How To Veneer a Column

Damaged column with contact cement

I think it is probably obvious that I love antique furniture.  In particular, I am fascinated with the quality and variety of designs that were produced in Europe and America.  The high point of this period was during the 1820's and best represented by the Monroe Doctrine.  If you look at the furniture made in major American cities during that decade, you see rich Cuban mahogany, with highly figured veneers, and carved elements representing cornucopia, lion's heads and paws, stars, and other Egyptian, Roman and Greek motifs.  In addition to all this elaborate decoration one of the most common elements was the use of veneered columns, usually with a carved capital or imported gilt bronze mounts.

I was always fascinated with the veneered column as a form, and very early in my career as a furniture builder I did some research to try to duplicate it for my self.  I failed miserably.  Several times.

I began with hot animal glue and wet jute webbing.  I put the hot glue on the column, wrapped the veneer around and then added the webbing.  I tried to then heat the webbing on the theory that it would shrink and pull the veneer tight.  I remember reading something somewhere about this, and they suggested holding the column near the fire, but I live in San Diego, and it is not often that I have access to an open fire.

Next I tried to use bicycle tire tubes.  They were messy and applied uneven pressure, leaving marks.  Also, I couldn't work fast enough and the glue set before I was ready.  There was no way to add heat, since the tubes would distort and loose their stretch.

It was nearly 15 years after that when I was involved in a conservation group in Paris and discovered that I could modify the glue to give a longer open time.  I began experimenting with urea and, after 37 different formulas, found a mixture that worked.  That was the creation of Old Brown Glue.  It was designed to solve the problem I had struggled with all that time, and the first time I used it to veneer a column it was a success.

In December 2004 I wrote a column for Fine Woodworking (Issue Number 173) that was published in the Master Class area of the magazine, called "Low-tech method for veneered columns."  To go along with this article, they put one of my pieces on the back cover, the Bonheur du Jour.  This piece is one of my early favorites, and has large veneered columns on the base and small veneered columns on the top.  The veneer is some plum pudding Cuban mahogany I purchased years earlier in New York, and I didn't have enough to do the entire desk, so I used a contrasting Honduras ribbon mahogany in the upper section.  That meant that I had no surplus material if the veneering didn't work as planned.

I thought the article would create a bunch of interest and I expected a lot of phone calls about veneering columns.  The only phone call I got was from a person who wanted to know where I got the mounts and if I would sell him the blueprints to make the desk.  He was disappointed to learn that I don't use any plans or measured drawings when I build furniture, and the mounts were from Paris.

Recently a table came into the shop for restoration and it included a column which had been veneered using a cheap mahogany veneer and contact cement.  This table was English Regency and made with Brazilian rosewood.  The client agreed that I should remove the mahogany and use rosewood, which is now on the endangered species list.  However, I have a lot of rosewood, sliced very thick, which pre dates the ban.  Most of it was harvested over 50 years ago and the quality is amazing.  I purchased it from an old cabinet maker early in my career and have kept it for special projects.

As I began to do this job, it occurred to me that it would make a good video.  My partner, Patrice, has been successful at filming and editing videos here at work, and he set up two cameras to record the work.  Our videos can be seen on YouTube by searching for our channel.

The real breakthrough in my efforts to veneer columns was the direct result of my problems with my back.  All my life I lifted heavy objects and stressed my back without any problems.  However, when I was 48 I actually damaged my back and suffered a period of pain.  The doctor recommend that I use a stretchy band of rubber to exercise my muscles and rebuild my strength.  As he handed me a short piece of the stuff, my mind immediately realized this was the perfect solution to the problem I was having with inner tubes.  Sold as "Rep Band" (resistive exercise band for exercise, rehabilitation and conditioning) by Sammons Preston, it comes in different strengths.  The purple is the strongest (level 5), and a box has 50 yards.  Here is the link: Rep Band

Veneering a column actually is very simple with this process, but it takes a few days.  The reason is that the glue sets slowly, which is a good thing.  It allows time for the application of the glue, veneer and elastic bands.  Then, over night, the glue begins to set and the veneer shrinks to fit on the column.  The next day you can cut the overlap and make a joint, reheat the glue at the seam and wrap it up again.  One more day and it sets completely, even though if you have any problems you can simply reheat the area and fix it.

Sit down, get a cup of coffee and watch me veneer a column: Veneer a Column

I think if you watch the video you might be encouraged to try veneering a column yourself.  It is fun and rewarding and adds an element to your furniture design portfolio which you may not have considered previously.

Just don't call me and ask for plans to build the table.

Properly Restored with Hide Glue

We've Got Nails!

Tools for Nailing Veneer Packets

When you practice an art form which was perfected in France over 200 years ago, it is natural that you will need some specialized materials, usually not available in America these days.  Home Depot carries a lot of stuff, but they do not have animal protein glue or cast iron glue pots, as I understand it.

Some of the things I need to do my job properly include sawn veneers in a variety of exotic species, bleached bone, 16cm fret saw blades, backer board (ayous) in both 3mm and 1.5 mm thickness, Kraft paper and, of course, veneer packet nails.

Veneer Packet Properly Nailed

"Veneer nails?" you ask.  Why, those are easy to find.  Perhaps, if you don't want the "correct" nails which are used in France exclusively to make the veneer packets.  The problem is that the nails you find in America are more like pins than nails.  The shape is wrong.  The point is not sharp.  The steel is the wrong hardness.  They usually have no flat heads.  Otherwise, they work ok, I guess.


Some years ago it was easy to bring in kilos of the correct nails from Paris, packed in Kraft paper and carried in my carry on bag.  That was before paranoia changed air travel.  Heck, I used to bring liquids of all types, powders in paper bags, tools, and a wide variety of professional materials all the time.  Now I worry about how much toothpaste I have in my bag.  How long does 3 oz last?

Anyway, the last kilo of nails lasted a long time.  So when I returned to Paris and made a trip to the nail factory which had operated in the Faubourg St. Antoine for more than a century,  I expected that it would be easy to buy another kilo.  I still remember standing in the street, looking at the building which was completely gutted and the impressive sign which proudly announced the new condos soon to be finished.

No more nail factory...Instant panic set in.  What now?

Searching on the internet made me realize that nail guns had replaced brads generally with the special nail strips that these guns used.  Useless for my projects.  Other than that I found small brass nails which were used for model building.  I couldn't believe that small nails had become obsolete.

These nails are used in building packets of veneer for marquetry.  They have a special hardness which makes it possible to drive them through hard woods, and, after the excess length is cut off, the ends are riveted in place.   They come in different lengths for different thicknesses of veneer, usually 15 mm and 20 mm in length.

Finally, after some time searching for another factory which understood the special type of nail we needed, we got a tip from Yannick Chastang, ebeniste working in England.  He pointed us to a factory in Creil, near Chantilly, North East of Paris.  I discovered this factory was the last factory in France which was able to make these nails, but they had a minimum order requirement of 50 kilos.  That meant that to place an order I had to spend more money than I had.  Also, 50 kilos of these small nails would last me for a century.

Not only that, these nails were not normally in stock.  The minimum order was because they needed to actually make the nails for us on demand.  We needed to order 25 kilos of any size before they would tool up and make them.  Note on the label that there is the date (11/9/13) which is September 11, 2013, the actual date of manufacture.

It took me two years to get the money together to place the order.  So two months ago I sent the money transfer for 25 kilos of 15mm nails and 25 kilos of 20mm nails.  Naturally, they took August vacation, so the shipment was delayed.  Then it was sent by air freight, which added to the cost, and arrived in Los Angeles to clear customs (even though I told them to send it to San Diego.)  Thus, I had to pay the duty and trucking to have it delivered to my shop, which further added to the investment.

15mm Nails in Can or Box

Last French Company Making These Nails

15mm Length

What a crazy thing it is to spend all this time and money for a bunch of tiny nails!  The  only consolation is that I will never need to buy nails again.  Also, I can now supply nails to students and other marquetry workers here in the States so that they don't need to go through what I went through.

20mm Nails in Can or Box

"Acier Clair" means "Bright Steel"

20mm Length

I am making these nails available, if you need them, at reasonable prices, for several sizes of packages in both lengths.  These nails are 0.7mm in diameter which is American wire gauge #21.  The 15mm length is packaged in tins which weigh at least 200 grams or 7 ounces and cost $15.  The 20mm length is packaged in tins which weigh at least 100 grams or 3.5 ounces and cost $9.  The 15mm length is also available in a box that weighs 1Kilo or 35 ounces and cost $50, and the 20mm length is sold in a box which weighs 500 grams or 17.5 ounces and cost $25.  Shipping is extra for any size, of course.

Please contact me if you want to get some of these nails for your project.  I will be happy to send them to you, and you don't need to invest the kind of money I did to get them.  Frankly I am amazed that any factory still makes them, and I wonder how much longer this supply will be available from France.

I also import 90gm/square meter Kraft paper and sell it for $3/meter and the impossible to find backer board in two thicknesses, 3mm for $3.50/square foot and 1.5mm for $3/square foot.  These are speciality items for the serious marquetry professional, and I need to purchase them in substantial quantities to be able to offer them in this country at these prices.

If you are interested, just call or contact me by email.

Graham Blackburn Videos

I remember when MTV first appeared and for the first time we could watch music videos on our TV.  Then YouTube was developed and we could watch videos on demand on our computer, and eventually, on the portable devices which everyone in the world now seems to have in their pocket.

All this is recent history, and I seem like an old guy when I talk about "when I was young..."  However, this is not the world of video which I entered in 1973 when I taped my series on CBS.  I had ten shows at that time, tracing the evolution of furniture design from the pilgrims to the victorians.  What I remember most was the cameras.  There were three cameras, each about the size of a Volkswagen, and they were on these wheeled tripods, moving slowly around the room, following the action.  You didn't move too quickly, or you would miss your blocking and the operator couldn't focus fast enough to capture the information.

Talk about the dinosaur era of video.

Technology has changed all that, of course, and it is now possible to "film" using hand held cameras with natural lighting, and sound.  (I wonder how long we are going to use the term "film" to talk about these digital files...)

I have done a lot of video over the years, and am trying to make these past efforts available online.  I am still working on Roy Underhill to get his episode, and he assures me that, when he gets some time to put it together, that will happen.

In 2007 I worked with Graham Blackburn to shoot some material in my shop.  He was very easy to work with and the result was very informative and professional.  Graham has been involved in traditional woodworking as long as I have, and I have always had the deepest respect for his work.  I was honored to have him in my workshop and we really enjoyed each other's company.

The result was a series of video "magazines" which were called "Woodworking...in action!!!"   They were available on a subscription basis, and each issue included a long list of diverse workers and their work.  I was featured in Issue 6 and Issue 8.

I had forgotten about these videos until recently.  That was when I found out that Popular Woodworking had purchased them and was making them available again.  I contacted the publisher, Kevin Ireland, and floated the idea of linking to my videos directly from this blog.  He was very supportive and generously made it happen.

Popular Woodworking has posted my two videos on a private YouTube link, which you can access directly from this post.

Here is the link.  There are two videos on "Recreating a Process" which include part one (handtools and veneer) and part two (pickers and chevalets).  Just scroll down from the first video to see the second.

Blackburn Videos


Be sure to thank Popular Woodworking for making these videos accessible.

Sawn Veneer Vrs. Sliced Veneer

I am often asked my opinion as to the age of furniture. Since I am considered an expert in early French furniture, and there is a considerable amount of examples extant, it is normal for me to address the issue of "period piece, reproduction piece or fake." When the piece is supposed to be from the 18th century or earlier, and has a veneer surface, my first question is "How was the veneer made?"

It is not obvious to most dealers, buyers or even experts in the field, but the simple difference between sawn or sliced veneer material provides absolute proof of the date of the furniture. There are few elements of furniture construction which are as conclusive as this difference in how the veneer was produced.

Prior to 1805 all veneer produced in Europe and America was sawn by hand. Expert sawyers who specialized in this trade were able to saw thin pieces of hardwood veneers using a hand saw designed for this purpose. The sawyers worked together, standing on opposite sides of the log, which was held securely in a vise. The veneer saw was held horizontal and the wide blade was positioned vertical and sharpened with a rip tooth. Each man followed his mark on his side of the log and worked the saw on the pull stroke. Sawn veneer using this method was often as thin as a few millimeters. After the veneer was sawn, the cabinetmaker used a toothing plane, with fine teeth, to scrape down the saw marks and level the glue surface. A similar toothing plane with larger teeth was used to surface the carcase, or ground work, and proved the "truth" of the work. The toothing plane left marks on both the ground under the veneer and on the back (glue side) of the veneer itself. These marks are usually visible upon close inspection.

In 1805 the French invented a mechanical saw (scie a bois montant) which was able to saw the veneer much more evenly than the two men working by hand. Instead of the saw cutting down through the log, the wood was attached to a carriage and moved upward against the saw, rising as it was sawn, thus the name "saw

of wood rising". This saw made veneer much more available and regular in thickness, and the cabinetmaker no longer needed to use the toothing plane on the veneer. However, he continued to use the toothing plane on the ground work, as that wood was still surfaced by hand tools.

In the 18th century, hand sawn veneer was uneven in thickness, much thicker and irregular saw marks can often be visible. The machine sawn veneer was still thick (1.5-2mm) but regular in thickness and often shows the regular saw marks on the glue side. When the surface is refinished many times and the veneer gets quite thin, the refinisher can see the saw marks through the veneer, and knows to stop sanding before he pierces the surface. The saw marks look like very even and parallel marks about 1mm wide, and are always perpendicular to the grain direction.

As the sawing of hardwood veneers was difficult and time consuming, it was expensive. In addition, about 50% of the wood was lost in sawdust. The mechanical saw was also expensive and required a technician to properly sharpen and control the cutting. It took as much as one hour to saw a single piece of hardwood, so the process was quite slow.

In America and some other countries large circular saws were redesigned to saw veneers. This produced a very uneven surface, as it was nearly impossible to control the accuracy of the large spinning saw blade. This method was replaced by slicing machines by 1850 in most cities.

The slicing of hardwood veneers was made possible by the introduction of steam power. Slicing veneers requires that the log be boiled for several days in a pressure cooker. This boiling changes the character of the wood, and minerals and chemicals are removed in the process. When the log is removed from the boiling water, it is quickly placed on a table and a large knife is forced through the wood, slicing off a layer of veneer. This veneer needs to be dried and often ends up warped or wrinkled. There is no waste, as the entire log is sliced into useable material, so that is a commercial advantage. From 1850 to around 1995 the industry standard thickness was 0.9mm (1/28"). Since 1995 most veneer produced is much thinner, from 0.6mm (1/42") to 0.3mm (1/60") and even thinner. These thin veneers are now sold as paper backed veneer, since they are impossible to work unless they are glued to a backing paper material. The veneer which is sliced has no tool marks at all on the glue surface.

Also, when the knife slices through the wood, it bends the veneer and breaks the fibers of the wood. This is one of the easiest features to use when examining the surface of furniture to determine if it is sliced or sawn. Sawn veneer will never show overall cracks, but will break in a single area where the ground wood shrinks and breaks. Sliced veneer will always start to break over the entire surface, as the wood moves due to shrinkage and environmental conditions. These breaks are very small and can easily be seen in a raking light.

It is impossible for any piece of furniture made before the Industrial Revolution to have an original surface made with sliced veneers. However, it is entirely possible for furniture made after the Industrial Revolution to have an original surface made with sawn veneers, such as high end recreations. I always use sawn veneers in making my furniture, as they are natural and stable, and represent the original material which I value highly for authenticity.