A new book on veneering will appeal to those whose taste in furniture is a little more recent than Seymour and Sheraton. Scott Grove’s “Advanced Veneering and Alternative Techniques” is a refreshing change from the traditional heartland of veneering, the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In a book that is beautifully photographed and presented, Grove gives an introduction to how veneer is made, what to look for when buying it, and how to prepare and repair difficult veneers such as burls. He then shows how different ways of laying out the same adjacent sheets can totally change the look of a panel.

As well as the traditional joining of veneer using straight cuts, Grove shows how certain veneer patterns can benefit from being joined with a wavy seam. If you want to preview a shorter version of this see Grove’s Master Class on working with burl veneer in FWW #178.

Lastly, Grove shows how he constructed the spiral bookmatched pattern for a contemporary credenza shown on the cover of the book. The book’s title does it a disservice as it isn’t just about advanced techniques and newcomers to veneering will benefit too.

Available from Schiffer Publishing with a list price of $40, it is currently on sale at Amazon for $29 and a good addition to your woodworking library.