I need to make my own veneer. Help!

[Martin Lutz]

I have not been able to find any Mesquite veneer. I would like to do a sleigh bed out of it to make a bedroom set that has also yet to be built. I believe I know a sawyer that will cut it thin for me but how thin? I have access to a large drum sander that I may be able to take it down to 1/16" or so, do you think this would work? Air dried or kiln dried? I am thinking air dried due to the expected brittle nature of Mesquite that thin. AM I thinking along the correct line? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Dennis Peacock]

Martin,

I don't know about mesquite....but I have made my own veneer out of QSRO before as well as walnut and maple. I resaw it on the bandsaw and then run it through my Performax drum sander to get it down to about 1/16" and use that as my veneer. Plenty to sand so getting saw marks out are just a matter of sanding without worrying about sanding through the veneer.

I don't know how well 1/8" mesquite will dry without a lot of checking and cracking. Making your own veneer will gain you a better pieces of mind and the things you can do with your own veneer are limitless.

[Martin Lutz]

Dennis, Thanks for your quick response. I will be in TX soon and want to pick up some more Mequite. I re-searched online and found a place called Ultimate Woods, www.Ultimatewoods.com (http://www.Ultimatewoods.com) , that say they have Mesquite veneer. Yee Hah. I may still cut my own. I think it will be very rewarding. My biggest question is how thick should I have it cut at the mill?

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Only experience I've had with mesquite 'veneering' was 1/4"-3/8" thick, and 'rewarding' was not what I would've called the exercise. If the price is anything close to reasonable, I'd buy it already done.

KC