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Wood Veneer Glossary

Terms, Techniques, and Specifications

This glossary provides comprehensive definitions for wood veneer terminology, optimized for both professional woodworkers and search engine visibility.

Numeric & Specialty Backers

  • 10 Mil Veneer: A veneer face of any species applied to a 10 mil paper back. Although face thickness may vary, the paper back thickness is consistent. This thin layer is highly flexible for curved surfaces.
  • 20 Mil Veneer: A veneer face of any species applied to a two-ply paper back with resin between the layers, making for a 20- to 22-mil paper back. It provides a more stable surface than a standard thin layer for flat panel work.
  • 2 Ply Veneer: A decorative wood veneer face with a utility grade wood backer applied at an opposing direction to the face veneer. Also referred to as wood on wood or NBL (No Black Line).
  • Phenolic Veneer: A flexible veneer face with a phenolic backed veneer material. Sometimes referred to as laminate veneer, it provides a permanent moisture barrier.

A - C

  • Acclimation: The process of allowing the veneer and substrate to adapt to environmental conditions. Veneer and substrate should be acclimated together for at least 48 hours.
  • Bee's Wing: Small and tight mottled figure similar in appearance to a bee's wing. Occurs mostly in Satinwood and Mahogany Veneer.
  • Bird's Eye: Due to local sharp depressions in the annual rings. Rotary cut veneer cuts the depressions crosswise to show a series of circlets. See Birdseye Maple.
  • Blister: Produced by an uneven contour of the annual rings. The veneer has the effect of being blistered. Must be cut rotary or half-round.
  • Block Mottle: An irregular variation in cellular structure showing as blocky patches across the grain.
  • Book Matching: Successive veneer leaves in a flitch are turned over like the pages in a book. This mirrors the pieces of wood to create a symmetrical pattern.
  • Bubble: A raised area caused by improper gluing technique. Often rectified with a razor and heat.
  • Burl Veneer: Produced from a large, wartlike growth on the trunk. Burl wood is commonly produced from maple and Walnut Veneer.
  • Butt Matching: Achieved when veneers are matched as described for book matching but the ends of the sheets are also matched.
  • Cathedral: A grain appearance characterized by a series of stacked "V" shapes, common in plain-sliced (flat-cut) veneer.
  • Checks: Small slits running parallel to the grain caused by strains produced during the seasoning of the natural resource.
  • Core: The center of the plywood panel. Types include Lumber Core, Veneer Core, Particle Board, and Mineral Core.
  • Crossband: The veneer sheet between the core and face veneer. Its grain runs at right angles to providing stability superior to solid wood.

D - G

  • Delamination: The process by which the veneer separates from its backing or substrate, often due to improper adhesive application.
  • Domestic Wood Veneer: A reference to wood veneers commonly found in the United States and North America. See our Domestic Veneer selection.
  • Exotic Wood Veneer: A common reference to wood veneers not indigenous to North America. Explore our Exotic Veneer collection.
  • Fiddle Back: A fine, strong, even, ripple figure frequently seen on the backs of violins.
  • Figure: The pattern produced by growth rings, rays, and knots. Cross fire figures include mottle, fiddleback, and raindrop.
  • Flat Cut (Plain Slicing): The most common manufacturing method, producing thin slices of wood with a cathedral grain pattern.
  • Flitch: A section of a log made ready for cutting; all bundles are laid together in sequence as they were sliced.
  • Grading: Classifying veneers according to quality standards (e.g., AA Grade, A Grade).
  • Grain: Size and arrangement of cells. Woods are fine-grained (Birch, Cherry, Maple), medium-grained (Walnut, Mahogany), or coarse-grained (Oak).

H - M

  • Half Round Slicing: Similar to rotary peeling but used to achieve a "flat cut" appearance while increasing the width of narrow stocks of the natural resource.
  • Hardwood: Lumber or veneer produced from broad-leafed or deciduous trees.
  • Heartwood: The non-active center of a tree, usually darker than the sapwood.
  • Joint: The line between the edges or ends of two adjacent pieces of wood in the same plane.
  • Knots:
  • Pin Knot: Sound knots 1/4 inch or less.
  • Open Knot: An opening where the wood substance has dropped out.
  • Sound Knot: Fixed by growth to retain their place.
  • Lamination: The process of bonding component sections into a single permanent unit stronger than the original solid wood.
  • Marquetry: Inlaid work produced by joining small pieces of wood to produce unique geometric patterns or pictures.
  • MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard): A substrate manufactured from wood fiber and resin; the best surface for laminating thin slices of wood.
  • Mineral Streak: A dark patch occurring because of minerals in the soil where the tree grew.

P - R

  • Peanut Shell Figure: A type of figure occurring in woods like Tamo Ash, giving a three-dimensional feel to the thin layer.
  • Quarter Slicing (Quarter Cut): Produced by cutting at a 90-degree angle to the growth rings, resulting in straight-grained veneers and medullary ray "flake."
  • Quilted Figure: A larger, exaggerated version of pommele figure with a pillowy three-dimensional effect.
  • Random Matched: A panel made of dissimilar veneer strips of the same species to simulate solid wood planking.
  • Rift Cut: Produced by cutting at a slight angle to the radial to produce a straight grain without excessive ray flake. Common in White Oak Rift.
  • Rotary Slicing: The log is turned against a knife, peeling off a continuous thin layer of wood (like unrolling paper).

S - Z

  • Sapwood: The outer portion of the tree, usually lighter in color than the heartwood.
  • Sequence Matching: Arranging veneer faces in order relative to their original position in the tree.
  • Slip Matching: Successive veneer leaves in a flitch are "slipped" side-by-side to create a series of grain repeats.
  • Substrate: The material (MDF, Particleboard, Plywood) used as the surface to which the veneer is applied.
  • Telegraphing: An undesirable condition where imperfections in the substrate show through to the face of the thin layer.
  • Veneer: Thin slices of wood (rotary cut, sliced, or sawn) bonded to sturdy substrates to form a decorative panel.
  • Whole Piece Face: A veneer face made from a single thin layer rather than spliced pieces of wood.

Note: This content includes references to 10-mil (.010") and 20-mil (.020") thicknesses for precision.