Wood veneer is used to construct many styles of beautiful wood furniture.
Veneer is used throughout the furniture, cabinet making and carpentry industries. Veneer comes in different thicknesses and is used to cover manufactured wood products such as particle board in order to create the appearance of solid wood. Thin veneers are cut with a utility knife and a metal straightedge. Cutting through thicker veneers measuring between 1/16 and 1/8 of an inch requires special tools.
Instructions
Cutting Veneer that is up to 1/32 of an Inch Thick
1. Lay the veneer flat on a solid wood surface, such as a large table or work bench.
2. Measure the width of the veneer needed with the measuring tape. Mark the appropriate width at each end of the veneer sheets.
3. Using the metal straight edge and the utility knife, cut the veneer into the appropriate sized pieces.
4. Cut the veneer in the same direction as the wood grain on the first cut. The veneer cuts much more easily with the grain. Then, when handling smaller pieces, perform the second cut across the grain to create the proper sized piece for your project.
5. If cutting veneer into strips which are less than 12 inches wide, the second cut can be performed on a standard office paper cutter. The sharp edges and firm grip afforded by the paper cutter create a clean-cut edge on the veneer even when cutting across the grain.
Cutting Veneer that is up to 1/8 of an Inch Thick
6. Measure and layout the pieces of veneer needed from the full sheet.
7. If cutting strips which are three inches wide or less, use a commercial laminate slitter to make the first cut with the wood grain from the sheets of veneer. The hardened steel cutting wheels on the commercial laminate slitter cut the veneer cleanly and quickly.
8. If cutting strips which are wider than three inches, cut with the sheets of veneer on a commercial table saw.
9. Set the rip fence on the table saw to cut the veneer to the desired width. Lay a scrap piece of 1/4-inch board next to the rip fence. The rip fence sits just slightly above the surface of the table saw. This scrap piece of hard board will prevent the veneer from sliding underneath the rip fence and becoming jammed while being cut.
10. Carefully cut the veneer sheet on the table saw. Cut the shorter-length dimensions first, and then cut the longer dimensions. When cutting veneer on a table saw, it is no longer necessary to cut with the grain on the first cut.
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