# Veneers for woodworkers



## ctEaglesc (Sep 8, 2005)

The use of a sanding drum will yield you a thin strip of wood but you still have 2 problems to overcome.
1.How are you going to cut the strip? Bandsaw?
2.If you use a bandsaw to cut the first strip, the remaining surface on the waste stock will then have to be surfaced( or jointed)  for the second rip to get a reference side that is flat enough to use against the fence. 
This would be a similar situation in "flat" woodworking trying to use a thickness planer on a bowed board that has not had one face jointed.
There are those that say it can be done but it won't always work.
The solution is to cut the veneers on a Tablesaw.
Using a 7&1/4" Freud Diablo blade with a kerf thickness of .059 on a 10" Grizzly contractors saw I repeatedly cut  thin "veneers" for glue ups.
There was an article in Woodturning and Design a year ago by David Reed Smith that described how to build this jig.In the article the pictures were small and I had problems understanding the design.
I ran across this link a few moths ago and it is a lot simpler to follow.
I made a variation from the original article and have been using it for almost a year.
This is not the first time I posted this link.
It was posted once before when the subject of safely cutting thin strips came up.
In that thread a member told me to go back to drinking and the entire tread was pulled.
I hope it stays up longer this time.
My thanks to David Reed Smith.
Veneer cutting with a tablesaw:
http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Articles/VacuumRipFence/VacuumRipFence.htm


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## coach (Sep 8, 2005)

Thanks Eagle!  I forgot to save that link the last time you had it up.  I'm looking into something similar to that.


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## Ron Mc (Sep 8, 2005)

Eagle,
Thanks for the link. I look forward to sitting down long enough to read it.


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## timdaleiden (Sep 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by cteaglesc_
> <br />The use of a sanding drum will yield you a thin strip of wood but you still have 2 problems to overcome.
> 1.How are you going to cut the strip? Bandsaw?
> 2.If you use a bandsaw to cut the first strip, the remaining surface on the waste stock will then have to be surfaced( or jointed)  for the second rip to get a reference side that is flat enough to use against the fence.
> ...



 For the jig I showed, uneven surfaces are not a problem. I cut up entire blanks with the band saw by eye without resurfacing the stock piece. 

 For people who prefer to use the table saw, I say go for it.


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## Old Griz (Sep 8, 2005)

For those of you who do not have the technical expertise to create a jig like David Reed Smith designed or the tools to cut and sand veneers.. or the desire to do so... take a look at this site... 
I have purchased a lot of wood from them in the past for scroll saw projects and it has always been top quality... they stand behind their stuff... woods are available from 1/16-3/4" thickness.. prices given are per linear foot with a 2 foot minimum.. 
http://www.danddwoodcrafts.com/802445.html


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## ctEaglesc (Sep 8, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Old Griz_
> <br />For those of you who do not have the technical expertise to create a jig like David Reed Smith designed or the tools to cut and sand veneers.. or the desire to do so... take a look at this site...
> I have purchased a lot of wood from them in the past for scroll saw projects and it has always been top quality... they stand behind their stuff... woods are available from 1/16-3/4" thickness.. prices given are per linear foot with a 2 foot minimum..
> http://www.danddwoodcrafts.com/802445.html


Griz-
1/16th  is .0625 inches., I have found that is still pretty thick for bent laminatinons.


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## JimGo (Sep 8, 2005)

YES!  Thank you!  I recently acquired a used tablesaw that didn't have a fence, and I've been trying to figure out what to use.  This will be very helpful.


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## Rifleman1776 (Sep 8, 2005)

Why not just use a sharp knife to cut thin veneers?


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## esheffield (Sep 8, 2005)

Eagle, is that the Freud Diablo D0740X or D0724X? They both have .059 kerf, but I would assume you use the 40 tooth blade for the smoothest cut. Or maybe they have another .059 that I haven't found.


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## ctEaglesc (Sep 8, 2005)

esheffield.
I have used both.
for ripping the 24 tooth is better.
Since I work on thin woods in all directions when specifically cross cutting  use the 40.


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## hobby_dale (Sep 8, 2005)

Thank you Eagle for taking the time to share the link and info once again.  I hadn't seen it before, so it is good to have as a reference.  Best, Dale


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## chigdon (Sep 8, 2005)

I had not seen this before either and have enjoyed reading it as well as the Laminated Pen Clip article on the same site.  Thank you.


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## esheffield (Sep 8, 2005)

I see, thanks for the info! I'll probably try a the 40 since it's available at the local Home Depot. Don't think they have the 24.


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## Ron in Drums PA (Sep 8, 2005)

Here is a link for veneers
http://tinyurl.com/7g3yb


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## wdcav1952 (Sep 11, 2005)

Ron,

Thanks for the link.  That will come in handy until I can work up the skill/nerve to try to make my own.


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## woodscavenger (Sep 11, 2005)

Thanks Eagle!


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## skydiveterp (Sep 29, 2005)

> _Originally posted by cteaglesc_
> <br />
> Griz-
> 1/16th  is .0625 inches., I have found that is still pretty thick for bent laminatinons.



Then, what thickness do you use?  also, why do you use a dado blade instead of a regular blade to cut the veneers?  can't you just line up x" on 1 side of the regular blade and cut it?  or is there something special about using the dado blade that I am missing?

thanks,
Lewis


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## Ron in Drums PA (Sep 29, 2005)

Freud Diablo blade not Dado Blade


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## skydiveterp (Sep 29, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA_
> <br />Freud Diablo blade not Dado Blade



oops. my fault.  sorry for the mishap.

anyway, how thick would somebody need laminate to be for it to be flexible?  Eagle stated that it should be less than 1/16" b/c 1/16" is still too thick.  so, how thick should we make it?


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## vick (Sep 29, 2005)

it is going to depend on the wood.  I would aim for between 1/32 and 1/64.  I know it sounds really small but with any of the jigs that people have posted it is pretty easy to get.  Commercial veneer usually comes in the thickness listed bellow
0.50mm (1/50"), 0.55mm (1/46"), 0.60mm 1/42", 0.65mm 1/39", and 0.70mm (1/36")


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## skydiveterp (Sep 29, 2005)

> _Originally posted by vick_
> <br />it is going to depend on the wood.  I would aim for between 1/32 and 1/64.  I know it sounds really small but with any of the jigs that people have posted it is pretty easy to get.  Commercial veneer usually comes in the thickness listed bellow
> 0.50mm (1/50"), 0.55mm (1/46"), 0.60mm 1/42", 0.65mm 1/39", and 0.70mm (1/36")



thanks


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## wayneis (Oct 1, 2005)

I saw another very easy way to cut thin strips in a magazine a long time ago.  They took a piece of hard wood about 1" X 3" X 6" and attached it to a runner and put a screw in the right side.  They then would slide the jig up towards the blade with the screw just behind the blade.  Then you screw the screw in or out to get the thickness of the wood strip.  Set your fence up so that the wood that you are cutting rides the fence and just touches the screw and make your cut, then for the next cuts just slide your fecne over untill your wood just touches the screw again.  Well thats clear as mud but it really is easy.

Wayne


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