Techniques, characteristics and more
Immerse yourself in the world of veneer knowledge
Welcome to the world of veneer – one of the oldest and most versatile natural materials. On this website, we offer you in-depth insights into (almost) all relevant aspects of this special material. From traditional manufacturing methods to modern processing techniques, from the unique properties and growth characteristics to the long history of veneer: we shed light on every detail to give you a well-founded understanding. Benefit from our many years of experience and read on to find out why veneer remains one of the most sought-after and authentic surface finishes.
Veneer cutting techniques
Where craftsmanship meets innovation
Veneer is a thinly sliced or peeled, highly decorative layer of wood that is glued onto various carrier surfaces, e.g. MDF, HDF, swell-protected carrier board. Veneer is produced in various thicknesses from 0.2 to 2.5 mm. The most common thickness is 0.6 mm. The available lengths and widths of individual veneer sheets vary depending on the type of wood. Our log purchasers determine the optimum production technique when measuring the logs. Depending on the production technique selected, either a curled, floral or striped veneer patterns are produced. The different techniques are described below.
Flat-cut slicing
With flat-cut slicing, a log cut in half lengthwise is fixed onto the slicing table with the heartwood side on the table and is sliced from the outside.
The initially cut sheets of veneer have a vivid crown figure, as the annual rings are cut into with a very flat angle.
The nearer the cut approaches the middle of the log, the more the annual rings are cut at right-angles, so that an increasingly striped, straight-grained veneer match results.
True quarter-cut slicing
The log is cut into quarters lengthwise for true quarter-cut slicing. It is clamped so that the cut is made at right-angles to the annual rings. This produces a stripy figured, straight-grained veneer match.
False quarter-cut slicing
The log is cut into quarters for false quarter-cut slicing. The cutting into quarters means that the veneer block has two sides that are perpendicular to each other, which occur in the radial cut. The block is clamped with one of these sides flat and is sliced parallel to it. Due to the slicing of a quarter log, veneer matches are produced semi-figured. As with flat-cut slicing, the annual rings are initially cut at a very flat angle. As the middle of the log (trunk) is approached (see veneer features), striped, straight-grained figures are produced. By symmetrically jointing several semi-figured veneer sheets, figured veneers (crown figure) can be produced.
Eccentric half-round and stay-log peeling
With stay-log peeling a halved log is mounted in the lathe fixed with its heart side mounted on a “stay log” and is peeled from the outside.
With stay-log peeling a halved log is mounted in the lathe fixed with its heart side mounted on a “stay log” and is peeled from the outside. The rotating of the half-log clamped at the pith (medulla) causes eccentric rotational movement of the block, which is why this peeling technique is also called eccentric peeling.
The annual rings are cut at a very flat angle, so that the resulting veneer match is striped, straight-grained at the sides and figured (crown figure) in the middle.
Rift peeling
Rift peeling involves cutting the log into quarters. A log quarter is then attached to the turning lathe with one of its flat sides and peeled off from the opposite side.
The turning movement of the log is eccentric, resulting in a characteristic striped veneer pattern. This technique is particularly preferred for the production of striped veneers.
"From the heart" peeling
For this peeling technique the log is cut into thirds or quartered. The block is clamped in the lathe with the heart side facing the blade and is peeled outwards from the inside (from the heart)
In this way, wider veneer matches can be produced. The resulting veneer match is particularly distinctively figured.
Rotary peeling
With rotary peeling the round log is processed. It is clamped along its central axis and is peeled spirally from the outside.
This peeling technique is used, among other things, to produce decorative, figured (fancy patterned, variegated) veneers.
Veneer matching techniques
A perfect match, piece by piece.
The choice of joining technique is an essential step in veneer processing and has a decisive influence on the visual result. Depending on the method, different patterns and structures can be achieved that emphasize the natural grain of the wood or allow it to fade into the background. At Schorn & Groh, we rely on the precise selection and processing of veneer sheets to guarantee consistently high-quality results. Below you will find an overview of the most important matching methods used in modern veneer processing. The jointing itself is done mostly by splicing the sheets of veneer.
Book Matching / Mirroring
When mirroring, the veneers are selected and put together in such a way that two sheets face each other as mirror images (similar to an open book, hence “bookmatch”). The mirror image effect is particularly striking when vividly grained veneers are selected.
Slip Matching
Slip matching results in an overall smoother veneer appearance. When sliding, the sheets lying on top of each other in the veneer stack are removed from the stack without turning them over and lined up next to each other. The result is a repetition of the veneer structure without symmetry. This joining technique is often used for the non-visible surfaces of furniture, for example, as a veneer backing.
Slip & Turn Matching
With this joining technique, every second veneer sheet is reversed to create continuous and harmonious veneer patterns. The sheets are selected and arranged in such a way that they create a mirror image pattern both horizontally and vertically.
Quarter Matching
A process used especially with burl veneers to create highly decorative surfaces and images. Four consecutive veneer sheets of a veneer package are overturned twice and folded up once.
Planked
A planked veneer pattern consists of randomly arranged veneers from one log or – depending on the desired surface – from several logs. The veneer sheets can differ in grain, structure or color. Veneers of different widths can also be joined together in any order. Overall, this creates the impression of a rustic solid wood surface. This joining technique is particularly suitable for use in public buildings, as it is much easier to replace a veneered wooden panel, as the individual panels differ from one another due to the joining technique selected. Mismatching describes the same method but the outcome is a rather homogenous color and structure whereas random matching allows for more variety in the final veneer image.
Production steps
From tree to the individual leaf
01 DELIVERY OF LOGS
A truck delivers the purchased logs to the veneer mill.
02 Timber storage
All logs are stored in the mill yard until production begins. Proper storage includes continuous sprinkling with water. The moisture prevents cracking caused by drying and any changes in color.
03 Cut the trunk to length
The logs are being cross-cut and prepared for further use.
04 Debark the trunk
The bark is removed (stripped) from the raw wood in preparation for the slicing and peeling machines. At the same time, any foreign material such as embedded stones, hammered-in nails, sand and soil are removed.
05 Unravel the trunk
Each log is processed into flitches with a specified cutting technique. For more information see the page on veneer production techniques.
See veneer technique.
06 Steam the trunk
Steaming (or cooking) the logs in hot water has two purposes. First, it gives the wood the pliability required for a smooth cut and thus perfect processing quality. Secondly, the length of time the wood remains in the water affects the color of the veneer.
07 Veneer peeling
Wood burls are clamped at the ends of the log, cut longitudinally at one point and rotated around their own axis, thereby peeling. One turn thus results in a veneer sheet.
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More Information08 Veneer slicing
Logs are sliced according to specified technique
The quality of the processing depends on precise setting of the blade with an accuracy of 0.1 mm. Only then can faultless quality be guaranteed.
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More Information09 Drying veneer
The still-wet veneer sheets are dried in dryers between webbing belts, which also flatten (smooth) the sheets.
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More Information10 Veneer cutting
When the veneers are dry, they are cut to size and bundled into flitches. The edges are trimmed and if necessary, growth irregularities are cut out.
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More Information11Measure veneer
After the veneers are cut, they are bundled into packs (flitches) of 16, 24 or 32 sheets (leaves) each.
HISTORY OF VENEER
Wood at its most beautiful
Antiquity
The use of veneer dates back to ancient times, when it was used by the Egyptians of the 18th dynasty (around 1332 BC). Precious woods were rare and sought-after in Egypt, which led people to develop economical processing techniques. By cutting wood into thin boards and attaching them to less valuable wooden surfaces, they were able to make optimum use of the scarce raw material. Archaeological finds, such as the veneered furniture discovered in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, bear witness to this early technique.
Middle Ages & Renaissance
Veneer became increasingly important in the history of European art and craftsmanship. Especially in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (from the 14th century onwards), it played a central role in furniture making. Veneers made ornate decorations such as inlays and elaborate wooden pictures possible. These techniques reached their peak in the Baroque and Rococo periods. At this time, many of the woods used, such as ebony, became scarce and expensive in their solid form. Veneers offered a solution for using precious woods efficiently. In the 17th century, the job title “Ébeniste” emerged in France, referring to the specialized cabinetmakers who focused primarily on veneered furniture.
Industrial revolution
At the beginning of the 19th century, industrialization ushered in a new era in veneer production. The artisanal technique, in which veneers were laboriously cut by hand, was replaced by mechanized processes. The first German veneer factory was opened in Freiburg in 1843, and the introduction of the first slicing machines in Hamburg in 1870 marked the beginning of the modern veneer industry. These new production techniques enabled the mass production of veneer and made it accessible to a wider section of the population.
Modernity
In the period after the Second World War until the 1960s, veneer dominated the surface materials in the furniture, door and panel industry, particularly due to the increased use of chipboard as a base material. The further development of production methods, in particular slicing and peeling, replaced inefficient sawing, which caused a high loss of wood. Today, it is possible to produce extremely thin veneer sheets of just 0.5 millimeters. Although veneer plays an important role in modern furniture production, the trend towards decorative foils that look deceptively real could affect its future use. Nevertheless, veneer remains a central element in high-quality furniture construction due to its naturalness and aesthetics.
Veneer characteristics
Growth characteristics in veneer:
Unique features instead of flaws
Bird’s Eye
Especially in bird's eye maple, the name of the eye-shaped pattern of the veneer, but can also occur in other wood species.
Variegated figure
Uneven veneer pattern, intensity mostly dependent on the incidence of light. Caused by various growth anomalies, that cause an irregular pattern.
Cluster
Only partially grained trunks.
Burl
Texture of veneers made from burls. Burls grow above the ground (oak, ash, elm) or as root burls below the ground (madrona, myrtle, vavona, Californian walnut). Partially grained burls and trunks are called half burls or clusters.
Knots
Small, round or oval, firmly intergrown branches.
Pommele
A term derived from the French word "pommelé" (pomme = apple) for a special regular texture of the veneer, which can be remotely reminiscent of apples.
Figured Veneer
The striped pattern running at right angles to the grain direction is created by light reflections in the wavy grain pattern. A cross grain is particularly evident in the radial cut, typical of wood species such as maple and ash.
Bark ingrowth
Bark occurring in particular in burl wood, ingrown within the heartwood and overgrown by it.
Silver figures
Depending on the cutting angle when slicing, the cells of the wood rays become visible in different ways. Visual interruption in the overall appearance, particularly pronounced in oak.
Spots
General term for dark, firmly intergrown color changes. Depending on the species of wood and the cause, a distinction is made between gum, hair, resin galls, minerals, sugar stains, etc.
Wavy figure
Banding across the trunk axis in a tangential direction with wavy grain and growth rings. Results in an uneven veneer appearance (see: figured veneer or variegation)
Grain pattern
The overall texture, pattern, or coloration of the veneer, commonly known as 'grain' in everyday terms."