Wood Veneer: Its History and How It Is Made

STORY

From cutting the timber to veneer application at MORI KOUGEI

Open a furniture door and you may find different woods on the outside and inside. Look at a wooden tray and its grain may spread out in a radial pattern. Wood veneer, known in Japanese as tsuki-ita, is one of the materials that makes this kind of work possible.

Wood veneer is a thin sheet cut from natural wood. Unlike a sheet printed with a wood-grain pattern, it retains the wood’s fibres, colour and changing appearance in the light. Cutting wood thinly opens up uses that differ from those of a thick, solid board.

At MORI KOUGEI, we select, arrange and apply veneer purchased from manufacturers around Japan. Here, we follow the process from the upstream production of the material to our own work of applying it.[1]

Where does the name tsuki-ita come from?

Hoxan’s account traces the name to the movement of wood through a hand-operated cutting tool. The action was described with the verb tsuku, meaning to thrust or push, and is said to have given rise to the name tsuki-ita.

Veneer does not have one standard thickness. Thin veneer of around 0.2 mm is often used in Japanese furniture and interiors, but thicker veneer is also available for other purposes. Rather than assuming that all veneer is 0.2 mm thick, it is important to check each product’s specifications.[2]

A long history of decorating with thin materials

The practice of decorating a wooden surface with another material can be seen in ancient objects. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cosmetic Box of the Royal Butler Kemeni, dating to about 1805 BCE, has a cedar body with thin ebony and ivory veneers. It shows how different materials were chosen for the structure of a box and for its decoration.[3]

The techniques used in ancient veneering differ from those of modern industry, in which machinery produces uniformly thin sheets. This object is presented here as one example of the idea of adding a different material to a surface.

European furniture also preserves examples of combining woods of different colours and grain. An English cabinet made around 1700 has a pine body decorated with walnut, holly and other materials. The arrangement of the wood itself becomes part of the design, beyond simply covering one wood with another.[4]

How uses expanded through geta and furniture in Japan

The history of Japan’s modern veneer industry reveals connections with geta wooden footwear and furniture making. Hoxan’s company history describes how figured tamo ash found in Hokkaido was used for geta, leading to the company’s establishment in 1924. It was a way of bringing the patterns in wood to an everyday object.[5]

In Ōkawa in the early 1930s, makers began exploring how veneer sourced for geta could be used on furniture. Techniques developed from covering small surfaces to larger furniture, and cutting equipment was increasingly introduced after the war. This is the history of one furniture-making centre adopting and developing veneer, rather than a single starting date for the whole of Japan.[6]

As techniques for cutting thin sheets and applying them to large surfaces developed, veneer came to be used not only in furniture, but also in architectural interiors, musical instruments and vehicle interiors.

How wood veneer is made: from log to product

The following is a typical sequence. Processes and conditions vary according to the wood species, equipment and finished product.

An outline of typical stages. Processes and conditions vary according to the species and product.

1 Select the log and plan the cuts

Which face of the timber will reveal the desired grain? The first decisions are made while the wood is still a log. Its condition is assessed before it is prepared into blocks suitable for cutting, such as flitches. This preparation has an important influence on the grain that will appear.[7]

2 Condition the wood for cutting

When necessary, the wood is heated in warm water or by other means to make it easier to cut into thin sheets. The process sometimes called “boiling” in the industry does not mean that every piece of timber is treated for the same time or at the same temperature. Conditions must be adjusted to the wood’s hardness and state.[8]

3 Cut thin sheets

A slicer cuts individual sheets from the surface of the timber with a blade. In rotary cutting, the timber rotates while a thin, continuous strip is peeled from its surface. Other methods, including half-round cutting, are selected according to the material and the grain required.

It helps to distinguish itame and masame from rotary cutting. Itame (flat grain) and masame (straight or quarter grain) describe grain appearance in relation to the face cut through the growth rings. Rotary refers to a cutting method. Figure, or moku, such as curl and tama-moku, reflects features of the wood’s structure and growth; it is not determined by the cutting method alone.[9], [10]

4 Dry, sort and preserve the sequence

The cut veneer is dried according to the species and the condition of the wood. Moisture control is essential to help prevent discolouration and mould and prepare the material for further processing.[11]

Consecutively cut sheets of veneer are similar, but not identical. Keeping their sequence preserves the gradual changes in the grain, which can then be used in the composition of furniture or wall surfaces.[9]

5 Select and arrange the grain

The work now turns to making a product from these thin sheets. Veneer is cut to the required dimensions and arranged according to its colour and grain. Sheets can face the same direction, open out like mirror images, or form a radial pattern. The same material can produce different results depending on its arrangement.[7]

At MORI KOUGEI, deciding which parts to use and how to join them is an important part of our work. Wood marquetry, in which pieces are cut and combined, is another form of expression made possible by the thinness of veneer.

6 Combine the veneer with a substrate or washi paper

Veneer-faced plywood is made by bonding decorative veneer to a plywood surface. Bonding requires control of factors such as pressure and heat, according to the materials and adhesive used.[12]

MORI KOUGEI also makes veneer sheets backed with washi paper. The paper backing makes the thin wood easier to handle. These sheets differ both from rigid plywood-backed panels and from peel-and-stick adhesive sheets.[13]

7 Prepare the surface and finish it for its intended use

For decorative panels, the bond and surface are checked and processes such as sanding are carried out. Panels may be supplied unfinished for further work, or receive a finish. The durability and suitable uses of the final product depend on the combination of substrate, adhesive and finish, as well as the wood itself.[12]

What making wood thin allows us to do

Veneer creates a natural wood surface with only a small thickness of wood. It can also spread a sequence of grain from the same log across a larger surface. Cutting wood thinly is one way to use it efficiently, but a product’s environmental impact also depends on processing, drying, bonding and how long it remains in use. We believe that avoiding material waste and making products that can be used for a long time should be considered together.

At MORI KOUGEI, we offer veneer not only as a material for buildings and furniture, but also in products such as trays and as a material for people who want to make things themselves. Choosing the wood, planning its arrangement and finishing it for its intended use: understanding these processes may change how you look at the wooden objects around you.

Frequently asked questions

Is veneer real wood?

Natural wood veneer is real wood cut into thin sheets. It differs from decorative sheets printed with a wood-grain pattern. Reconstituted wood materials are also sold, so check how the material is described.

Are veneer and plywood the same thing?

Veneer is thin wood. Plywood is a board made by bonding layers of thin wood together; applying decorative veneer to its face produces veneer-faced plywood.

Is a large sheet made from one large piece of wood?

A sheet may be made by joining several pieces of veneer. The size of the finished product does not necessarily match the width of a single original piece.

Can I apply it myself?

MORI KOUGEI’s washi-backed veneer sheets can be applied using a method involving adhesive and an iron. Check the suitable substrates and precautions, and try the method on an offcut before starting.[14]

References

Read next: The History of Woodworking in Tokushima