When did veneer come into play with furniture? I have an old dresser that is supposedly from the late 1800's and it has

Question

veneer.

AK Complete Home Renovations · Answer

Apparently it dates back to the Egyptians. You could have Cleopatra's dresser!! It was commonly used in the 18th & 19th centuries and a antique furniture dealer could likely tell the date simply by the technique used in the veneer.  Do you know the vood on the veneer? The Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association (HPVA) (Yes. There is a veneer association.) records that it was the piano manufactures who first began using plywood in 1830.

Daniel W · Answer

Thank you, I'll have to take a picture of it and post it,it's kind of a Tiger patterned wood veneer,it's dovetail construction.I received it fully disassembled,my friends took it apart to put it in their attic,now I get to put it back together again,it goes together rather easilky and without glue.

Miriam Illions · Answer

Definitely post a picture. Sounds very interesting!

Kelly O · Answer

back in the old days veneer was not viewed as a bad thing. it's all hand carved and not machine made. and just a tad thicker.. not necessarily bad to have it. i would also love to see the dresser.

Daniel W · Answer

This is a picture of the top,I'll add more once I get it all together.

KMS Woodworks · Answer

That looks like some quarter sawn oak.  Quarter sawn is where the growth rings lie perpendicular to the boards face...it highlights the woods 'rays'.

this is a vanity I built using Australian Lacewood...it has lots of 'ray' figure.

The Second pic is a drop front desk I restored.  It dates back to the 1860's or so and has some veneer work on the desk front as well as the legs.  The drawer bodies are made from solid mahogany.

Daniel W · Answer

Okay, I have put back together,so here are a few pics.Now does anyone have any idea of how old and what it might be worth?

KMS Woodworks · Answer

looking good...as far as value check with some local antique dealers.  In most cases they can give you a value.  Keep in mind that there are 2 version of value...retail...and insurance value.

Gary Stenzel · Answer

Just an FYI:
I used to work for Lexington Furniture Co in Lexington, NC. A lot of their furniture is advertised as 'solid wood'. Technically, it is solid wood. What they dont tell you is that the larger pieces (like a computer desk top) is glued together from cheap wood and then covered with an expensive veneer to give the look that it was made from a solid piece. I was a CNC operator/programmer there and shaped a lot of the larger pieces before they were covered with veneer. Lexington makes a lot of the popular brands, not just 'Lexington Furniture' brand. I learned that most of the other big name brands do the same thing. Buyer Beware.

Amanda Burgess · Answer

Tiger oak dresser turn of the century early 1900s. Beautiful piece!

When did veneer come into play with furniture? I have an old dresser that is supposedly from the late 1800's and it has

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When did veneer come into play with furniture? I have an old dresser that is supposedly from the late 1800's and it has

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