Has anybody used "Reconstituted" veneer?

[Mark Kay]

I was wondering if anybody has used reconstituted veneer, and any opinions on it, what it looks like compared to natural, etc.


"This is real wood veneer.It is reconstituted to make for greater width,
length and consistent grain pattern."


Is this the "particle board" or MDF version of veneer?

Does it have typical grain patterns of the species or is it quartered looking?

Does it finish the same as natural veneer?

Does it have any problems?

Thanks.

[Mike Henderson]

I bought some and it was not at all what I expected. It did not look like the real wood. I sent it back. Certainly Wood took it back and gave me credit, no problems.

The problem I had was that the veneer was 24" wide. When I looked at it on the computer, I was comparing it to veneer that's much narrower, and it looked good. When I got it and had it in my hand, I found that the pattern was too coarse and did not look like the real wood veneer at all. I don't know where you could use the stuff I got, unless it was in a place where it would only be viewed from a distance (maybe in a millwork application).

I have seen some reconstituted veneer that looked pretty good, however, and even used a small amount of it in a veneer design (a black veneer that looked like ebony). It finished just like regular veneer.

Mike

[Mel Fulks]

Maybe its just rotary cut ,you veneer solid wood with it to communicate the strength of plywood!

[Jamie Buxton]

I built a bunch of cabinets with reconstituted rift zebra veneer. The designer wanted real zebra, but wouldn't pay for it. She was happy with the result. I thought it was okay, barely. If I were doing my own project, or if I had more influence on the designer, I'd use the real stuff. But then, I'm a wood guy -- very aware of the material. Many people aren't.

[Mel Fulks]

Jamie, if its not real, then what is it ? A cheaper wood dyed?

[Mike Henderson]

From the stuff I've seen, it's wood fibers that have been dyed and then extruded with a bonding material to hold it together. I guess that's why most if it looks like quarter sawn material - it's easier to extrude in that pattern. I don't want to damn all of it - I'm sure there's some good stuff out there.

Mike

[Thomas S Stockton]

Mark
I used the 1/4 sawn wenge version of it. It looks a lot like the real stuff, a little light in color but dark walnut stain takes care of that. My salesman said that wenge and 1/4rd doug fir are the best looking. It is fairly fragile and wants to split along all the joints so I cross taped it at the ends and every foot or so other than that it works just like real veneer.
Tom

[Mel Fulks]

Thanks,Mike. Wood fibers ,that's worse than I suspected. At least contact paper doesn't have to be glued .

[Richard Coers]

I think "wood fibers" breaks it down a little too far. Most of them are veneers from lesser, bland species of trees. They dye and laminate the veneers up to mimic rare and expesive species. They have made some that they press and dimple, then sand them after laminating, so they mimic birds eye. I think the main useage is wall coverings or real contemporary applications where it doesn't have to look exactly like real wood.


Thanks,Mike. Wood fibers ,that's worse than I suspected. At least contact paper doesn't have to be glued .

[Mark Kay]

So, it's like the Chicken McNugget of chicken meat, ground up and formed? Does it have any of the named specie in it, or just made to look like it?

I bought some real veneer of Figured Anigre and Beech and the vendor also had Anigre and White Oak Quartered in reconstituted, they were like $4 per leaf of 6.5" x 100" (Anigre) or 7.5" x 100" (White Oak Quartered.) He also had White Ash recon in wide rolls, 26.6" x 135" for $24. Below is the White Oak Qtrd, click to enlarge...

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[Mark Kay]

I think "wood fibers" breaks it down a little too far. Most of them are veneers from lesser, bland species of trees. They dye and laminate the veneers up to mimic rare and expesive species. They have made some that they press and dimple, then sand them after laminating, so they mimic birds eye. I think the main useage is wall coverings or real contemporary applications where it doesn't have to look exactly like real wood.

So would White Oak Quartered have "fake" rays?

[Richard Coers]

Here is a link to see what the veneer looks like. http://www.materialsinconline.com/joomla/index.php/products/49.html You'll see that some of them are cartoons of what wood looks like, others look pretty good. They are all made from fast growing, managed trees, and species used has nothing to do with the title of the veneer.

[Mark Kay]

Richard, thanks, and thanks to everyone else that posted.

Some of that stuff looked hideous! The only few that didn't look that bad to me were the mahogany and a couple of the teaks.

[David Shepherd]

I'd agree that this is the chicken mcnuggets of veneer. That said, I bought and used some reconstituted Doug fir for a veneer lamp shade. It looked like a cartoon of VG doug fir. It was very fragile, prone to splitting and the split running along the "grain". One other issue that showed up were tiny pinholes where the light leaked through the backlit shade. For my application, it all worked out okay, but I'd pony up for the real stuff next time.

[David Shepherd]

I'd agree that this is the chicken mcnuggets of veneer. That said, I bought and used some reconstituted Doug fir for a veneer lamp shade. It looked like a cartoon of VG doug fir. It was very fragile, prone to splitting and the split running along the "grain". One other issue that showed up were tiny pinholes where the light leaked through the backlit shade. For my application, it all worked out okay, but I'd pony up for the real stuff next time.

[Mark Kay]

David, thanks. And thanks everybody who replied.

I was considering it for a couple cabinets with exposed ends in my kitchen plan here, (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?199948-HELP-choosing-wood-species-for-a-quot-newbie-quot-kitchen), and still haven't decided on a specie to use. The door pattern will be a Shaker/Mission style (Shaker with center divider stile) and the largest panels between the stiles would only be about 5" wide, so I started buying up a few veneers to see which looks good... so far I have real veneer of fiddleback Sapele, curly maple, figured Anigre, and Beech that has a nice pattern. The last two coming in today from the vendor who had the Reconstituted veneer. I probably should have paid the $4 and gotten a leaf of the Reconstituted with the same order to see for myself.

I haven't decided on if to use 1/4" plywood for the panels between the stiles, reverse Shaker 3/8" solid wood glue-up, or veneer. I suppose for the exposed cabinet ends I can use veneer or I can make end panels with the same Shaker/Mission design too. I just don't have any experience with veneering.