Bandsaw Milling for veneer

[mksmith]

Hello,
I am new here and I appreciate all of your time and help in advance. My son and I are working on a project together and I don't really have the expertise to get through this particular portion and I am looking for some advice. I have a block  of wood that is 12 inch's high by 10 inches wide. I need to make veneers that are 1/16 of an inch thick. we are making a skateboard and want to do it by using our own veneers. What is the best way for me to make these veneers or, can I send the product out to be cut for me?
Thanks guys. I look forward to your response and thanks for the help.

Mitch

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum

Veneer is usually made by slicing, but if you are comfortable with a bandsaw-cut surface for gluing, then anyone with a sharp band should be able to saw off 1/16" veneers (if they have the know-how to secure your block of wood).

Any band mills nearby?

[Magicman]

Hello mksmith, and Welcome to the Forestry Forum.  Adding your location would help.  If you are close to me, I would be happy to do it for you....no charge.

[beamero]

  @ MM

[mesquite buckeye]

I would cut them a bit thicker than you want the finished layers. Run them through a drum sanding machine to bring them down to the thickness you want. You will probably have to do some experimenting to get the right thickness. Also I would only use very sharp blades to minimize the blade wiggle in the sheets.

You may have to use something like 1/2" mdf for backing to get something that thin to run through the sander.

Also, unless you dry the veneer first, it is going to shrink some after you sand it.

;D

Other problems will appear as you are doing this. I'm sure you will figure them out, or you can always ask again once you find them.

[drobertson]

been playing with this for years it seems,  I have found to use dried stock, finish with a sander, drum or by hand,  a backing is not a bad idea at all,  let it acclimate to the normal humidity and get after it.  the wider ones will get unruly, but manageable if dealt with quickly,  no knots! they don't work very good.

[BCsaw]

Cool project! My son has been after me to do the same. Let us know how things progress.

[mksmith]

Thanks for all of the tips and suggestions. Will most bandsaws be able to fit a piece that is 12 inches in height?

[Delawhere Jack]

You can resaw thick pieces on an ordinary shop bandsaw, probably not 10" wide though. You'll probably need to cut that into 2 5" block and resaw them. Make a 90 deg angle jig where one side is a piece of plywood that will lay flat on the bandsaw table, and the vertical leg is rounded on the outer face. A dowel works well for this, and you'll want to have a gusset between the two to make it rigid. Clamp the plywood part of the jig to the bandsaw table so that the vertical rounded leg is along side the teeth of the bandsaw blade, and the gap between the jig and the blade is a little more than the final thickness you want. You'll want a fairly course tooth band. I've had good luck with 3tpi bands resawing boards up to 8" "tall".

It will take a little trial and error, moving the jig forward and back, and you'll need to angle the work a little left or right to allow for drift in the blade, but it works. You'll probably need to tilt the table to account for a non perfectly square jig. Mark a line on the edge of the stock to act as a guide, and focus on keeping the block firmly against the jig. It helps to think of the jig as a fulcrum.

Good luck. We'd love to see photos of the project.

JC

[mksmith]

Thanks Jack.
Good info.

[Delawhere Jack]

I'll try to get of few pics of my bandsaw re-sawing jig tomorrow and post them here. A picture is worth a thousand words, or at least a couple hundred.

It's been a LONG TIME since I had a skateboard, but if I recall, the veneers ran the full length of the board. Piecing together veneers lengthwise  will tend to complicate things. Not saying it can't be done, but.....  :

[kelLOGg]

What kind of wood is it?

[mksmith]

Funny you should ask. I was hoping to keep that one quiet so I don't get laughed off the forum.  :D . My son and I are experimenting with a project. Essentially its this. Canadian maple sent through a shredder/chipper to produce 2 to 4 inch pieces. Those pieces placed in a box 40 inches by 12 inches with high strength OSB glue. They will be pressed  into a block with a 20 ton hydraulic press. The condensed block, we are hoping, can be cut into veneers. Like I said, we are experimenting with it. fingers crossed.

[Magicman]

Then your OP was a bit deceiving.  Sawing wood is one thing, but sawing adhesives, epoxy, and other glues could be quite another.  How do you plan to sand it smooth?  Maybe you need to think about wood flakes/shavings and then adding your adhesives and press?

I'm not suggesting how to do your project/idea, I just do not think that your OP related to your plan.

[mksmith]

Thank you sir. I appreciate the suggestion. My original post was not meant to be deceiving. My intent was to get a little advice from experienced woodworkers such as yourself.
As far as sanding it smooth, the layers will be glued together, and again pressed,which is where it will gain its strength. Only the the top and bottom layer will be sanded using a belt sander.

[beenthere]

Agree with MM.
Wouldn't touch it with a saw blade or anything that you want to keep sharp for long.

Press it to the thickness you want, and sand it to the finish that you want. But there are limits to the compressive strength of wood, so hope you have a big press.

Or press it to the thickness and shape of your skateboard.  ;)

Canadian maple... meaning box elder?

[Delawhere Jack]

Ok........... Maybe doable, but I'd press it into a finished blank and forget trying to make veneer from the resulting OSB. You'd need to make it considerably thicker than a regular plywood skateboard. Being chipped, the wood has lost a lot of it's strength.

Since I took photos, here is my jig for resawing on a bandsaw. In use there would be two C-clamps holding it to the table.



 



 

[mksmith]

Thank you everyone for your photos and input. Much appreciated.

[tule peak timber]

curious ..Who had the glue and press ? I also sense that using these veneers , unless you understand the strand orientation for your layups will be risky -strength wise. Rob

[drobertson]

very interesting turn of events,  I would say, saw it the thickness you need, or find someone to do it, have rice bags, heavy ones on the ready, glue it down, weight it down, and see how it performs,  in all reality it really is just an experiment anyway,  just a brain fart going on here, 

[tule peak timber]

? ???

[dboyt]

Consider using the OSB as a core and using 1/8" thick solid veneer on the top and bottom.  It will increase the strength and stiffness of the board considerably, and give you a better material to attach the trucks to.  Will you be forming the laminates into a curve?

With no experience in that type of work with OSB, I'm going to suggest you cut the laminates to 3/16" thick, and sand them to 1/8".

Sounds like a cool experiment, and a good father/son project.  Whatever the outcome, you'll find it worthwhile.  Hope you'll post some photos.

[mesquite buckeye]

curious ..Who had the glue and press ? I also sense that using these veneers , unless you understand the strand orientation for your layups will be risky -strength wise. Rob

Sounds a little like a mix of grass clippings and the secret DS ingredient, no? ;D

[tule peak timber]

Hey Mesquite, Just trying to figure out if I could help this guy, but he didn't answer back.Roger that on the DS "secret ingredient"   Are you sunburned on the dome top yet ??? :D :D :D

[mesquite buckeye]

It is Darlene's favorite Cubs hat. I have mine. ;D

The dome is good so far. ;D 8) 8) 8)