Decorative veneers

Fig. 1. The hardwood plywood process using sHced decorative veneers.

The stacks are moved and again separated into individual panels where they pass a grading station. Those panels requiring touch-up or repair move to the repair stations. Panels then move to the trim saws where edges are trimmed to the final desired size, normally 1220 x 2440 mm (4x8 ft.). Panels are then touch-sanded to final thickness, and pre-finished as desired. Those panels with high quaUty decorative veneer faces are usually filled, stained to the desired tone, and finished with a clear finish. 

Plywood furniture core panels, also about 19 mm (3/4 in.) thick, were normally made of a number of layers of relatively thick, 1.5—3.0 mm (1 /16—1 /8 in.) lower value wood veneers combined with thin surface pHes of the decorative veneer. These assembhes were laid-up from glued veneers and then pressed while the bonding occurred. Both lumber core and plywood core have been almost totally displaced in recent years by particleboard or medium-density fiberboard, both discussed herein. This change resulted from the increasing availabiHty and improved finishing characteristics of composites and from decreasing suppHes of core lumber or veneer of suitable quaHty. 

The majority of thin paneling used today is imported from the Far East and is made from various tropical species of the luaun group, sometimes known as Philippine mahogany. These panels are normally finished using one of the processes intended to create the appearance and grain pattern of a decorative veneer or other patterns. 

Since an EPI adhesive was first developed in Japan, the Japanese were the first to include EPI adhesives in their standards. The Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) K 6806-1985 [7] deals with Water Based Polymer — Isocyanate Adhesives for Wood . The Standard describes the quality of the adhesive, the performance properties and the requirements which should be fulfilled to be classified as Class 1 or 2 or used for laminate timber, furniture, decorative veneer, or plywood. 

Decorative surfaces are obtained by applying a top sheet of white paper on which there is a printed design. This is covered with a clear coating of melamine or vinyl resin. Or, a thin transparent (when cured) paper impregnated with melamine resin may be applied to a decorative veneer, providing a permanent protective finish. 

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