Veneer through a lens of affordability and fun

I’m Chelsea Van Voorhis. I’m a woodworker, a designer, and a veneer artist. Using veneer as a medium is efficacious in a lot of methods however principally it’s sublimely fun!

I began working with business veneer round 2017. I didn’t have entry to a woodshop however I needed to proceed to work with wooden. Cutting veneer with a knife doesn’t create sawdust, so I might crouch down on the ground of my lounge and create marquetry panels at evening after work. Those panels would then be glued up pressed to the nook of my kitchen desk. Craft will be very costly and fancy instruments are nice, however I’m right here to inform you that they don’t seem to be important.

This weblog collection is on inexpensive and artistic veneering for novices. Quite a bit of instances worry or monetary accessibility can block us from attempting one thing new. In this collection I’ll create a piece and talk about the information and tips alongside the way in which through a lens of affordability and fun. My aim is to encourage and encourage individuals to attempt veneer whereas acknowledging real-world obstacles. 

Let’s speak concerning the misconceptions about veneer that affect individuals to resolve in opposition to working with it. 

1. You should have a lot of cash to get into woodworking 

NOT TRUE. Working with veneer will be very inexpensive. I don’t imagine anybody ought to should spend a ton of cash on a new pastime until they need to. Also, you don’t want entry to a full woodshop to work with veneer, you are able to do a lot of it from dwelling. 

2. It’s tough to work with and can break simply

NOT TRUE. Veneer can break and it’s fragile, nonetheless you possibly can tape it again collectively. If small items break off or tear out it may possibly simply get replaced. 

3. Too many issues can go unsuitable and you solely get one probability

NOT TRUE. There is a fallacy that you simply solely get one probability at veneer and should you sand through or have tearout then your complete piece is ruined. I’ve sanded through veneer many instances and one of the best half is that you could repair it. There are many instances all through a undertaking when you can also make corrections. As for tight seams, they take some follow to realize however there are tips that you should use to assist tighten the seams or visually conceal them. 

4. Marquetry imagery is simply too conventional for my style

NOT TRUE. There are a lot of up to date veneer artists working in new kinds. Anything you possibly can think about will be created. 

5. It’s low cost and furnishings that’s made with veneer is reasonable

NOT TRUE. When evaluating materials value, a veneered piece may value much less cash but it surely may additionally use uncommon and unique wooden species which can be solely processed as veneer.

There are so many causes to like veneer. It’s not scary when you begin working with it and it’s a extra inexpensive and accessible woodworking follow to begin with since you don’t want a lot of instruments. The prospects of photos and patterns are infinite and it’s fun! Please make sure to take a look at my subsequent weblog that might be about instruments, supplies, how wooden behaves, and tips on how to minimize it.

You can check out more of Chelsea’s work here.