Veneering: A Course of Action for Furniture Making with Marc Adams August 16-21, 2021 (6 days)

The bad reputation veneer work has in some circles is the result of poor work done in low-end factories in the first third of the 20th century. Properly done, veneering is one of the finest methods known for obtaining exquisite furniture that will last as long as anything made with solid wood. Through a series of design exercises, coupled with the techniques of working with veneer, students will learn fundamental and complex ways of applying veneer to any furniture project both on the flat face and edges. Marc will help students gain an understanding of the logical order of how veneered furniture should be assembled. In some cases, assembly comes before the veneer goes on; in other cases, the veneer goes on afterward. This class will focus on commercial veneers and will address substrate materials, glues, jig making for cutting veneers, face and edge veneering, and layout. Cutting, seaming, edge treatments and pressing techniques will be reviewed in detail as well as maintaining pattern/grain continuity from one surface to another. This will not be a traditional hide glue process class for veneer but rather a class on easier and less fussy methods for veneering. Student’s will make a wall cabinet that will tell a story in veneer from one side to the other. Marc will also discuss how to utilize veneering over solid wood to create the look of fine solid stock. This is both a technique and a project class, and students should have some experience with veneering and feel comfortable with hand tools. By the end of Saturday, you will be on your way to understanding the complicated puzzle of how furniture gets veneered.