GradingHARDWOOD PLYWOOD Guide 2015 EDITION A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING POPULAR HARDWOOD PLYWOOD FACE VENEER GRADES BROUGHT TO YOU BY columbiaforestproducts.com WE KNOW OUR WAY AROUND A LOG ...AND THE CONTINENT HARDWOOD PLYWOOD MILLS Trumann, AR 800.760.3341 Old Fort, NC Chatham, VA Craigsville, WV 800.237.2428 Klamath Falls, OR 800.547.1791 Hearst, ON, Canada St. Casimir, St. Casimir, QC, Canada Hearst, Quebec 888.664.1964 Ontario Boardman, OR HARDWOOD Mellen, WI VENEER MILLS 800.231.4148 Presque Isle, ME Presque Isle, ME Newport, VT Newport, VT Mellen, WI Klamath Falls, OR Craigsville, WV Boardman, OR 541.945.8781 Chatham, VA CORPORATE Greensboro, NC HEADQUARTERS (Corporate Headquarters) 800.637.1609 Greensboro, NC Old Fort, NC Trumann, AR Founded in 1957, Columbia Forest Products is North America’s largest manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer, a leader in sustainable forestry, and innovator of soy-based formaldehyde-free PureBond® technology. Columbia’s decorative veneers and plywood panels are used to build cabinets, furniture, fixtures and millwork in homes and commercial settings. Employee-owned and based in Greensboro, North Carolina, Columbia employs more than 1,800 people, operates facilities throughout the United States and Canada and maintains an operational network which spans the globe. columbiaforestproducts.com From the tree to works of art: A guide to GradingHARDWOOD PLYWOOD understanding the hardwood plywood standard Guide An introduction from Ang Schramm Trees are amazing. They provide vary in aesthetics and physical grading tables and other content, us with shelter, warm our hearths, properties. Growth conditions including veneer production, core and shade us from the heat of the such as geography and climate, options, and plywood manufac- summer sun. But they also give availability of water and nutri- ture. With a sound understanding us far more as they offer up their ents, adverse weather, genetics, of the inherent individuality of inner distinctiveness to serve pestilence, injury, competition for trees, we have the rare opportu- us as one of the most functional space, bacterial or viral infection, nity to make every project or job a and attractive of all materials for the presence of extraneous com- signature work of art! quality kitchen and bath cabine- pounds contributing to the color try, fine furniture, architectural of heartwood, the lighter color Our goal is to provide this infor- millwork, store fixtures, and wall of sapwood, and the presence mation in a way that is easy to Ang Schramm furnishings, to name just a few. of limbs and their relationship to understand and that will give us Director of Technical figure and knots, are but a few a valuable tool to help enhance Services Wood is a unique material for of the factors contributing to this communication and ensure that decorative applications in that phenomenon. all your expectations are met Author of by its very nature no two pieces when you choose Columbia A Complete Guide to Hard- wood Plywood and Face can ever be exactly alike. Its It is the purpose of this publica- Forest Products’ PureBond® Veneer appearance may be consistent tion to help us give some order to Hardwood Plywood. for a given species within a broad this assortment of characteristics Past Panel Products Director and generalized range, but even in a practical manner with an HPVA wood from the same tree can overview of the industry standard Past Chair HPVA Technical Committee Director and Instructor Columbia Forest Products University TABLE OF CONTENTS For more photos of 2 Veneer Cuts and 8 Hickory 12 Walnut veneer grades, or to Matching Plain Sliced Plain Sliced view our digital version, visit our Grading Guide 4 Alder 8 Mahogany / Khaya 13 White Oak online: Plain Sliced Plain Sliced Plain Sliced columbiaforestproducts. com/library/reference- 4 Anigre 9 Maple Natural 14 Natural Characteris- guides/grading-guide Plain Sliced Plain Sliced & Rotary tics of eneerV 5 Ash 10 Maple Sap 17 Core Types Plain Sliced & Rotary Plain Sliced & Rotary 18 Glossary 6 Birch Natural & Sap 11 Red Oak Rotary Plain Sliced & Rotary 22 ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2009 7 Cherry 12 Sapele Standards with Plain Sliced Plain Sliced Tables Special thanks to Veneer Tech, Inc. for the sliced veneers shown in this book. Important Disclaimer: The photographs in this publication are presented as examples only, and are not intended to represent or predict in any form the actual appearance of any grade or species. No range of color, grain, or other natural characteristics can be fully depicted in any single photograph or collection of photographs, and no representation or guarantee of appearance of any grade or species is made with respect to any such photograph contained herein. Hardwood Plywood Grading Guide 2015 columbiaforestproducts.com 1 VENEER CUTS AND MATCHING ROTARY PEELEDu SLICEDu An entire log is placed into a lathe A half or quarter log is placed on the and rotated in uninterrupted contact slicer which forces it laterally against with the lathe knife, resulting in a a knife to produce narrow veneer cut that roughly parallels the growth sheets with somewhat more predict- rings to produce a bold and often able grain patterns. These sheets will variegated grain pattern. The later be joined together through one resulting ribbon of veneer is sub- of the various matching methods to sequently clipped to usable widths, produce 4x8', 4x6, 8x4, or any number including sheets called whole piece of sheet sizes as may be specified by a or one-piece face that will cover an customer. Generally, slicing veneer entire 4x8' sheet of plywood, as well produces more of a solid lumber ap- as narrower leaves that will later be pearance associated with the manner spliced together in order to cover in which the half or quarter log is posi- a 4x8, 4x6, 8x4, or any number tioned in the slicer. Veneer leaves are of sizes as may be specified by a kept in order as they are cut from the customer. Rotary cutting is the only log to ensure a consistent appear- method of producing veneer that ance, making sliced veneer generally will produce whole piece faces. more prized than rotary cut veneer. Rotary Red Oak Plain Sliced Red Oak Whole Piece Face Rotary Cut Veneers Entire log is peeled producing VARIOUS METHODS OF CUTTING AND a continuous ribbon of veneer. MATCHING FACE VENEERS ALLOW FOR A VARIETY OF EXCEPTIONAL OPTIONS TO MAKE ANY PROJECT A SIGNATURE WORK OF ART SLICING METHODS Plain Slicing Quarter Slicing The half log is mounted with The quarter log is mounted in the knife parallel to the center the slicer so that the knife cuts or “back” of the log, then forced across the growth rings at ap- across the knife to produce a flat proximately a right angle and sawn lumber look, often devel- parallel to the rays, resulting oping a repeating grain pattern in a highly three dimensional called a cathedral. ray flake appearance in red and white oak. 2 columbiaforestproducts.com Hardwood Plywood Grading Guide 2015 VENEER CUTS AND MATCHING Once the veneer is cut, it can be laid up on a panel face in different sorts of “matching.” The appearance of the panel can be formal or casual, simple or busy based on the matching choice. Matching selections may be more obvious in some species than in others depending on the natural grain characteristic of that wood species. Plain Sliced Red Oak Plain Sliced Red Oak Plain Sliced Red Oak Plain Sliced Red Oak Book Matched Slip Matched Plank Matched Random Matched Back Book Matching Slip Matching Plank Matching Random Matching Every other leaf or component of All components from a given log are Components from various logs of Components are arranged in the veneer from a given log is turned spliced together in their respective the same species are arranged in order they come from a given stack over to produce a mirror image at order without turning over any compo- a deliberate mismatched manner to of veneer that may have come from the splice joint, much like turning the nent, thereby producing a somewhat achieve a natural lumber effect as a number of logs with no consider- pages of a book, to produce a very staggered image across the face. This offered in Columbia Forest Products’ ation given to matching for color or aesthetically appealing look across allows for the panel face to be applied Appalachian Traditions® product line. grain. This is process often used the face. with the tight side of the veneer fac- This is often used to produce a rustic to produce backs from remnant ing outward in order to minimize the effect. material. potential for a barber pole effect occa- sionally observed with book matched veneer. Rift Cutting Note: Both quarter sliced and rift cut veneer are more often than not The quarter log is mounted on pulled from the straight grain portion of plain sliced veneer from the a modified lathe to produce a region of the log closest to its center. The resulting veneer is called quarter sliced if heavy flake is visible and rift cut when the flake is mini- cut that crosses both the growth mal. Veneers thus developed are often called false rift or quarters, but rings and the rays at a slight they are held to the same standard as “true” rift and quarters, reducing angle, resulting in a relatively cost while preserving aesthetic appeal. straight grain effect that minimiz- es the bold ray flake appearance found in quarter sliced wood. Hardwood Plywood Grading Guide 2015 columbiaforestproducts.com 3 ALDER (Alnus rubra) Common names: Alder, Red Alder Sources: North American west coast Description: Pink to red to reddish brown with large rays widely scattered and readily visible with the unaided eye.