Using veneers in your furniture at www.plesums.com/wood

So you want to consider using veneers

to incorporate exotic woods in your custom furniture

©2008 by Charles A. Plesums, Austin, Texas, USA

There are many very interesting woods that you might incorporate into the design of your custom furniture. The most interesting are either rare (expensive or unavailable) or are not as structurally sound as they are pretty (a burl can be pretty, but I wouldn't bet on the strength in a structural piece). So what is involved in using a veneer?

First, the process of building the piece is much the same, but the part(s) to be veneered are isolated. The ideal stucture to which the veneer is applied is plywood - you could say it is already a stack of veneers. MDF provides a very smooth surface for veneer. Veneering a solid piece of wood is harder, since the back must be veneered, too, or the imbalance of veneer on one side and nothing on the other will cause the wood to warp (quite drastically - don't ask me how I know!).

Choosing the specific veneer can be a big job - or I can just choose something quickly for you. I have created a separate web page to help you participate in the project to the extent you want (and to help me not spend a lot of time running up the cost of your project.)

There are several components to the cost of veneering a modest part of your project.... modest part meaning it can be readily handled with ordinary techniques in my existing equipment - not a giant conference table or a piece with dozens of panels! This will give you a ballpark number - the actual charge will be incorporated in your project proposal.

The cost of building the project without the veneer. For example, a door with a plywood center panel includes the cost of making the door, but if you want a table, figure at least $15 per square foot, plus veneer (perhaps for both sides of the table so it doesn't warp)
The cost of the veneer itself, plus shipping. If the veneer is 10 inches wide, and your panel is 12 inches, you will need to buy two 10 inch wide strips even though there will be 8 inches of waste after two pieces are joined. (Leftovers and scraps become my property so I don't have to worry about taking care of them or delivering them to you.)
If the veneer is flat, and I only have to create a perfectly straight edge where it must be joined, no extra cost for preparation. But some veneer needs to be flattened, patched, and have many joints... for this extra work, figure $50 per hour. I have used some veneer that needed no extra work, and other that took hours of extra work.
Once the veneer and the substrate are ready, boards must be cut and prepared to spread the pressure of the vacuum press, the glue must be mixed and applied, and the project pressed in a vacuum bag, often overnight. For one or several pieces figure about $100; if there are a large number of pieces or very large pieces the time (cost) will be higher.

Generally the cost of veneering a modest part of your project will be the cost of building the project with the "ordinary" plywood or MDF under the veneer, the cost of the veneer, the cost of preparing the veneer, plus the time to glue and press it. For example, the TV console was part of a set that had three larger doors, plus the small door shown. "Ready to use" Bubinga veneer cost $102 delivered, plus my basic charge of $100 to do all four doors.

Interesting designs and patterns can be incorporated in a veneered piece - for example, a Texas star in a headboard, or a medallion (don't worry, fancy medallions can be purchased "pre-assembled" at a reasonable price). The opportunities are endless.

Be sure to see the page on how you can choose the veneer, or to further understand the process I go through.

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