Replies

1. 
   BenM | Oct 22, 2004 03:11pm | #1

   I would go no thicker than 1/8 inch, preferably no more than around 3/32 inch.

2. 
   RickL | Oct 22, 2004 06:24pm | #2

   You should look into the subject on intarsia.

   http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/contemporaryartfurniture/

   John Cederquist uses 1/4" glued onto baltic birch. His technique is based on intarsia. There's a room of old Italian intarsia at the Metropolitan Museum in NY and it's fine after hundreds of years. So thicker stuff can work from what I've see. I know the theory about the rule of thumb and thin stuff but the reality proves it different.

3. 
   jcousins | Oct 22, 2004 06:33pm | #3

   i cut veneers to 5/64ths - pressed on to mdf and baltic birch ply (and you're right - both sides) with no movement.

   jerry

4. 
   JohnWW | Oct 22, 2004 09:57pm | #4

   The thinner the better, the reference to intarsia probably isn't relevant to you application, the individual pieces in intarsia are small and the numerous joints allow for stress relief. 

   Over wider expanses of veneer, more than 3 inches across the grain in my experience, a 1/8 inch thick veneer will develop surface cracks when it shrinks in dry weather, I would try for 3/32 or even 1/16 inch thick to be safe. 

   You can cut your veneer thicker, and glue it down while it is still thick.  Later you can thin the veneer down to its final thickness by passing the veneered panel through the planer. I've done this and it works well.  

   I use slow setting epoxy to veneer with, it doesn't introduce moisture into the veneer and substrate, eliminating a potential source of trouble caused by unequal expansion of the two materials.  Another advantage to epoxy is the panel will be stable as soon as the glue cures, rather than needing a few days to lose the excess moisture introduced by water based glues.

   John W. 

5. 
   mike4244 | Oct 24, 2004 05:32pm | #5

   I used bubinga for the dark pieces in a chess board. I bandsaw the bubinga to 3/32" .When finished scraping and sanding the veneer is probably 1/16" thick.The squares are 2 1/4" , no problems with shrinkage on mdf.I use hot hide glue to glue veneers. Good idea to laminate underside of mdf, I always do.

   mike