How to ship veneer

[dirk martin]

I've got a few sheets of veneer that are 54" x 18".
I want to mail a couple of those sheets, but I'm not sure how.

Can I use that Veneer Softener stuff, and spray it all over a sheet, such that I can then roll it up and put in a tube? A large tube, like...12" diameter.

My concern is, what happens on the other end? By the time it's delivered, it'll be dry. Will the recipient need Veneer Softener in order to unroll it? Anyone here ever work with that veneer softener stuff?

[john bateman]

Instead of rolling into a small tube shape, try putting it into a box about 20" x 20" x 20". Wrap it with some kitchen plastic wrap to hold it into a 20" round cylinder shape. A gentle curve like that should be less likely to crack when uncoiled.

[Quinn McCarthy]

I would take john's advice. That is the way all the veneer I get is packaged.

Q

[Montgomery Scott]

B&B Rare Wood either packages it flat up to 48" long or rolls it as John described with either paper or plastic wrap and places it in a cubic box.

[Richard Coers]

It's also a benefit to run a piece of veneer tape on the face, just at the very end, across the end grain. The ends are the first place a split will start, and the tape will keep it from running down the sheet. I've also seen blue tape used, so maybe any tape will help.

[John TenEyck]

The veneer I buy is almost always taped across the ends to prevent cracks from starting (or progressing), and rolled with kraft paper on the outside to form a tube, and then slid into a cardboard box. To unpack, just reverse and let it rest for a day or two until it lays back flat.

John

[Brad Shipton]

That looks like a burl. When I get those from Certainly Wood they come flat with all corners protected and taped very well. If it rolls fine, and pieces do not fall off in the process, the large box will save shipping costs. Every time I get burl orders the shipping costs are usually noticeable.

[dirk martin]

So you guys don't recommend hitting it with Super Soft first, eh?

[Chris Padilla]

What is the thickness of the veneer, Dick? I had someone ship me about 14 sheets of 1/32" birdseye maple and he simply rolled it into a cardboard tube and everything arrived just fine. I guess it depends on how you want to ship it as to if you want to bother softening it.

[dirk martin]

About 1/32".
It seems to brittle to wrap into a tube, without softening it.
a 12x12 box might work.

[Chris Padilla]

Burl is trickier for sure due to the wild grain. The birdseye has more of a long, regular grain so it is much stronger and coils nicely.

[Brad Shipton]

Softening to roll sounds risky. There is a time frame to softeners, so if you customer leaves it rolled up at his end for whatever reason he could wind up unrolling pieces. I had a box of burls show up ($2k worth), and the shippers had whacked one corner fairly hard. I had a stack of little triangles in my box. Certainly Wood did everything they could, and it was only a few inches, but it still was a bit annoying.