How do I veneer a tapered leg like the desk on the cover of this months FWW? I have some Makore veneer I would like to use but how do I miter the edges of a taper so it doesnt over lap on the square leg? This is very figured veneer so I cant really plane it down. Do I try to cut it at an angle with a veneer saw? The margin of error is really small here. I was wondering if anybody had an easy way to do it.
Thanks!
Edited 12/11/2005 6:39 pm ET by Repairman87
Replies
Don't think the legs are veneered on that table. The bell flowers and stringing are set into the solid mahogany legs. The methods used for stringing and banding are given in the "Master Class" section of the magazine at page 102.
Yeah, I thought that would be a god project for some veneer I had so I thought I would veneer the entire table.
You could veneer your legs, if you added a piece of stringing down the corners of the leg, as this would hide the edges of the veneer. I have seen tables with this detail, although they were almost certainly in solid wood, as I don't think period legs were veneered.
Rob Millard
Edited 12/12/2005 7:06 am ET by RMillard
To try and miter a veneer seam, I believe would be an exercise in futility. Rob's, suggestion would make an interesting statement. Use a small laminate trimmer with a rabbet bit and do a corner inlay in the leg.
Another possibility, is to glueup the veneer in a sequence so that no edges are visible from the front and only one is visible from the side. Two would be visible from the back side of the leg.
Glue the back side first trim. Then glue the two sides and trim. Glueup the front last. This should leave you with the visible edges as I stated above.
I really like Rob's idea, it not only can be used as an accent, but it protects the veneer edges as well.
I would like to clarify, "visible edges". Sometimes the veneer edges can be seen. Most of the time with modern veneers and the correctly colored glue, the edge or seam will dissapear unless inspected from an abnormally close distance.
Furniture...the Art of a FurnitureMaker
Edited 12/12/2005 8:22 am by EarlKelly
Earl,
You are right on about veneer seams on a corner not being noticable. Especially if you soften or "break" the corner a little when sanding.
I'd be leery of an applied string on the outside corner of a leg, unless the design absolutely demanded it. It will be very prone to being knocked loose.
Regards,
Ray Pine
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