Special order for extra long veneer?

Question:

I have a project that is going to have several cabinets together along a wall with a long, serpentine edge top on it. We’re thinking about doing it in sapele/sapelli. I wonder if it is possible to custom order a veneer that would be, well, somewhere in the neighborhood of 19-20 feet long? I’ve never heard of it, but my business partner/shop manager is insisting. 

Thanks, Darrel Wood, Douglas & Wood Custom Woodcrafting

Answer:

I would say that you can safely assume this isn’t available. It would be extremely rare if available at all, and there would be a hefty price tag attached to such an oddity. It’s not even practical to pursue this avenue.

You’d be better served by accepting the fact that there will have to be a seam to achieve this length. You can however get two sheets that are end matched which will allow for an uninterrupted continuation of the grain pattern. This is a very common practice for a situation like yours.

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