Visual Range
| Introduction | History | Advantages and
applications | Manufacture | Finishing |
Veneer cutting and laying: The Aesthetics of
Grain Feature Pattern and Colour
Cutting and grain
The beauty and natural warmth of wood is timeless. From
rich, deep colours and a swirling grain, to the simple
elegance of pale, light textured timber, it is a material
that never goes out of style.
There are basically two methods of slicing decorative
veneers, the difference being defined by the way in which
the flitch is placed in the slicer. Dependent on the
angle of the cutting blade relative to the growth rings
of the flitch or log, so varying veneer grain patterns
can be produced. These patterns include: Quarter Cut, Crown Cut and Cathedral Cut.
Rotary Peeling of Veneers
An alternative method of producing decorative veneers to
slicing is rotary peeling. Veneers are produced by
rotating a log mounted on a lathe against a cutting
blade. Rotary peeling is commonly used for plywood
production where the veneer is used as a ply layer.
Feature and Pattern
A variety of features and patterns occur in wood
which are categorised under the headings of, grain,
texture, figure and knots.
Grain can be straight, curving, sloping, wavy, rippled,
wavy, curly or interlocking. Grain refers to the wood
tissue growth direction and is often evident when wood is
split as splitting direction generally follows the grain
character.
Texture is described as being fine or course, even or
uneven. It is determined by the size and arrangement of
the cell matrix and variations in density of the wood
tissue.
Figure refers to the decorative markings on the surface
of timber which are produced by variations in wood tissue
density and colour. Figure has been described as burled,
fiddleback, birds eye, ribboned and striped.
Knots are produced by stress and growth character
differences found where branching occurs. The knots also
record variations in hardness of the wood.
Veneer leaves can be matched and joined in a variety of
ways to achieve different grain pattern effects. Some of
these are shown below.
| Introduction | History | Advantages and applications | Visual Range | Manufacture | Finishing |
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