Cutting veneer for game boards

[Hayes Rutherford]

What would be the best way to cut individual pieces for game boards? A tablesaw sled?

I don't have any problems using the method gluing contrasting colored boards, cutting into strips, flipping, and regluing. I want to utilize small pieces of burl and other scraps that are big enough for 2" squares, but way to small for making strips the length of the board.

Is the only way to do it, cut individual squares using a sled, then glue each one to a backer such as plywood?

Any ideas or methods?

[Chris Padilla]

If using small scraps, you'll want to ensure they are all the exact same size so I'd set up a sled to do this accurately.

How thick do you think your scraps will be? Will they vary? You might need to drum sand (planing could be tricky and fraught with tear-out disaster) things down level, smooth.

IMO, a veneer is 1/16" or THINNER. Any thicker and it can still move like wood. Regardless, I'd use MDF as a substrate unless you have some good quality plywood to use instead.

Finally, balance the game board. Ensure that you glue the same thickness wood on the back side of the game board as on the front. This should keep things flat over time.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Thanks Chris. Im thinking 1/4" on the pieces and hoping to use a 6" random orbit Fein for the finished surface. I don't have access to a drum sander. I do have a 6 x 48 belt sander that might work for the glue surface (back-not edges) or just go off the bandsaw, then after glue up, scrape and the random orbit sander.

At 1/4" maybe glue up strips slightly wide, then rip to final width?

[Chris Padilla]

1/4" might give you problems over time, Hayes, as the wood will move. The thinner you go, the better for stability, as the glue will keep the wood from moving. That is the premise behind veneering in general.