Horizon Forest - veneer

Cabinet Products - Technical Information - Veneer Cutting

There are a number of different ways in which hardwood veneer may be cut from the log. Depending on the manner in which a log is cut, strikingly different visual effects can be achieved with the wood's grain and characteristics. This is the beauty of working with hardwood veneer - that two logs of the same species, cut in different ways, produce distinctive, individual veneers! Of the available veneer cutting methods, the most commonly used are rotary cutting and plain slicing.

Rotary - Rotary veneer is produced by centering the log in a lathe and turning it against a broad cutting knife which is set into the log at a slight angle. Rotary cut veneer can be sufficiently wide to provide full sheet (one piece) faces.

Plain Slicing (Flat Cut) - Plain sliced veneer is veneer sliced parallel to the center of the log to achieve flat-cut veneer. The cathedrals are formed by the inner most annual growth rings as the veneer is cut through the flitch.

Half-Round Slicing - Half-round slicing is cutting on an arc roughly parallel to the center of the log to achieve flat-cut veneer. The cathedrals can have more rounded tops since the grain is formed by the inner most growth rings as the veneer is cut through the flitch.

Quarter Slicing - Quarter slicing achieves a straight grain appearance by slicing perpendicular to the annual growth rings.

Rift-Cut - Rift-cut veneer is produced from the various species of oak. Oak has medullary ray cells which radiate from the center of the log like the curved spokes of a wheel. This straight grain cut is at a slight angle to the medullary rays in oak to minimize ray fleck (flake).

Lengthwise Slicing - A board of flat sawn lumber is passed flat over a stationary knife. As it passes, a sheet of veneer is sliced from the bottom of the board. This produces a variegated figure.