Thread: Bending Veneers

Usual rule of thum is to steam for one hour per 25mm thickness. But veneers have been kiln dried which impacts the lignin in the timber and they do not bend as well as slightly green air dried timbers. Steaming for about 15 minutes should work OK.

Secondly, the wood has memory and will spring back. Suggest that you make the beding form with a bit more bend than you need, (perhaps 20%) so that it will spring back to your target. I'd leave it on the form for at least 30 minutes, and then rest it between chocks untill it cures in the desired shape. (Put it the other way up and its own weight will flatten it a little.)

Veneer.jpg

Commercial veneer is only 0.6mm thick so those sails will be fragile.

Thanks for that information! The veneers are 2.5mm thick that I have re-sawn from air dried timber. I will reshape the form, good observation. Peter

I've bent thin (0.4mm) veneers without steaming. To make them hold their shape, laminate three layers together using epoxy glue. You can bend quite tight curves.

Gift box New Age veneer 2.jpg

Thanks Alex, lovely work! I am stuck with the 2.5mm re-sawn veneers, for now. Next time I will cut 1mm slices & glue them as you suggest. Peter