Steamed Beech narrow-width small-size veneer

Steamed Beech narrow-width small-size veneer

Genuine wood sliced-veneer sheets.

Selected single veneers, no sequence.

What is special about this wood?

Steamed beech veneer features a more uniform color than natural (unsteamed) beech. This color is a slightly pale pink and turns into a light hazelnut tone once finished.

Dimensions:

Length: 30 cm (approximately 12 inches).

Width: 10 to 14 cm (approximately 4 to 5.5 inches), depending on availability.

Thickness: 0.6 mm (approximately 1/40 inches).

Measurement scaling:

The width is rounded to the covered centimeter, for example, 15.8 cm, giving a 15 cm.

Photos:

To keep the cost of these products as low as possible, unlike other veneers on this website, the pictures of small-size veneers do not represent the actual stock available.

What are Small-size Veneers?

These are veneer sheets with a fixed length of 30 cm (30.5 cm exactly).

These sheets are not in a continuous sequence and may come from different logs.

What is Beech wood?

Common names:

Beech, Natural Beech, Steamed Beech, European Beech.

Botanical name:

Fagus sylvatica

Origin:

If the oak is the king of our forests, the beech is the prince. It is the second most common species after the oak in our French forests.

Beech is present throughout the northern hemisphere, from North America to Japan, but the largest population is found in Europe.

The largest beech forest in Europe is located in Germany, in the Black Forest.

Mythology and history:

Beech has an essential place in European mythology and history. It was dedicated to Zeus among the Greeks and symbolized strength and power. In the Celtic tradition, it was associated with the tree of life and wisdom.

Beech has also played an essential role in human history. As early as the Neolithic period, its wood was used to make tools, weapons, and furniture.

Properties:

Beech is a hardwood, slightly heavier than oak, with an average density of 730 kg/m3 (compared to 670 kg/m3 for oak).

It is an ideal wood for indoor furniture, but it is strongly discouraged for outdoor use.

Indeed, beech is a wood that "moves" in response to hygroscopic changes and is not stable enough for exterior carpentry.

Remark:

Beech is a wood that takes stains well, which allows a wide range of finishes to be applied.

It is easy to use, and thanks to its firm texture and short grain, it can be cut, sculpted, and turned easily.

Aesthetics:

Beech has a relatively uniform natural color, rather creamy white with slight pinkish variations. However, it is usually steamed or cooked in boiling water, which evens out its color to a light pinkish-pale. Once a finish is applied, even colorless, the pinkish color becomes light camel.

Traditional uses:

In addition to chairs and furniture, beech wood was used in the Middle Ages to make plates, bowls, bows, and arrows.

Contemporary uses:

Beech wood is used to manufacture furniture, flooring, stairs, chairs, high-end plywood (including seat shells and bed slats), and decorative veneers.

Beech is also used for charcoal and firewood production.

What are Wood Veneers?

Veneers are thin sheets of wood obtained by slicing or peeling.

Their surface has the appearance of planed wood without any finish or treatment. They are neither glued nor backed with any other material. This means that both faces of the sheets can be used.

Wood Veneers are mainly used to cover less aesthetic substrates, such as plywood or particleboard, to make furniture or wall panels.

Veneers are also used to create decorative objects such as lamps, jewelry, bookmarks, and more.

By stacking several sheets of veneer, it is possible to manufacture objects requiring high mechanical resistance, such as skis, bicycle frames, or musical instruments.

The applications of veneer are as varied as they are multiple.

Since veneers are genuine wood, all wood finishing products, such as varnish, stain, or oil, are suitable. The choice of finish will depend on your personal preferences and the object's final use.

The veneer offered here is a sliced sheet of uniform thickness, but the thickness may vary by species. The standard thickness is around 0.6 mm.

Although the edges of the veneers have been cut roughly straight, they are not perfectly parallel. Some veneers may retain the tree's natural taper, being slightly wider at the foot than at the top.

Some veneers may have a trace of a wavy edge (an edge following the tree's natural shape) on the sides. In this case, the indicated dimensions correspond to the minimum veneer width, as specified in the "Dimensions" paragraph.

How to use veneers?

How to cut the veneers?

Veneers can be easily cut with a utility knife.

For straight cuts, the best results are obtained with a veneer saw.

Use a fretsaw, scalpel, or veneer knife for curved cuts.

Always allow for a slightly larger veneer sheet than your intended surface. This will allow you to adjust the size after gluing for a clean finish.

A flush trimmer can also be used to trim the veneer after gluing.

When cutting with a utility knife or veneer knife, it is best to cut with the grain of the wood. To check this, run your finger along the edge of the sheet. The direction that feels smoothest is the ideal direction for cutting.

What is veneer splicing?

Since the veneers have the width nature gave us, you might need to cover an area wider than the available veneers.

Therefore, you need to splice the veneers by gluing or taping them side by side to obtain the desired width.

Trim the veneer's edges with a straight, smooth cut to achieve good jointing.

Stick the veneers with tape (the blue one is a good choice).

Usually, the veneers are spliced side by side, but they can also be spliced foot by foot to obtain a longer length.

The splicing must be done before gluing the veneers on the substrate.

What Glue to Use for Veneering?

Several types of gluing are possible.

Vinylic glue (PVA or PVB) is well-suited to porous substrates such as plywood, particleboard, or MDF. The veneers must be pressed with clamps over the entire surface at once.

Note: Veneers can also be glued with vinyl glue and an iron, but we strongly recommend this technique only if other gluing solutions are not possible.

- Neoprene glue is applied to all surfaces, especially non-porous surfaces, using two coats of glue and marouflage.

- Animal glue, such as hide, sinew, or bone glue, is pellets that must be cooked in a double boiler and used hot.

How to Sand Veneers?

Veneers and all our products are genuine wood and can be sanded according to the thickness.

Please do not use a belt sander, regardless of the veneer's thickness, as it could pierce it.

With a 0.6 mm veneer, lightly sand with 120-grit sandpaper, then finish with 180- or 240-grit sandpaper. With an orbital sander, 180-grit is already sufficient for most applications.

How to Finish a Veneer Realization?

All finishing products generally used for wood are suitable for finishing our products. For example, you can use a varnish, wax, paint, or oil.

However, ensure that the product you want to use is compatible with the final use of your creation.

More information:

Please look at our tutorials; you might find some valuable tips.

Please contact us by email or phone for any additional information.