Jointing Wenge veneer

[John Park007]

Hi ..Need some help /ideas jointing Wenge veneer for small panels approx 20" X 20" . So far I have clamped 10 strip then 5 strips between 1" thick white ash boards to keep them flat and together . I have run a router down the edge slowly both directions and I'm getting some tear out on some of the pieces. So the Technic is working on some of it so I be leave the problem is the species. I have looked and rad a few of the posts here of guys using this material but I cant find anything on jointing and yeah its a splinter feast. The material has been sitting for a few years in my basement rolled up in paper and in a plastic bag but not sealed , perhaps its to dry ?
Opinions or ideas from who have some experience with this material would be greatly appreciated . John

[Edwin Santos]

Hi,
What kind of router bit are you using? If it's not a spiral bit, I would try any or all of the following:
1. Do your technique again with a spiral bit
2. Try dampening the edges you are jointing with a damp rag
3. Try inspecting the grain direction very closely and making sure you are loading the pieces optimally so you are cutting all of them with the grain, not against it. I'm thinking it might be possible that you have some oriented correctly and some not.

Hope this helps
Edwin

[Andrew Hughes]

A router would be my last choice if ever.
This is where a bench plane shines, then a jointer, then a table saw.
Wenge will sure make you earn the pleasure of using it on a build.

[Allan Dozier]

I hate working with Wenge. It is so coarse and tends to make nasty splinters. I sometimes wear gloves when handling it. But it does have a dark color when that is what you need so I still use some. Try to use more sanding and less routing if possible. Maybe find someone or some shop to put it through their sanding machines.

[Edwin Santos]

A router would be my last choice if ever.
This is where a bench plane shines, then a jointer, then a table saw.
Wenge will sure make you earn the pleasure of using it on a build.

It doesn't sound like he's jointing lumber rather very thin sheets of veneer. Thin enough that they were rolled up in plastic.
I agree that a sharp bench plane and shooting board would be a good choice, but what's your procedure for edge jointing veneer on a stationary jointer or table saw?
Edwin

[Jim Morgan]

How about using a straightedge and a veneer saw?

[johnny means]

Climb cut.

[Andrew Hughes]

There's a Ln jointer plane for sale in the classified right now. Sandwich you veneers with a little bit sticking out and run the plane on its side. On your benches flat top. It's called shooting the edge or in England they call it chute.

[Mike Henderson]

If this is standard thickness veneer (1/42"), I cut with a veneer saw and then sand it with a sanding block. I've done 16 segment radial matches and had good joints.

Here's an example of a radial match in wenge with 1/42" veneer (look past the roses, at the background).
TrayBox210.jpg

A sanding block is a piece of 3/4" MDF, about 9 inches long and maybe 4 inches wide, with sandpaper glued to it. It's important that the sandpaper be flat and well glued, especially on the edges. After you cut the veneer, sand the edge. Here are some pictures:

A piece of scrap wenge I had in the shop. Note the piece of blue tape on the lower edge. When you cut with a veneer saw, it's a safety factor to put a piece of blue tape where the saw will finish to minimize tearout at that point.
Wenge001.jpg

Lay your veneer on your cutting board with a small amount hanging over the edge. Put your straight edge on the veneer to hold it in place and to support it.
Wenge002.jpg

Then use your sanding block to sand the edge smooth and straight. I was holding the camera in one hand and trying to hold the sanding block in the other so this looks a bit awkward.
Wenge003.jpg

If you're doing an edge where the grain is running at an angle, such as the top edge of this picture of sections of a radial match, only sand "down grain" (in one direction). If you sand into the grain, you risk hooking the edge of the sandpaper in a piece of wenge sticking out and that will break the piece of veneer. [Edit: I don't sand all the pieces at once, although you can do that. I have these in a bundle because I cut them and then didn't go forward with the project. So they're just sitting there waiting for a project.]
Wenge004.jpg

Good luck!

Mike

[Carlos Alvarez]

I love wenge. I work with a lot of it, but rarely thin veneers (I've resawn a lot into 1/8"-ish though). The one time I needed to use a standard thin veneer, I simply set it on some MDF, clamped a straight edge over it, and cut it with a bimetal utility knife (DeWalt, Lennox, and a few others make these great blades). The box on the right is veneer over ply, and worked great.

PC281437.jpg

[Mike Henderson]

One thing occurred to me: Is your veneer saw sharp? A veneer saw is not usable the way it comes to you from the manufacturer. And for a hard wood like wenge it's really important to have your veneer saw in top condition. If it's not sharp, the veneer will split and tear when you try to cut with it.

Mike

[Jay Jolliffe]

Nice work Mike...

[Mark Wooden]

If it's been around a while like you've said, it's probably a little dry to use power tools and as said , wenge is a little splintery. Try misting the sheets with a weak solution of veneer softener, stack them and cover with a cloth overnight before jointing. I also use a router and straight edge with a climb cut.

[Carlos Alvarez]

Veneer softener? Is this a commercial product? Something you make? A euphemism for a dirty thing you can't post?

[Jim Morgan]

Veneer softener? Is this a commercial product? Something you make? A euphemism for a dirty thing you can't post?

There are commercial veneer softening solutions available, from Veneersupplies and elsewhere. Or you can Google "veneer softening recipe." The key ingredient is glycerin, mixed with water and DNA. Some recipes add a bit of plastic resin glue. The glue helps the veneer maintain its flatness after softening but can inhibit staining. If you are going to glue up the veneer within a few days of softening, it is safe to omit the glue.