VENEERS 101 



As each slice is removed, it falls through the knife slots onto a platform. 

 Two men, one at either end, pile them up in the same relative position 

 as they appeared in the flitch. They are usually kept together and sold 

 in this fashion. 



The drawbacks to this process are: i. It is a slow method of manu- 

 facture and 2, the veneer has only one face side and is not reversible. 

 Mills using one machine have a daily capacity of about 50,000 to 80,000 

 sq. ft. 



Sliced veneers are dried in many different ways but the most accepted 

 procedure is the roller dryer as explained in connection with the rotary 

 process. The old-fashioned hot room is occasionally employed as well as 

 suspension in long sheets from the ceiling, but unsatisfactory results are 

 generally the rule. Owing to the fact that veneers from one flitch are 

 kept and sold together, they are seldom trimmed on the. clipper, as ex- 

 plained in connection with rotary cut veneers. 



SAWED VENEERS 



Veneers were first made by hand sawing, the process being very labo- 

 rious and expensive. They were only made of rare woods of highly attract- 

 ive figure and consequently their use was very limited. For a long time 

 sawing was the only process used. Now only the highest grade finish 

 and cabinet veneers are sawed. It is a very simple method of man- 

 ufacture, but it is the most wasteful of the three methods and the most 

 expensive as well. 



Sawed veneers are usually cut 2V in. in thickness and a kerf of equal 

 thickness is made. This means that as much wood is wasted as is ulti- 

 mately used. They are preferred, however, to sliced or rotary cut 

 veneers because in the case of the latter two the wood fibers are crushed 

 by the knives, and the thinner the veneer the more serious is likely to be 

 the result. On the other hand, with sawed veneers, the fibers are torn, 

 but those only which come into contact with the saw. Consequently 

 sawed veneers are stronger and are less likely to show up defects after 

 being used for some time. It is also said that sawed veneer more closely 

 resembles solid wood than any other kind. One great advantage in 

 favor of sawed veneer is that it is reversible and either side may be used 

 as the face. 



It is estimated that at least 75 per cent of all sawed veneers are 

 made of quartered white oak. In general, the same woods are used for 

 both the sliced and sawed veneers. Considerable mahogany of the 

 finest grades and special figure and grain such as ribbon mahogany as 



