Veneer saws

Hi all. I’ve been dabbling in hammer veneering and really enjoying the process. While a sharp blade tends to work fine when slicing veneers, I do enjoy keeping it somewhat traditional.


So for those of you with experience, what makes a good veneer saw? I’ll likely make one. Tools from working wood is quite close to my shop and I’ve had the opportunity to play with the gramercy one, but I won’t be spending $100+. LV has an affordable option, but I have zero experience with that offset handle type.


Attached are a couple pics, one of a recent desk I finished with red wood burl sliding doors. The other is of the veneer hammer I cobbled together.


Thanks for lookin!

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My father had a tool for cutting veneer. It kind of looked like this, but instead of pointy teeth, it had wide teeth. It was a curved cutting edge, with notches about every 1/8". It was in practice a cutting tool made up of small slicing edges.

It wasn't a saw per se, a saw would be too coarse for this kind of work.

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Yeah thats what Ive been reading. Move of a serrated knife. I have decent files so have been considering grinding an old saw down and recutting the teeth. There is a surplus of old yard sale saws around the shop.

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Originally Posted by chuck van dyck

Yeah thats what Ive been reading. Move of a serrated knife. I have decent files so have been considering grinding an old saw down and recutting the teeth. There is a surplus of old yard sale saws around the shop.

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Sharpened with one side flat to follow a straightedge.

Might also consider this: http://inlayrazor.com/

Would a saw work for thin veneer? I always thought those veneer saws were more for those thick veneers you cut yourself, or like what they used in the old days. The store-bought veneers you find these days are usually so thin, I wouldn't think they'd take to sawing well. I've always cut them with a guillotine style paper cutter or x-acto knife. The paper cutters work extremely well, if you can fit them.

The teeth of a saw are too coarse. These veneer cutters cut in a slicing fashion.

The Two Cherries veneer saw is good, but you have to learn how to sharpen a veneer saw. From the store, the saw is not usable to cut veneer. That's true of all veneer saws.

Joe, at Veneer Supplies, used to offer a service to sharpen the saw before he sent it to you but it's better if you learn how to do it yourself.

Mike

All of my veneer work has been done with my laser so that's kind of cheating if your talking about a skillful woodworking process but if I were going to make my own saw I think I begin with one of those small Japanese saws. The thin steel and fine teeth seem to me to be a good starting point. My Exacto knife has come in handy a couple of times also. I have the Two Cherries saw but haven't used it.