With this complete resource from professional furniture-maker and veneer specialist Jonathan Benson, you'll learn how to re-create the beauty of exotic wood with veneer and in-lays. A series of step-by-step exercises will take you through all the techniques and culminate in four beautiful finished pieces: a dining room table, a wall mirror with shelf, a marquetry picture, and a parquetry design. Also included is a complete troubleshooting section for repairs and problems.

Jonathan Benson is a professional furniture maker who specializes in contemporary curved pieces with extensive veneer figures. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has won numerous prestigious design awards and is the author of Wood Art Today. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Jonathan Benson is a professional furniture maker who specializes in contemporary curved pieces with extensive veneer figures. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has won numerous prestigious design awards and is the author of Wood Art Today. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa.

Jonathan Benson of West Des Moines, IA
(formerly Santa Fe, NM) has written the new
book, Woodworker's Guide to Veneering & Inlay.
This book covers all aspects of veneering and
marquetry techniques, from purchasing materials
to step-by-step furniture construction projects.
This essay is adapted from Woodworker's Guide to
Veneering & Inlay by Jonathan Benson, copyright
2008, with permission of the publisher Fox Chapel
Publishing. The book (159 pages, paperback,
$24.95) is available at your local woodworking
bookseller or directly from Fox Chapel Publishing
at (800) 457-9112 or visit the web site: www.
foxchapelpublishing.com.
Jonathan Benson is a professional furnituremaker,
whose work was been exhibited in over 40
galleries nationwide. He has taught woodworking
at the college level for over 10 years, as well
as conducted seminars throughout the country.
He has written for Woodshop News and Woodwork
Magazine and authored a chapter in
Furniture Markers Exploring Digital Technologies.
For more info on Jonathan, visit his web site:
www.bensonfurniture.com.

Wood veneer is an attractive, thin slice of wood that can be glued
onto a furniture surface or wall panel, creating a rich look for very
little expenditure of expensive stock. Historically, veneer was used to
decorate the very fi nest furniture, though in recent times, it has also
been used to disguise some of the worst. Today, however, increasing
numbers of makers are embracing these materials to produce very fi ne
veneered furniture, as has often been illustrated in this publication.
Though veneers are available from many commercial sources, producing
your own veneers can give you greater control—and satisfaction—
over the available materials to be utilized in your project. Some
applications might require a thicker veneer of a certain species not
available commercially, or if available, may not contain the unusual
fi gures or in the size that you desire. It may also be easier for you to
produce book-matched pieces.
SAWING BASICS
Veneer should be sawn and planed to end up with pieces no thicker
than 1/8" (1/16" is better). Otherwise, it may continue to move due to
seasonal changes. If veneer is cut too thick, the bottom surface attached
to the substrate will stay in place, while the top surface of the
veneer will still be able to move. This will cause cracks to appear
on the surface of the veneer. Wood movement also can cause the veneer
to separate from the substrate. I have heard of a case where the
veneer, that was not cut thinly enough, popped off the surface of a
table during a gallery opening. That makes a strong case for getting
the veneer thin enough and gluing it down properly.
Making sure machinery is properly tuned and has sharp blades and
knives will get maximum yield from the log or board. In addition,
the sawn veneer needs to be properly handled and stored to prevent
loss. The material to be cut must be dry and ready to use. You can
saw green lumber and logs into veneers, but the drying process becomes
much more complicated. With this in mind, the procedure for
sawing your own veneer is simple.
by Jonathan Benson
JOINTER TIPS
• The jointer needs to be properly tuned and have sharp knives.
• The outfeed table and the knives need to be properly aligned, so that a
uniform amount of material is removed from the wood.
• A cutter head with 4 knives makes a smoother cut than one with 2 knives.
• A higher rpm setting will creat a smoother cut.
• Feed the material at a rate before burn marks begin to appear, creating a
surface as smooth as glass.
• The fence needs to be sturdy and set at exactly 90° to the cutter to
maximize yield.
• Check the fence for square occasionally to be certain it remains square.

PREPARING THE WOOD
Before sawing veneers from a thick piece of wood, it is necessary to
create two smooth perpendicular surfaces. Start by smoothing one
surface of the board on the jointer (Figure 1). The fi gure pattern
of this face will become the fi gure pattern for all the subsequent
sheets of veneer cut from the board. If working from a log or
an irregular shaped piece of wood, you may have to balance the
desirability of the fi gure pattern with the yield that results from
that particular shape.
After the face has been smoothed, joint the edge with the smoothed
face against the fence to create two perpendicular surfaces. You
may also need to rip the opposite side or edge on the bandsaw or
tablesaw, creating a fl at surface for the marking procedure that
follows.
Keep veneers in sequential order throughout this process, so that
they can be matched later. To accomplish this, mark the bottom
edge of the board with some type of triangle or angled line pattern
that can be recreated by stacking the leaves in their original order.
The pattern can also be drawn on one end of the board. Another
way to keep the veneers in consecutive order is to number each
leaf on its face immediately after cutting it. The fi rst method is
quicker and easier, because you do not have to think about numbering
while cutting and planning. To be totally safe, use both
methods together. Note that numbering the edges of the veneer
does not work, as the number will disappear when you plane the
leaves to their fi nal thickness.
Before ripping the fi rst sheet of veneer from the board on the
bandsaw, you will need to make a line 1/8" in from the face along
the top edge of the board, to use as a reference when cutting. It is
easiest to use a marking gauge (Figure 2), because the operation
will be repeated for each cut. A leaf that is 1/8" thick, or just a bit
thinner, after one face has been smoothed on the jointer and ripped
on the bandsaw, will leave just enough material to yield a fi nished
thickness of about 1/16" after planing, with some margin for error.
THE RIP FENCE
There are two types of rip fences to help guide the wood through
the bandsaw accurately. The most common type, included with
most bandsaws, resembles a tablesaw rip fence. It is essentially a
straightedge secured parallel to the blade. The wood stays pressed
against the fence as it is being cut. If you do not have the standard
fence, you can clamp a board or straightedge to the saw table as
a rip fence. The fence must be properly aligned with the blade,
and the blade must be sharp to get an accurate cut; otherwise, the
cut can wander away from the line. If the blade does wander off
the line, it will burn the wood and dull the blade, as you attempt
to get back in line. A dull blade can also bend or belly inside the
cut, causing cupped and bowed surfaces on the wood. The guide
blocks and rollers on the bandsaw must also be properly aligned.
The straightedge style of rip fence works well in most cases, if
these guidelines are addressed.
The point style of fence allows for the wood to be steered as it is
being cut, as shown in (Figure 3). The point of the fence must be
aligned with the teeth of the bandsaw blade. It also helps to have
the fence be as tall as the wood. This type of fence allows the wood
to be steered back in line if the cut starts to wander.

SAWING THE VENEERS
When using either type of fence, it is crucial to keep
the wood fi rmly pressed against the fence from top to
bottom, to prevent producing veneers thicker or thinner
along one edge or the other. It is also important to feed
the wood steadily and evenly. If everything is set up
properly and the blade begins to burn or the cut starts to
bow or cup in anyway, it is time for a new blade. When
beginning the cut, be careful to guide the blade right
down the center of the scribed line (Figure 4).
As with any type of cut on a power machine, when the
materials get too thin to hold or when nearing the end of
a cut, use a push stick to protect your fi ngers. A board
can split like a piece of fi rewood, while being cut on a
bandsaw, sending your fi ngers right into the blade. A
push stick can prevent this.
After sawing the fi rst sheet of veneer, set it aside and run
the just-sawn face of the board over the jointer to smooth
one face of the next leaf of veneer before you saw it.
Repeat this jointer-saw sequence for each veneer slice.
For best results, do all of the cutting, jointing, and plan-
BANDSAW TIPS
• Must have sufficient throat height between the table and upper guide.
This dimension will limit the width of the veneer.
• Must have enough power to avoid slowing down or stopping when making
a deep cut. Slowing down during the cutting process will dull the
blade, cause burns on the surface of the wood, and make it difficult to
maintain a straight cut.
• A resawing type of bandsaw works well for this operation, as does a good
20" or larger bandsaw. It is possible to get good results from the common
14" bandsaw, with a riser block added to give the machine a 12" throat
height.
• I like to use a new blade when beginning any bandsaw veneer project. A
3/4"-1" wide blade with 4-6 teeth per inch (TPI) will work quickly and help
keep a straight line easily.
• The saw should have a good set of roller bearings and guide blocks properly
installed.
• The table needs to be exactly 90° to the blade. Any variance in the angle
will decrease the yield by removing more material than necessary.
• Check the fence occasionally to be certain it remains square.
GRAIN ORIENTATION
The orientation of the grain relative to the cutters has a
large impact on the quality of the surface that emerges
from the planer or jointer, which is particularly important
when making veneer. For best results, the long
grain of the wood should feed squarely into the planer
knives. As the knives cut through the wood, they should
shear off the wood fibers cleanly, not pull and rip the
fibers out. When you plane veneer cross grain or diagonally
to the grain, the fibers can easily be pulled completely
out to the other side, leaving holes through the
veneers. The smoothest possible veneer with the largest
yield per board can be achieved if the grain direction is
properly considered, the knives are sharp, and both the
cutter head and feed rate are adjusted properly.
FIGURE 4.
Start the cut with the wood pressed tightly
against the band saw fence. Steer the cut
by pivoting the wood on the fence.
ning to thickness in one work session. There are several
reasons for this. The veneer may dry unevenly, resulting
in cupped and bowed sheets of veneer that will not go
through the planer. Even if the cupped or bowed pieces
do go through the planer, they can emerge with uneven
thicknesses across the width. Also, it is diffi cult to set
the planer to exactly the same thickness twice, resulting
in veneers of different thicknesses. Should you leave it
for several hours after sawing half the veneers, the board
itself may cup and bow, if the interior is not as dry as
the outer surface.
PLANING THE VENEERS
When all the veneer has been jointed on one side and
sawn to 1/8" thickness, the sawn face needs to be planed
to remove the bandsaw marks. Veneer is diffi cult to run
through the planer by itself without damaging it. If the
planer has rollers on the bed (lower table), the thin material
will not stay pressed down fi rmly. If the material is
unsupported under the cutters, it will cut unevenly, split,
tear, or even disintegrate entirely. I have seen veneers go
in one side of the planer and never come out—the thin
material breaks apart and goes up the chip chute.
There are several ways to avoid this problem, allowing
many types of veneer to be planed down to 1/16" or even
thinner. A backing board can help to keep the veneer
pressed down fi rmly throughout the cutting process.
Two types of backing boards are commonly used to
plane down veneer: one that does not travel through the
machine with the veneer and one that does.
The nontraveling type of backing board is usually surfaced
with Melamine or some other smooth material
over which the veneer can easily slide. The material for
the backing board is cut to the width of the planer bed
and slightly longer. A cleat is fastened under one end
to prevent the backing board from traveling through
the planer with the veneer. The planer's bed rollers are lowered below the table surface so the backing rests fi rmly on the
table. The veneer is fed into the planer one sheet at a time (Figure 5).
It would be easy to feed several leaves through the planer side-byside
at the same time. If the veneer is fed into the planer in this way,
it can catch, slip, and bind, leaving burn marks and risking serious
damage. Feeding each leaf into the planer at slightly different sideto-
side locations, relative to the cutter, prevents damage and ensures
uniform wear on the knives.
The traveling type of backing board, which passes through the planer
with the veneer, seems to work even better but may take a little longer
to use. The backing board needs to be uniform in thickness and
slightly larger than the veneers. In addition, it should be made of a
material with a rough surface, to prevent the veneer from slipping
as it passes through the planer. Fine sandpaper applied with contact
adhesive to the surface of the backing board will eliminate slippage
and keep the veneer well secured as it is cut (Figure 6).
Accomplishing the planing step in one or two passes is benefi cial—the
fewer passes through the planer, the less chance there is for something
to go wrong. To avoid a rough surface, however, not more than 1/16"
of material should ever be removed in one pass.
STORING THE VENEER
After being planed down to the fi nished thickness, the veneer needs
to be stored to allow air to reach all sides evenly. If too much moisture
escapes from one side of the veneer relative to the other side,
the veneer can cup, twist, bow, and then crack when glued down or
pressed down fl at. Even if a board appears to be dry, the moisture
content deep inside will be different than that near the surface. There
also might be tensions within the wood that will
only appear when the wood is cut apart. Narrow
strips of wood, or stickers, need to be place across
the grain and stacked with the veneer (Figure 7).
Allowing the veneer to dry in this manner for 24
hours should be enough time for it to stabilize
properly. Once the leaves have been sawn, planed,
and dried, shop-cut veneers can be used like any
other veneer.

PLANER TIPS
• A properly-tuned planer with sharp knives is essential for producing
good-quality band-sawn veneer, without a lot of waste. Sharp knives
keep thin pieces of veneer from tearing out or breaking apart, thus increasing
the yield.
• Having the feeds and pressure rollers cleaned and properly tensioned
keeps the veneer moving through the planer at a consistent speed, without
stopping and starting, avoiding burn marks, ridges, and valleys on the
surface.
• Grain orientation has tremendous impact on the quality of the cut (see
side bar).
• The machine's bed rollers may or may not be an issue,
depending on the backing board that you choose.
• Increasing the planer's cutting speed produces a smoother surface. The
faster the cutting speed, the less material each knife must remove every
time it contacts the wood.
• Using a cutter head with 4 knives will make a smoother cut than one with
2 knives, in effect doubling the cutting speed. Cutting speed can also be
increased by slowing own the feed rate of the wood through the planer.

Woodworker's Guide to Veneering & Inlay, by Jonathan Benson, will prove to woodworkers of all skill levels that recreating the beauty of exotic woods with veneers and inlay is not as hard as they thought. As a professional furniture maker and veneer expert, Benson takes the mystery out of how to use veneers, and walks readers through dozens of demonstrations that result in a beautiful table top, parquetry chessboard, and heirloom mirror frame. Skills include the basics of cutting, matching and taping veneers, using substrates and adhesives, matching inlays and borders and band sawing veneers. The color photographs and clear, easy-to-understand language make learning this respected technique easy. A troubleshooting and repair section ensures woodworkers are successful. Benson's work has been exhibited in 40 galleries nationwide. He taught woodworking at the college level for more than 10 years and has held workshops and lectures across the country.

All you really need to know about veneering, marquetry and parquetry. Benson has really put this book together and bares it all. The author doesn't make the art of veneering easy, he shows you how to do it right. Benson is an achieved cabinetmaker and the full color photos of his work are certainly proof of that point. He walks the reader through the methods of producing veneer and how to deal with some of the problems involved with some specific veneer species. Special adhesives are discussed as well as the varied applications of the wood.

Marquetry and parquetry are discussed in depth and the author, through some excellent photographs, details the processes.

Edge banding is covered as well as the best substrate types to use. Book matching is detailed along with special complex veneer matching.

Benson devotes a chapter on cutting, taping and grain matching and shows the woodworker what tools are best to use and how to use them.

This is an excellent book that deserves a prominent spot in the woodshop.

Woodworker's Guide to Veneering & Inlay by Joanathan Benson covers the veneering bases. This book discusses the history of the craft as well as how to buy and store veneer. Also included is information on cutting, taping, gluing, pressing and edging, and a lot more. Woodworker's Guide to Veneering & Inlay goes on to explain the basics of marquetry and parquetry. In addition, there are more than a dozen demonstration projects and step-by-step instructions to create a beautiful tabletop, a parquetry chessboard and a curved mirror frame.