Veneer is a thin sheet of wood of uniform thickness cut by peeling, slicing, or sawing logs. It is used chiefly for plywood, which is made by gluing together sheets of veneer stacked one on top of the other. Usually, these sheets are arranged so that the direction of the grain (wood fibers) of one sheet is at right angles to the grain of the next sheet, thus increasing the strength of the plywood panels. Single sheets of veneer are used to make such items as fruit baskets and crates.
Most veneer is cut from the Douglas-fir, but many other varieties of wood are also used. There are several ways of cutting veneer, but the most common is the rotary-cut method. In this method, the log is placed in a lathe and then revolved against a knife extending across the length of the log. The veneer is unwound in a long ribbon, much like unrolling a bolt of wrapping paper or cloth. Veneers vary in thickness from 0.001 to 0.375 inch (0.25 to 9.5 millimeters). Most rotary veneers are cut in thicknesses from 0.05 to 0.14 inch (1.3 to 3.6 millimeters)
See also Furniture ( Biedermeier and Restauration styles.) ; Mahogany ; Plywood .
