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Veneering, a Primer Course

I have what I consider to be a slight addiction to working with wood veneers.

When you start to investigate the available veneers on the market, it becomes very difficult for me to understand any resistance to it, that some people have. Maybe it's fear of the unknown.

For some, it could be that veneered furniture is thought to be inferior to solid wood furniture. This couldn't be further from the truth. It could be the fact that some of the woodworking rules are invalid for using this material. Or maybe the cost of investing in a new facet of an already expensive hobby. Or maybe it's the idea of buying the equipment, and ending up not using it. Only the individual can answer these resistances to a new method of woodworking.

I would like to offer an easy, inexpensive way to "test the waters", to find out if it is for you. Notice I didn't say, if your capable of it. You are.

First off some materials needed, which are inexpensive. We can start with a simple project, which could be used for a number of thing, and even that can be decided after
completing the veneering part.

Using a small piece of M.D.F.,(medium density fiberboard), either 1/2" or 3/4" thick, and whatever size you have laying around. Plywood will work for this too, be is not as stable as M.D.F. For those of you that aren't aware, there is an ultra light version of M.D.F., that weighs about half that of the regular product. The working properties are almost identical.

The next thing needed would be some veneer. Woodcraft and Rockler both sell small
packs of *sequence matched veneer.* This means the pieces in the packs were cut from
the log, and kept in the order in which they were sliced. This ensures there will be very little difference in the grain pattern from one piece to the next.

These packs come in various sizes, and vary in price from $ 25.00 to about $ 70.00. One thing to keep in mind when removing them from the pack, is to number them with a pencil. This will help you keep them in the same order as they were removed from the log.

The next item to buy would be veneer tape, which is available in varying thicknesses, and also in a solid, two hole, or three hole version. The most common is a medium weight, three hole tape. This tape must be moistened and applied to the *face* side of the veneer.

All of my cutting and matching is done on the back side,or glue side, of the veneer.
Cutting can be done with a table saw, wood chisel, veneer saw, or scalpel. When I cut
veneer, I usually

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