Thread: Laburnum oysters

Buy some veneer and get creative however I don't know off hand where you'd get cross cut veneer...

You'd make it!

Yep Harry, making it is the go.

The big question is - from what?
I'm thinking this is going to be very unstable, so don't want to make an exploding veneer!
The bodgy plan I'm thinking of is: making the veneer straight onto the backing board, with the veneer cut as thin as I can get with a hand saw. Then sand and scrape that to final thickness.
The Laburnum shrub is grown in Aus, suited all down the Great Dividing from Toowoomba to Melbourne. I reckon there are two chances of getting it thought.

I am currently drying some Ti Tree cross cuts of about 1/4" taken from a fallen limb.
I got the idea from a pommy magazine which suggest slicing the timber and clamping the lot with a rag between each piece in between two boards for a period of about a year.
I have no idea how they are going but they are nowhere the size of the illustration you provide.
These are for what they called an Oyster top coffee table.
The idea is that when the slices are dry and stable you cut each one so it jigsaws into place and forms a decorative top for the table, a lot of work and probably not that practical.
The Ti Tree tapers from about 3" to 1" before it becomes unusable.

Well Im thinkin that if you

Sliced up some roundish branch of some sort, make a large hole punch that fits just inside the slices and then punch them, grab some normal veneer burl about the same colour and punch out the middle(on a offset) then glue the slice into the hole created by the punch on to a backing veneer(2nd grade).
Joint these made up veneer patches so they fit together with no gaps and exactly the same size so they can be orientated in different ways.

The hard bit would be getting a branch to slice up thats been dried and hasnt cracked... or could the cracks be made a feature using some coloured filler? and making the hole punch because you wouldnt want it perfectly round, odd shaped and probarly several of them(differing shapes).

G'day Harry,

Nice idea, but sound pretty tricky in execution, especially for a series of them.

How did the cabinet makers of the 17th / 18th century do that sort of work? Love to know - any ideas out there folks?

Cheers!

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Yep Harry, making it is the go.

The big question is - from what?

.

Clinton Iv never had ago at Oyster Veneering as im not to keen on it, but in Joyce pg. 320 he said they were sliced from - Lignum Vitae, Olive, Laburnum, Mulbeerry or Walnut. If you are only doing a small section like a box, our desert timbers would be ideal. But they are very, very hard and dense and tough on your blades, but stable as end-grain veneer. And the bonus is increadably beautiful. What a shame that we have easly the most stunning timbers in the world with all our desert timbers but just can not use them apart from small items. So have ago at some on your oyster veneering

Just looking up some old veneering books, the common theme was to cut green branches with the radial arm or bandsaw around 1.5mm thick. And cut them at an angle so the section is more oval than round as thats the way it looks more like an oyster. Stack each slice with two small stickers in between and place a brick on top to keep flat place in a well vetalated area away from direct light. Being so thin they will dry out with in days. When you are ready to cut them in the jig-saw like pattern on your box, take the brick of and brush on some thin glue size both sides to stop checking or cracking. PVA or Epoxy seemed to be the prefered glue for veneering up. Hope that helps

I'd be inclined to try boiling some slices then air dry for a while then finish off in the microwave.

If the slices work out without much splitting it could become a nice fast project.

There was an article by Silas Kopf in Fine Woodworking Issue# 169 on this very technique. Well worth a look.

Originally Posted by markharrison

There was an article by Silas Kopf in Fine Woodworking Issue# 169 on this very technique. Well worth a look.

Mark i just had a look at the article, and the cabinet on the back cover is very impresive. Its a good run down. But im afraid for my taste the i find the traditional oyster chest inside rather hideous

To be perfectly honest, I'm not that big on it either but it would be a dull world if we all liked the same thing. I was just answering a question with a reference.

Lignum - "but stable as end-grain veneer."
Thats the trick I think.

Echnidna - "I'd be inclined to try boiling some slices then air dry for a while then finish off in the microwave."
:confused: I have never heard of this (boiling). I'll give it a go and see how it pulls up. Not pulling my leg are you, it sounds a bit drastic? Not insulting your advice and don't mean to get you offside, just seems.... really... left field. Why boil, what does that do to the timber? Interesting way of treating timber though. I can see myself going off on a tangent on this...

Iain - If you let me know how you get on, I'd appreciate it.

Mark - thanks, I'll see if I can chase down that issue.

I saw a product in the turners section of the LV catalogue. A 'preservative'/stabiliser for turned green timber. I was thinking there might be a product, other than a clear drying glue that I might be able to use to reduce the movement in the veneer pieces. I might be worrying about movement too much, a stable backing and correct glue might be all thats required.

I thought I'd make the veneer sheet the same way as joining normal veneer, i.e. overlap and trim off the 'waste'.

I think a lot of the oyster work is hideous, but for small 'bands' and highlights it could be ok. A full size blanket box, or the sides of a cabinet is overpowering. On a small bowfront drawer or bowfront panel on a box might be ok though. Offset the effect with a really dark background/frame.
I haven't managed to be able to afford a box with this (for restoration) at the antique auctions yet, my usual budget tops out at $20.
I'm thinking it should be a handy skill to have up my sleeve.

Thanks all, some good directions and pointers. Much apreciated.
I'll let you all know how I get on, got a trip out west on the crads for March, should be able to get some nice stuff then.

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Echnidna - "I'd be inclined to try boiling some slices then air dry for a while then finish off in the microwave."
:confused: I have never heard of this (boiling). I'll give it a go and see how it pulls up. Not pulling my leg are you, it sounds a bit drastic? Not insulting your advice and don't mean to get you offside, just seems.... really... left field. Why boil, what does that do to the timber? Interesting way of treating timber though. I can see myself going off on a tangent on this...

I've seen reports about boiling timber a few times .
I think I have even seen it in the woodturning part of this forum too.

Never done it but have thought about doing it,
my concern is how big a fire do I need to boil 200 litres of water

But its worth a try - if it works out thats great

I reckon it would look Ok as the top veneered centre of a side/coffee table?