The increasing human population has led to scarcity of important natural resources that are commonly used by humans. As the human population grows every year, more and more people are in search of free or affordable materials with which to build their dwellings. This has paved the way for the disappearance of quality logs that used to be found free in the forests.
With the decreasing number of valuable logs used as building materials came the rising popularity of veneering for building furniture and other household and office materials. Veneering is more popularly known as a decorative way of building furniture. This decorative process has been used by the Egyptians who were known for their opulent taste especially in their caskets and tombs. .
Veneering was also popularly used during the 18th century when the Rococo style became the in thing. A quick tour of famous museums like the Louvre and the Getty Museum will show a collection of veneered furniture pieces. Veneering is also used in most furniture products of famous furniture maker Chippendale.
Aside from being used as a decorative furniture art, veneer was also used to cover workmanship defects in furniture that was mass produced. Veneered furniture is said to be sturdy since the panels don't easily crack and other damage due to humidity changes.
The scarcity of good quality logs for furniture seems to be a blessing in disguise for veneering because it became the top choice for furniture makers who found put that veneering allowed them more leeway in furniture manufacturing and design. In fact, veneered furniture can be easily matched with a specific design for any venue. Furniture made of veneered panels proved to be more economical and environment friendly than lumber. More people also agree that veneered furniture is more stable than furniture solely made of lumber.
Among the veneers that are highly in demand are those made of burl, crotch and fiddle back. The more common wood species used as veneers are maple and cherry as well as birch and oak trees.
Veneer manufacturers use different methods in veneering including slicing the logs and peeling. In the olden times, veneers were sold with a standard thickness of ¼ inch. Nowadays, veneer is manufactured not manually by hand sawing but through a more modern, mechanized way. Through this process, modern veneers are now sold in the standard thickness of 1/50 inches, 1/46 inches, 1/42 inches and 1/39 inches.
When stocking on veneers, always make sure to store it horizontally and covered with plywood in between veneer sheets to prevent moisture changes. A buckled veneer can be brought back to its original flat state by using a veneer softener. However, if you are starting a furniture project, you can opt for the commercially available veneer plywood that is ready for furniture making. Veneered furniture is also easier to move around than furniture made of heavy and pure lumber. Veneer offers people with more furniture choices, at an affordable cost. Veneer furniture is also more practical and its use can promote a more sustainable logging industry.
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