Replies

1. 
   RalphBarker | Jan 22, 2011 09:13am | #1

   thick thought

   I've not done this, so I don't really know. My impression, however, is that 1/4" is thick enough that it will behave on its own, expansion-wise, not like veneer.

1. 
   swenson | Jan 22, 2011 09:35am | #2

   Is veneer ever put on solid wood , or only on cross bonded solid core?  My knowledge of veneering comes solely from once reading James Krenof's Impractical Cabinetmaker.

1. 
   RalphBarker | Jan 22, 2011 10:05am | #4

   The only thing thinner than veneer is my knowledge about it. That said, I would suspect that veneer has been applied to all types of cores over the years, some soft, some hard, in terms of expansion coefficients. My assumption is that if the core has a low expansion coefficient, the (thin) veneer behaves as if it is part of the core, stretching and compressing accordingly. If the core has been poorly chosen, the veneer might rip if the core expands too much. If the "veneer" is too thick in relation to the core, my (limited) understanding is that it behaves like solid wood, moving to its own expansion drummer, so the speak.

2. 
   tom77 | Jan 22, 2011 10:00am | #3

   table top glue up

   There is no technical reason to prevent you from this glue up.  1/4" thick stock will behave more like solid wood than veneer.  So, you need to be aware that radial and tangential expansion rates are different.  You should try to match growth ring direction in this lamination to minimize the effects of wood movement.  I would recommend you consider resawing the figured wood into 1/8" veneer instead of 1/4".  Your figured stock will go farther and wood movement will be less of an issue.  Check out David Marks web site and look at some of his "Woodworks show" project videos.  Many of his projects include resawn veneers and the thickness is always 1/8" or less.

   Good luck, Tom.