Veneer Cutting

including rotary cutting and slicing

Product	Leonardo lampshade
Designer	Antoni Arola
Materials	treated wood
Manufacturer	Santa & Cole
Country	Spain
Date	2003

This simple, looped lampshade uses veneers in an unusual, decorative way that draws attention to the surprising translucency of the wood.

It is too obvious to say that trees are one of the richest sources of materials, food, and shelter, but, for me, the production of veneers demonstrates the ingenuity and resourcefulness of humans in converting an object into a variety of usable forms. Peeling a tree in continuous strips to create veneers has to be one of the most economical uses for a tree and it unravels the life of the tree in the process, clearly displaying the evidence of its nutrition and lifespan.

There are two main methods for forming veneers: slicing (which involves slicing the tree—or more likely the log—along its length) and rotary cutting (which involves peeling the log in a continuous strip right into its center until nothing is left). Rotary cutting is by far the most common form. Harvested logs are sorted according to quality to be used for veneers, pulp, or conversion to plywood. Depending on the region in which the logs are gathered, they may need to be scanned for metal content. This can often be the result of bullets lodged in the trees during conflicts.

Once the logs reach the sawmill, they are cut down to the required lengths. These depend on the regional standards and whether a log will be used for veneers, or stuck together to make plywood sheets. The logs are then softened by being soaked in hot water for an average of 24 hours. This loosens the bark and relaxes the fibers in the grain, which makes the peeling process easier.

Once the bark is removed, the logs can be slowly dried before, in rotary cutting, they are set into a machine that rotates them while a cutter is introduced to slowly produce a continuous length of veneer. This length, and those produced by slicing, can be guillotined into shorter lengths.

–  Economical use of the material.

–  Although this is an industrial production method, it has a degree of flexibility, allowing control of the thickness of the veneer and the length and width of the final sheets.

–  Limited to producing sheets or strips.

Volumes of production

Not applicable. Since this is a “commodity,” it is just produced all the time.

Unit price vs. capital investment

Not applicable. Again, veneers are produced all the time, so you only pay for tools and machinery indirectly.

Speed

Once loaded into the cutter, a typical birch log (with a 12-inch diameter) can be completely “peeled” in a continuous sheet in less than two minutes.

Surface

Considering that the process involves a piece of wood that in essence has been cut with a knife, the surface is fairly smooth. Finer finishing can, obviously, be achieved by sanding.

Types/complexity of shape

Thin sheet material.

Scale

The blade on the cutter can be set to cut a varying thickness of veneer from approximately 1/25 to 1/12 inch. The size of the sheet is determined by the width of the log and at which point the veneer is cut into smaller sheets. A typical log 12 inches in diameter will produce up to 50 feet of veneer.

Tolerances

Not applicable.

Relevant materials

Most tree species.

Typical products

The obvious use of veneers is in the production of various forms of plywood or veneers for laminating to board for furniture makers. However, there are also companies that laminate veneers with an adhesive and sell them as wall coverings.

Similar methods

This is a unique method of processing wood. The veneers, however, can be used to make plywood, which can be formed in a number of ways, including by bending (p.80).

Sustainability issues

Rotary cutting makes the most effective use of wood by continuously trimming the log in a full circle using all the wood, whereas the slicing process requires the log to be cut into a rectangular piece of lumber prior to slicing, which creates waste. However, wood is a natural and renewable resource so constant regrowth will provide a consistent supply and prevent depletion.

Further information

www.ttf.co.uk

www.hpva.org

www.nordictimber.org

www.veneerselector.com