Design Process

“WOW! WHAT IS THAT MADE OF?”

This is something we get asked a lot. The answer is both simple and complex. Let’s start by destroying a myth. Wood veneer is not merely an inexpensive alternative to solid wood construction. Building from solid wood is not only prohibitively expensive, but will invariably result in an unstable piece of furniture susceptible to the effects of climate, age, and the propensity for wood to move, split and warp over time. Not suitable for an heirloom buffet or a custom bedroom set. Laying veneer over a substrate of MDF (medium density fiberboard) or furniture-grade particleboard ensures stability and protects the beauty and value of custom furniture for many, many years. Solid wood may be used for details and accents, but for cabinets, architectural millwork, and wall units the best material is high-quality wood veneer from a shop that has the ability to lay-up their custom veneers suited to your unique style and project.

Linear Fine Woodworking is one of a very few custom manufacturers that produce veneer panels in-house from rough-cut flitches. The process of creating a veneer panel begins with cutting thin layers of wood of uniform thickness, typically 1/42nd of an inch, by peeling, slicing, or sawing logs.

A flitch of leaves can be arranged in sequence to create a wide variety of patterns, the two most common being “book matching,” in which the leaves are laid-out in pairs to produce mirror-image patterns; and “slip matching,” where leaves are “slipped” one next to the other.

Veneer strips or leaves are trimmed to create a straight edge, then “sewn” together with heated plastic filaments on a special machine. The sewn strips are then assembled in the desired pattern and “layed-up” on a 4′ x 8′ sheet of MDF (medium density fiberboard) substrate covered with an adhesive compound. The panel is then placed in a heated press to iron out any air bubbles and to dry the adhesive. This method of panel construction produces a veneer panel that is uniformly even and stable and allows for greater creativity in design and ease in crafting.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN VENEER

Remember the myth we destroyed earlier? The culprit is cheap paper-backed and “peel and stick” veneer used to manufacture low-cost furniture. Paperback veneer is applied to a substrate with simple contact cement, and “peel and stick” veneer is applied to a substrate by removing the paper covering and using the contact cement applied by the manufacturer. Both types have their uses, but not in crafting beautiful cabinetry and furnishings. Paper backing will be revealed in joints, corners, and edges, and over time these types of veneer tend to bubble, peel, and slide. The best value lies in using high-quality veneers that are professionally applied to a stable substrate to ensure years of service and pride of ownership.