slicing.