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The concept of veneer, be it wood, ivory, marble or whatever, originated in centuries long past (witness the artifacts of King Tut’s tomb) but the only means of conversion was some saw-like abrasive edged tool which could “wear” a kerf through the solid block by tedious hand work and thus separate a relatively thin layer of the material which then had to be “worn down” to a somewhat smooth and uniform condition. With the advent of the hand saw, per se, the operation became somewhat easier and more accurate. Then came more refined saws and finally power, all of which resulted in the possibility of the Veneer Saw. This was a large circular saw blade which eventually was refined to saw veneer 1/20” thick and with loss of only 1/20” saw kerf. The saw endured until after World War II but only for thicker veneer, quarter-sawn Oak and Aromatic Cedar which were usually not sliced until that time.
The “veneer knife”, i.e. production lathe and slicer, came along only in the nineteenth century and reached a point of some sophistication again after World War II. Even so, the basic principle of the cut (knife, bar, and pressure) is little changed form the beginning. It should be said that all references we are making here, relate to wood veneer. Of course, harder material must still be abrasively cut if indeed the requirement exists.
Adhesion of the veneer (the glue line) was always a problem until evolvement the hotplate press, and of the resin, phenolic and sophisticated adhesives, creating a “revolution” in the 1930’s and forward. For example, this made possible the waterproof lamination of 11 ply, one inch thick Mahogany panels 6’ wide by 36’ long used for PT Boat hulls in World War II as well as think skins (sometimes made up of veneers only 1/85” thick) for glider construction.
During the earlier to middle decades of this century (and occasionally even unto this day) the debate of “solid” vs. “veneered” furniture was universally carried on largely because of adhesive problems in veneered furniture and cabinets. After the developments in the 30’s, however, there was no basis for choice other than personal preference. In fact, much can be said in favor of the physical properties of the plywood construction and, of course, the aesthetic value of selected and matched veneers on the face defiles comparison with anything else, be it solid wood or man made materials.
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