Darryl Keil Last Activity 2025-09-09 11:09 AM
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ocd

Posts: 1

Joined: 2009-04-14
Location: Metro Atlanta

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Subject : Starburst table top inlay
Posted : 2009-04-14 1:45 PM
Post #35349
Hi everyone. This is my first post to this learned forum. I'm an amateur woodworker, but like nice tools (Lie Nielsen, etc) and am fairly fastidious in measuring, layout, etc.

I have a vacuum press system from Joe Veneer. I'm in the process of building my spouse this walnut two-tiered end table (you know, an excuse to buy all kinds of nice new tools).

My question is this: The 25" diameter top 1 1/2" thick walnut has a starburst veneer pattern in it, bordered by 1" of walnut. I have not much experience with veneer, made a couple of decent boxes, use exclusively UF resin glue, heat lamps, etc, and the vacuum system.

Question: If I don't mind the pattern shift in the starburst (made of bubinga, which I can resaw nicely myself), any objection to me cutting the veneer "pie pieces", maybe 8 in number, into 1/8" thick slabs so I don't have all the buckling, etc with thinner configurations. I picture it going together like a kid's puzzle, maybe some fine sanding here and there.

What do you all think? I can hear the laughter now, but, hey, at least I asked first......

Thanks, ocd


 
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Darryl Keil

Posts: 1455

Joined: 2003-05-22
Location: Maine

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Subject : RE: Starburst table top inlay
Posted : 2009-04-16 4:25 PM
Post #35352 - In reply to #35349
Ocd,

If you plan on making a starburst from solid wood I would recommend no more than 1/16" thick and make sure this is glued up on a dimensionally stable substrate like MDF or particle board.

I'm not sure if I understood you correctly but if you were going to lay this up on 1 1/2" solid walnut, this would be a bad idea. Also, you will need to veneer the bottom as well with the same thickness of material as the top. It does not have to be Bubinga, just the same thickness.

Darryl Keil




 
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craig tufankjian

Posts: 308

Joined: 2004-02-01
Location: syracuse ny 13208

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Subject : RE: Starburst table top inlay
Posted : 2009-04-17 12:42 PM
Post #35353 - In reply to #35349
ocd,

I would also agree with Darryl. very risky to veneer over solid wood and with 1/8th re-sawn solid wood.

Why not bubinga veneer? Use you solid bubinga to edge the table with. if you use waterfall bubinga pattern jump should be almost invisible at 8 pieces. photo attached shows an 8 piece match. layup is 48 in diameter with 18 inch wide bubinga
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg28/customone/waterfall-bubinga-radial.jpg



 
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Don Stephan

Posts: 825

Joined: 2003-07-18
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

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Subject : RE: Starburst table top inlay
Posted : 2009-04-18 8:53 AM
Post #35354 - In reply to #35349
As a general rule, veneering one species of wood over a different species is considered risky because of potential different rates of expansion and contraction. In this instance, assuming the 1.5" walnut will be full length boards, there is an additional problem in that some of the starburst pieces will be perpendicular (or close) to the grain direction of the walnut - cross-grain construction that will tear the veneer apart.

Off the top of my head, not sure if solid wood assembled into a starburst would work - I suspect expansion and contraction would caus the table to self-destruct.

If you want to look of combined woods, you could consider making a 1.5" thick round substrate out of MDF or similar and edge with solid walnut either before or after veneering the round core. Requires several intermediate and final jigs to pattern rout the edge banding to match the border of the round core, but can be done with patience. The process is described in a Taunton Publishing book on dining tables by Kim Carleton Graves if my memory of his name is correct.

Don Stephan
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