Veneer Parquetry Design for Panel Furniture

           Having been tasked with creating a parquetry veneer pattern for a door and drawer face of a Credenza school project, I decided to explore different radial burst designs to create a similar yet slightly contrasting look. I have always found radial burst patterns to be quite stunning on furniture. They draw the eye along their lines, create a unique pattern of symmetry, and can be made in countless of different ways.

Choosing Design

Trimming the Veneer After Being Pressed

        Both patterns use lightly colored veneers: a high-sheen Eucalyptus for the drawer face and a paler, matte Maple for the door. To make the door, I used six identical veneer cuts, with the middle two book-matched and the side pairs slip matched, creating a pattern of 'rays' that are symmetrical along the middle and fall away along each side.

        Since the drawer face covers only part of the cabinet’s opening, I decided to book-match each seam, forming a half of a six-pointed star shape that suggests the drawer face was cut from a larger pattern. This complements the drawer’s smaller scale within the credenza’s overall design, in contrast to the door's pattern which aptly begins at the base of the opening and reaches to the top limit.

Making the Door and Drawer Face Panels  

Attaching the Edge Banding to
the MDF Panel

    I made both panels from 3/4" thick MDF with solid Cherry edge banding that I milled slightly over-thick before cutting to size and gluing onto the panel. Afterwards, I sanded the panels flat on both faces so that I had a prepped surface for my veneers.

Making the Veneer Patterns

        To make each panel's veneer pattern, I layered my veneer sheets on top of one another, aligning the grain as best as possible, then butt them and a 30 60 90 triangle up against a straight edge before cutting the triangle shapes that will form the parquetry pattern. After the components are cut, I sandwich them within a crowned caul. The crowned caul is made up of two solid wood pieces, that are tightened together with a bolt and nut on each end. When one of the pieces is crowned, this applies a natural clamping pressure along the middle of the caul. I clamp the veneer so that the edges are slightly exposed so that I can sand them flush on the belt sander. This ensures that my seams between veneer slices leave no space.

      

Crowned Caul Used to Sand Veneer Edges Flush

        Next, I use masking tape to hold the veneer pattern together, then apply stronger veneer tape on the other side. After removing the masking tape, I glue the clean veneer side to the MDF panel and place it in a hot press for about 3 minutes. Once cooled, I wet the veneer tape to re-activate the adhesive and peel it off, using a card scraper if necessary. I trim the overhang with a veneer saw, then sand to prepare for finishing. Finally, I repeat these steps to apply Cherry veneer to the back of each panel and finish with Danish Oil.

Using the Hot Press to Bond
the Veneer to the MDF

 

 

       

 

Finished TV Stand