Back in France we have a clear distinction between woodworkers using solid wood (called a "menuisier") and those who use veneer (called an "ebeniste"). It's almost two separate jobs but often both are intertwined. Also the "ebeniste" is often associated with marqueterie and more "unique" pieces of furniture. The word "Ebeniste" come from the word ebony as they were the first to use ebony in their compositions. "Ebenistes" would be the ones to make furniture for the Kings of old in Europe. Thus veneer is still seen as a complex, valuable and expansive process here.
No, he said ébénistes were the first to use ebony in woodworking in France. Other French woodworkers did not use ebony. The wood was so valuable it was used only in the kind of work they specialised into (which is making high quality furniture).
@@RedNeckRasta Are you honestly surprised by the notion that French wood workers would have been the first people to use ebony in France? Let me blow your mind: there is a high likelihood that German woodworkers were the first to do so in Germany, and that Russian woodworkers did so in Russia. 😂
How things develop, eh?! In Germany a cabinetmaker is called "shrine maker"(south Germany) and "Tablemaker"(north Germany). Of course not to be confused with "Zimmerman" (Chamberman) or carpenter in english. To have a different name for solid wood workers is interesting.
I think veneers just got a bad reputation because of the inexpensive furniture with printed veneers and cabinets with a composite plastic veneer etc. People saw that and particle board underneath and veneers became cheap, fake alternatives. The difference between what we just saw and a particle board version veneered with a print to look like poplar burl is huge and most people didn’t realize or even see anything like this. Anyway, fantastic piece. You’re truly an artist and I love your work.
@@_aullik This is true but as soon as you put glorified cardboard (MDF) in the mix the lifespan of the product is limited to 15-20 years IF you look after it well anyway..
You and ENCurtis must be on the same wavelength as he recently built a similar cabinet with a similar veneer. The universe is funny like that. It is beautiful!
An absolutely stunning piece of functional art. I love the detail and appreciate the grain matching of the veneer skin across the entire face of the cabinet. Well done sir. Steve
Absolutely stunning piece, Nick. I often feel a fully burl-wrapped piece is overwhelming to the point where the effect of the burl is lost - that copper cove breaks it up perfectly and brings the whole piece together. Brilliant design, brilliant craft, brilliant video!
The furniture and video are both excellent. The imagery is stunning, the music is beautiful and the voice and storytelling are smooth. Subscribed instantly.
I love veneer work. Veneer allows you to make things you can't make with lumber alone. About forty years ago, when I had my shop, I built an entire office suite for a client out of a gorgeous birdseye maple, with flowing curved sides and columns. Because it was veneered, it all matched perfectly and was utterly stable. I made a 10-foot-long vacuum press (very similar to yours), and used many complicated curved cauls. However, as you said, you don't need all that stuff. I did a lot of beautiful veneer work for clients with just animal glue, a veneer hammer (that I made), a veneer saw, and a regular household clothes iron. "Hammer veneering" is a great way to get into veering very cheap and with limited space. It's old-school, but it works. BTW, your work is beautiful. I'm so impressed. You are a very skilled woodworker. Watching you build this piece brought back a lot of memories for me. Sometimes I wish I still had my shop.
Your work is exquisite and inspiring. Anyone who thinks veneer is just "cheap furniture" never bothered to leave the IKEA store. Some of the most timeless pieces in history used some of the many forms of veneering. I would suggest that instead of "arguing" about whether veneered pieces are woodworking or not; perhaps we should discuss the point at which a woodworking piece becomes a piece of art made of wood.
Absolutely correct. Additionally, veneering allows for the use of species that would otherwise never be available, except to the obscenely wealthy. Use of veneer also allows for a more "frugal" use of a species because one log can be turned into enough veneer to use in many pieces of furniture/art. Thank you.
i did a search once on google images for Marquetry veneer and was absolutely awestruck at the artistry in some pieces. In these modern times we have access to globally sourced veneers that widen the scope of what our minds can manifest ...happy days
I live in Britain and most all the fine furniture I grew up with was veneered, very expensive and 2-4 centuries old, so anyone saying veneering is not woodworking doesn't know what theyare talking about, its art at the end of the day. Where I draw the line is pre-revolutionary French furniture where there's fine stone work, cabinet making, repouse, gilding, oil painting, veneer, marquetry and inlaying all going on on the same piece - thats gaudy!!! LMAO Jeff Beck used to live near me adn I've seen his hot rods, this cabinet is like one of those 36 coupes - under the sleek finish you know a LOT of thought, work and passion went into it.
a veneered panel is simply more stable than a solid panel and wont warp and bend and cup like a solid panel and as such is ideal for furniture making, it takes more effort to make a piece of furniture out of veneered panels but pays off in longevity. the piece was beautiful but id have really wanted to utilise the corner cavities seems a waste of available space, a couple of corner doors would have been awesome. You definitely have some serious skills though no doubt about that
It's great to see your latest creation Nick, another stunning piece of functional art. I could have used your vacuum press in my last build. FYI back in my chair building days a rep from AV Syntec who made Urea Formaldehyde told us to add 10% PVA to the Urea to make it less brittle. Our chair backs stopped cracking on the glue line due to flex. Your chat just reminded me of the tip. Enjoy 2025 Nick. Regards James
As always, a master class! It's true that not being or being able to be a member means you have to wait for a video here, but it's worth it. THANK YOU for your generosity in sharing.
By far, your furniture design and phenominal craftsmanship are at theTOP of the craft. Watching you create, build and finish your pieces is the most memorable, educational and entertaining channel out there. Not only do you explain your projects, you show us how you achieve the beautiful end results. Bravo to you, sir.
Hi Nick, Absolutely stunning. I’m drooling over that burl veneer. You made the most of an exquisite wood. Bravo. And good on you for learning metal leaf techniques. Well done. Cheers, Keith
Very nice! I was a bit surprised when you started using a power sander after filling the knot holes out of fear of burn through. But, with care it is the right tool for the job.
Every time I read Reddit or TH-cam comments on woodworking it makes me laugh. The concept of "real" woodworking and the gatekeeping associated with it is just stunning to me. Different techniques allow different results. What I think is the most important is like what you did here, design a beautiful piece, and then use the best method to execute it. Design and aesthetic should be the driving force.
@@MWHomeBuilds I think in the case of furniture function should prevail over form. Sometimes the function is just to look cool so you might have something.
Hi Nick, Great work on the piece and video, thanks for putting it together for all of us. I dabble a bit in veneering when needed and years ago set up a similar veneer press using a vac pump, bag, and slotted table. I used it for loudspeakers made of MDF. Needless to say all your messages resonated with me. Veneering is a valuable and useful process for any woodworker.
A large furniture retailer in the UK (Oakfurnitureland) used a marketing phrase for a long time “no veneer ‘ere”. They were trying to market that their products were all solid wood and that anything veneered was, somehow, low grade (how that must have come as a shock to all the old furniture makers). True all their stuff was solid wood. It was all staves of timber such as mango and, it seemed to me, anything cheap grown in countries like Vietnam where the stuff was made. The designs were……simple to the point of naive. A good use of “everything rectangular”. For me, a shining example of design first and materials second. In other words, design something which is pleasing to the eye and fulfils the function you want - and then figure out how to make it.
Veneer items generally *are* cheap and nasty, MDF (Cardboard), Chipboard/particle board all have useful lifespans of less than 20 years in ideal circumstances, veneer starts to come apart with the slightest damage.. I have solid pieces that now going to the 3rd generation, my kids (and weren't expensive for the time, adjusting for inflation they were in fact cheaper than most modern junk)
@ you’re entitled to your opinion but there is a weight of evidence to show you are wrong. I have no doubt that there has been and is a lot of cheap veneered stuff out there - I remember the crap from MFI - but to say that a good substrate has a life span of 20 years is just plain flying against the facts. I have pieces, and know of pieces, that I made for family and friends over 30 years ago and the substrate is as good as the day I made them. Some have had signs but are easily repairable - no different from a ding in a solid piece. As a love of good furniture, I have several pieces from the 19th and early 20th century which are veneered - and look great. Some veneer had lifted due to the shifting climates of houses but that’s no different in principle to classic cars - they all need maintenance. I have been woodworking for over 45 years and continue to make pieces in solid and veneered timber. I couldn’t make most of the pieces that are curved in solid timber but, if you want 90 degree furniture and only 90 degree furniture, then great; it leaves curved pieces to the discerning user.
@@seanfaherty so, for you, veneered items are not inherently better or worse. Any competent woodworker understands the structural properties of ply and MDF, for instance, and use the right substrate for each task. For sides of a cabinet,as an example, I will use MDF because the piece is vertical. If the top has a longer unsupported section, I would use ply or cheap solid or, I guess, a torsion box.
I saw this on my feed this morning. I'm watching now as I wind down for the night, literally been desperate to watch since. Love your work, both with timber and film making, each video is more polished and refined
I never thought of veneering before because I didn’t think I had the skills to pull it off! Of coarse it’s woodworking! You cease to amaze me with your design and skills. I enjoy each video, thank you.
I love watching your videos. Such clear explanations of what you're doing and why and amazing designs. As a mostly self-taught woodworker who's lucky enough to be able to make a living from what I make, I learn something new (usually multiple things) every time I watch one of your builds. And while I consider myself a professional woodworker these days, you're the gold standard here in Australia and where I aspire to be some day. Probably lofty goals but you know, why not dream. 🤣😂 And for the record, I'd consider veneering to be proper woodworking, just because of the planning and complexity of actually doing it and doing it well.
as a retired custom furniture maker i agree with everything you have said. i watch your videos because i am inspired by your designs. on a side note i agree with the whole box thing lol. that's why i went to a one man shop doing custom work. i hated repetition.
Another amazing piece, Nick. That burl is just mind-blowing, and notably not anything you could actually make components out of from a solid piece of wood. I assume here that you did a copper gilding - looks great as the accent! I'll sort of echo some of the supportive comments here, and your content - I absolutely loathe the stupid gatekeeping that goes on. I imagine in the distant past, some dude gave another dude s**t for using an iron axe to fell a tree to make something... "You're cheating! Stone tools or nothing, poseur!" I sometimes watch a restoration video, and what I've noted is that the craftsperson uses the tools, methods and materials they have. I absolutely believe 18th century furniture makers would use Titebond and pin nails if they had the means to. Why would they not? Love your videos, Nick. At this point, I'd watch you make a ham sandwich and enjoy it.
I have used that same burl veneer on a box lid :-) I thought that was extending myself but this video is like discovering a 5th dimension. As usual your video production is top quality . Thanks Nick !
The main reason veneer is considered substandard is because people have experience with it used on high wear surfaces, and generally solid wood is easier to repair if damaged. Quality is not the issue, but perceived durability is. Very good video and as always, most excellent craftsmanship.
Let me ask you this; what is the material generally Veneered? (Answer: MDF, Chipboard/particle board) The life of these products is less than 2 decades IF cared for very well.. a solid oak piece well cared for WILL last generations. Veneering is a sign of cheap and nasty because it is. not because of the Veneer itself, or even the design of the piece but the choice of substrate.
I would’ve stared at those doors for the rest of my life and still not been able to figure out how to get those curves to line up. 😂 your craftsmanship is amazing and the designs are always inspiring.
must be awesome to be able just create and build and enjoy, instead of just rushing just to meet deadline for another kitchen. Your work is beautiful, design and execution are next level!Also your videos are relaxing to watch !
I've come to fine woodworking late in life, but I learn so much from watching you create. Thanks for posting your process in making these amazing pieces!!
Trabalho magistral! Para um iniciante e entusiasta da marcenaria como eu, seu trabalho está no mais alto nível que eu conheço. Obrigado pelo seu trabalho inspirador e por compartilhar suas habilidades! Felicitações de Parnamirim/RN Brasil 🔝
Always inspiring and informative. I'd forgotten about bendable plywood! What if's are what happens after we start our Journey. Thomas Hucker was the first to scramble my notions of woodworking and design. Always hit that image when you post on TH-cam. I appreciate your evolution and sharing of your journey! In my shop lots of machines can rust. LOL!
Nick - you are the pinnacle of what I want to accomplish as a woodworker. Thanks for always pushing the boundaries and keeping me humble as I stare at the mountain I aspire to climb to get to your level someday. And yes, your Patreon helps A LOT, showing the path :). Bravo, again. (P.S.: just got my Vacupress and bag😅)
Absolutely amazing, from imagination to putting it out in real the whole process of how you create is inspiring and a treat to watch! Another masterpiece 👏
Recently, we visited Italy and saw many varieties of structures made from stone, wood, or other materials available in ancient times, which are just awe-inspiring. Your work reminds me of many pieces made by artisans like Michelangelo, Rafael, and many others. I also love your narration, which reflects your thinking process
The hide glue/veneer always reminds me of eagerly watching Steve Hay on Woodworking Masterclass back in the day. “Remember to keep it sharp, but more importantly keep it safe”😆
that is a beautiful piece of art. The door opening is probably my favorite! I love watching your videos and I don't mind waiting because I know it will be awesome.
I used to sneer at veneer… when I was young in my woodworking journey and uneducated (= ignorant of the history of fine furniture). Some of the most amazing furniture pieces made in the past 500 years in Europe utilized veneers. Great video, beautiful woodworking.
Ive been watching your videos quit repetitively lately and im exsteamly impressed! Your imagination,talant is over the top. And your advice is vary motivative. Keep up the cool videos and great work . Love watching them👍👍
No question...that's a high end piece of furniture. It's not about the materials; it's about the design and execution by the craftsman. Bravo! And the continuous wrap of that burl is totally awesome.
Wow! I had no idea that you could use ordinary wood glue , veneer , and iron to apply edge banding! I never even thought to use the heat of an iron to set glue!
Awesome design and construction, Nick. I use veneers (phenolic backed, paper backed and non-backet) in much of my work and appreciate the design flexibility it offers. Thanks for sharing this build video with us.
Absolutely beautiful. It's look is very deceiving. From afar it looks nice yet simple. Close up a person can start to see the true craftsmanship. It's a special kind of mind that can both design and build something as unique as this "simple" cabinet.
Good Evening 🌅, another splendid piece of furniture you have created, well worth the time and effort you have spent on it, Strange, I was looking for my vacuum bag last week , it’s obviously gone missing in the process of me moving, I’ve got my pump, so I’m going to have to source another vacuum bag at some point, now I’ve seen you do this I feel I want to have a go at what I used to do many years ago again, back in the 80s I made a Rosewood bar, as a display piece for a company that made components for high-end yachts, the front was S shaped, and I’ve been near the front with Santos Rosewood, it took me nearly a week, I had to do it all by hand, on the top was book matched, out of solid rosewood approximately 6 to 8 inches wide boards I got from a place down in Kent, the underside of the top was done in quarter inch thick mahogany, as a balancer for the Top , Keep up the great work look forward to seeing your next project , kind regards from me to you, oh and a happy New Year as well,
I see there is a lot of comments people saying that Ebony was first used in Europe by master craftsman, making imperial furniture, but I think you’ll find a date back long before that in Egypt the pharaohs and in Japan,
A beautiful piece, for sure. I actually love that you and ENCurtis covered this topic at the same time. There are some similarities, but a lot of differences, and hearing the perspective of two furniture artists at different points in their journey was enlightening, especially some of the tips you provided. It is really unfortunate that cheap 70s and 80s furniture which laid the groundwork for flat-pack trash ruined the reputation of veneered furniture because you can do so many interesting things with veneer and a stable substrate that you just can’t with solid wood, even if you could get the wood you wanted as solid wood.
It's just intergenerational forgetting. I love Art Deco moderne era furniture, and without veneering, the sweeps and curves just wouldn't be possible or durable.
Never heard of this. As I learned to be an carpenter in Germany we worked with solid wood and veneer. It depended on what you wanted to do and between Ikea veneer and veneer we used were worlds in quality. I drabbled a little bit in restoration of older pieces and almost all of them came with veneer to get for example a luxurious look for a side table. Underneath was solid wood, most of the time softer inexpensive wood. And I learned that even if the veneer got damaged you can repair it with patience, same looking veneer and pigments to blend both pieces. I think woodworking for me is just working with wooden materials in a way that the material fits the purpose. I wouldn't build my kitchen out of solid wood, you can but alone the steam while cooking is enough to warp things if the construction is not perfect. And with veneer you can in my experience be more free with creative patterns etc.
Even more so because a lot of that "Full Wood Furniture" just isn´t. I have a good few pieces of antique furniture. And every single piece exept my 200 years old massive oak table and the chairs that belong to it has some degree of veneer work on it. The difference is that it isn´t there to hide MDF or other super cheap materials. It covers solid wood that just doesn´t look as nice. And to enhance the piece in areas where grain direction might not look as neat for example or where the material the veneer is made from just wouldn´t be feasible to make the whole part from. Either because (As with the burl veneer here) you would never find the material in large enough pieces/quantitits or the wood would be too soft or brittle. Hell, there is/was actually a sub-category of the cabinet maker/carpenter (Schreiner for us Germans) that specializes in working with veneer and creating complex patterns and what I can only describe as pieces of art by piecing them together from veneer and doing inlay work. Anyone who says veneer work isn´t woodworking has never actually looked at some of the most beautiful and elaborate furniture going back quite some time. As I like to say, it´s never the tool or material (most of the time), it´s the way you use it. If you make cheap mdf or chipboard boxes and cover them with veneer to hide the cheap material beneath? Thats not woodworking. If you make complex furniture, applying skill and knowledge as well as using materials and techniques well to create beautiful pieces of well made craftsmenship? That definitely is "Handwerkskunst" even if it isn´t using solid wood and dovetail joints everywhere. (Usually traslated to Craftsmanship. But it´s a German word that doesnt really have a good match in english. It´s a combination of Craft and Art. It can describe the process of a craft being executed skillful enough it´s an artform. As well as describe a very skillfully made and beautiful piece of well done craftsmenship.)
Thank you for posting stuff to TH-cam. I love professional content and since KingPost stopped making videos, I’ve missed it. Mad props for the bit at 16:19. I’m in a fairly different boat to yourself but the excuses people make around lack of tools is so lame.
Here's a thought... Marquetry and inlays are found on many antique and high end furniture. That alone dismisses any notion that veneering should be devalued or dismissed as not real woodworking.
To me, the work you do is so so so far away from things I’m capable of that all your projects aren’t woodworking to me. Or actually I’ll change that to the work I do isn’t woodworking in comparison. 😁 The craftsmanship you always put in blows my mind everytime and has helped me try and think more out of the box. So thank you sir, incredible piece!
Brother, this is another wonderful video. Like the whiskey cabinet, it's not a piece I'd want in my home, but it's a piece I'd want to look at in a space where it's a good fit. More than that, though, your way of showing us your process, the voicover, the backing music, the editing- just as good as the piece itself. Strong work all around, again.
i have now done alot of veneering, have made some lovely stuff, and although i did start off with clamps, once i got a vacuum pump and bag i have never gone back, i have never had a failed veneer with a vacuum bag, and when u spend 100's of hours making a veneer design, u can't afford a failed glue, so folks if u r going down the veneer road, please get a vacuum bag.
It's a lovely piece of furniture. I think this is one of the best you have made in your TH-cam series. The scale was excellent. Congratulations. I am sure your client was very pleased.
Thank you for sharing your creations, what you are accomplishing is absolutely amazing. Just a little question though; was it intentional to lign up the screws for your ´sign´ inside the door in an angle of about 30 degrees or did you just got lucky? Can´t wait for the next one, thanks for the inspiration.
Beautiful work as usual. Anywho I think most people's problems with veneer is that they feel they shouldn't be paying as much money for "fake wood" as a piece of solid wood.
Top quality veneer is real wood. Period. It's not fake, and veneering is so ancient that the Egyptian Pharoahs did it. So... Educate your customers. Just because there cheap printed veneers that are sticky back plastic, doesn't mean that quality veneering is cheap and nasty. Or that veneered substrates aren't durable. For a beach house on the coast of Florida, making furniture from moisture-resistant marine plywood or marine MDF as the substrate is the only way to ensure that it will remain dimensionally stable in the humid atmosphere. If designed well, and veneered with exotic hardwood, such pieces will outlast their owners, and be durable for decades or even longer if taken care of, and not misused.
Awesome woodworking, as usual from you Nick. Having done veneer work myself, in the past, with far less equipment, I am in awe of your mindset and skills. Cheers!
Usually the people…and it’s usually middle aged men…who criticise are just envious. The veneer work from the 17th to 19th century is mind blowing. Most modern wood workers would struggle to achieve their level of perfection because it takes time. Something most don’t want to invest in today. Just like marquetry. Stunning.
Like the copper leaf in the doors, gives the whole piece an unexpected twist. Also like the book matched veneer of the doors. What grit of sandpaper did you use to sand the putty off the knotholes? I’d be afraid of sanding that veneer in fear of burning through it. Never knew poplar could look spectacular! I turned an Eames walnut stool out of poplar boards and stained it to look like walnut. Those boards were bland and straight grained with the typical tan and pale green colors, this veneer is at a whole new level!
Once again a stunning piece. Also an enjoyable, informative, and entertaining video. Always love it when I see a new video available and have never been disappointed.
Well, I’m not sure if you’re fine Woodworker or movie content creator. Your cabinetmaking and design skills are exceptional, but watching your work in your organised workshop and filmed in such a captivating manner is … mind blowing. Thank you. 🇦🇺👴🏻
Wonderful, Nick! Truly amazing work!!! 😃 But I'd say this... If it evolves wood and you're having fun, it's woodworking! Happy new year! And stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Back in France we have a clear distinction between woodworkers using solid wood (called a "menuisier") and those who use veneer (called an "ebeniste"). It's almost two separate jobs but often both are intertwined. Also the "ebeniste" is often associated with marqueterie and more "unique" pieces of furniture. The word "Ebeniste" come from the word ebony as they were the first to use ebony in their compositions. "Ebenistes" would be the ones to make furniture for the Kings of old in Europe. Thus veneer is still seen as a complex, valuable and expansive process here.
Did you just say a French person was the first to use ebony? 😂
No, he said ébénistes were the first to use ebony in woodworking in France. Other French woodworkers did not use ebony. The wood was so valuable it was used only in the kind of work they specialised into (which is making high quality furniture).
@@RedNeckRasta Not at all, but it's use in Europe in the 1600's and 1700's was popularized by (mostly) french and german woodworkers
@@RedNeckRasta Are you honestly surprised by the notion that French wood workers would have been the first people to use ebony in France?
Let me blow your mind: there is a high likelihood that German woodworkers were the first to do so in Germany, and that Russian woodworkers did so in Russia. 😂
How things develop, eh?! In Germany a cabinetmaker is called "shrine maker"(south Germany) and "Tablemaker"(north Germany). Of course not to be confused with "Zimmerman" (Chamberman) or carpenter in english. To have a different name for solid wood workers is interesting.
I think veneers just got a bad reputation because of the inexpensive furniture with printed veneers and cabinets with a composite plastic veneer etc. People saw that and particle board underneath and veneers became cheap, fake alternatives. The difference between what we just saw and a particle board version veneered with a print to look like poplar burl is huge and most people didn’t realize or even see anything like this. Anyway, fantastic piece. You’re truly an artist and I love your work.
Veneer also does not deal well with damage meaning it won't last as long.
I mean, MDF is hardly any better than Chipboard.. no matter what Veneering you do it is still lipstick on a pig.
@@_aullik This is true but as soon as you put glorified cardboard (MDF) in the mix the lifespan of the product is limited to 15-20 years IF you look after it well anyway..
@ i would prefer veneer over bamboo Ply , i am no expert but my feeling is the bamboo will be more stable under temperature variations.
I’m (almost) speechless….. what an object of beauty!! You are such an artist, and a extremely skilled woodworker!
You and ENCurtis must be on the same wavelength as he recently built a similar cabinet with a similar veneer. The universe is funny like that. It is beautiful!
It was yesterday…
I like Encurtis… but Pedulla is on other level…
Just watched Eric's video before this... odd coincidence. Both these guys make great points. I'd veneer stuff if I had the vacuum press and skill.
Simultaneous Invention ?
who copied who?
An absolutely stunning piece of functional art. I love the detail and appreciate the grain matching of the veneer skin across the entire face of the cabinet. Well done sir. Steve
Absolutely stunning piece, Nick. I often feel a fully burl-wrapped piece is overwhelming to the point where the effect of the burl is lost - that copper cove breaks it up perfectly and brings the whole piece together. Brilliant design, brilliant craft, brilliant video!
Your videos are just about the only woodworking videos I watch start to finish these days. Thanks for putting them out there.
Thank you
The furniture and video are both excellent. The imagery is stunning, the music is beautiful and the voice and storytelling are smooth. Subscribed instantly.
You are not only an incredible wood worker, you are an artist..
I love veneer work. Veneer allows you to make things you can't make with lumber alone. About forty years ago, when I had my shop, I built an entire office suite for a client out of a gorgeous birdseye maple, with flowing curved sides and columns. Because it was veneered, it all matched perfectly and was utterly stable. I made a 10-foot-long vacuum press (very similar to yours), and used many complicated curved cauls. However, as you said, you don't need all that stuff. I did a lot of beautiful veneer work for clients with just animal glue, a veneer hammer (that I made), a veneer saw, and a regular household clothes iron. "Hammer veneering" is a great way to get into veering very cheap and with limited space. It's old-school, but it works. BTW, your work is beautiful. I'm so impressed. You are a very skilled woodworker. Watching you build this piece brought back a lot of memories for me. Sometimes I wish I still had my shop.
Thanks for watching
Your work is exquisite and inspiring. Anyone who thinks veneer is just "cheap furniture" never bothered to leave the IKEA store. Some of the most timeless pieces in history used some of the many forms of veneering. I would suggest that instead of "arguing" about whether veneered pieces are woodworking or not; perhaps we should discuss the point at which a woodworking piece becomes a piece of art made of wood.
Absolutely correct. Additionally, veneering allows for the use of species that would otherwise never be available, except to the obscenely wealthy. Use of veneer also allows for a more "frugal" use of a species because one log can be turned into enough veneer to use in many pieces of furniture/art. Thank you.
i did a search once on google images for Marquetry veneer and was absolutely awestruck at the artistry in some pieces.
In these modern times we have access to globally sourced veneers that widen the scope of what our minds can manifest ...happy days
I live in Britain and most all the fine furniture I grew up with was veneered, very expensive and 2-4 centuries old, so anyone saying veneering is not woodworking doesn't know what theyare talking about, its art at the end of the day. Where I draw the line is pre-revolutionary French furniture where there's fine stone work, cabinet making, repouse, gilding, oil painting, veneer, marquetry and inlaying all going on on the same piece - thats gaudy!!! LMAO
Jeff Beck used to live near me adn I've seen his hot rods, this cabinet is like one of those 36 coupes - under the sleek finish you know a LOT of thought, work and passion went into it.
10:50 West & Zander - Nammásj
Had to interrupt watching to look that on up! Great choice, so smooth. Much like the build.
a veneered panel is simply more stable than a solid panel and wont warp and bend and cup like a solid panel and as such is ideal for furniture making, it takes more effort to make a piece of furniture out of veneered panels but pays off in longevity. the piece was beautiful but id have really wanted to utilise the corner cavities seems a waste of available space, a couple of corner doors would have been awesome. You definitely have some serious skills though no doubt about that
man, It looks so amazing. As an architect from Beijing, China, your projects has really really inspired me.
Thank you
It's great to see your latest creation Nick, another stunning piece of functional art.
I could have used your vacuum press in my last build.
FYI back in my chair building days a rep from AV Syntec who made Urea Formaldehyde told us to add 10% PVA to the Urea to make it less brittle. Our chair backs stopped cracking on the glue line due to flex.
Your chat just reminded me of the tip.
Enjoy 2025 Nick.
Regards James
Thank you James!
As always, a master class! It's true that not being or being able to be a member means you have to wait for a video here, but it's worth it. THANK YOU for your generosity in sharing.
Thanks for watching
By far, your furniture design and phenominal craftsmanship are at theTOP of the craft. Watching you create, build and finish your pieces is the most memorable, educational and entertaining channel out there. Not only do you explain your projects, you show us how you achieve the beautiful end results. Bravo to you, sir.
Hi Nick,
Absolutely stunning. I’m drooling over that burl veneer. You made the most of an exquisite wood. Bravo. And good on you for learning metal leaf techniques. Well done.
Cheers,
Keith
I always appreciate how easy a master makes what they do look so easy. Beautiful, as always.
Also, I love that vacuum table. It looks addictive lol!
Very nice! I was a bit surprised when you started using a power sander after filling the knot holes out of fear of burn through. But, with care it is the right tool for the job.
I have been missing your videos without realizing it. So nice to get another one. Thanks!
Every time I read Reddit or TH-cam comments on woodworking it makes me laugh. The concept of "real" woodworking and the gatekeeping associated with it is just stunning to me. Different techniques allow different results. What I think is the most important is like what you did here, design a beautiful piece, and then use the best method to execute it. Design and aesthetic should be the driving force.
@@MWHomeBuilds I think in the case of furniture function should prevail over form.
Sometimes the function is just to look cool so you might have something.
Hi Nick, Great work on the piece and video, thanks for putting it together for all of us. I dabble a bit in veneering when needed and years ago set up a similar veneer press using a vac pump, bag, and slotted table. I used it for loudspeakers made of MDF. Needless to say all your messages resonated with me. Veneering is a valuable and useful process for any woodworker.
Thank you
Beautiful, loved that you clocked the screws on your name plate, great attention to details.
A large furniture retailer in the UK (Oakfurnitureland) used a marketing phrase for a long time “no veneer ‘ere”. They were trying to market that their products were all solid wood and that anything veneered was, somehow, low grade (how that must have come as a shock to all the old furniture makers).
True all their stuff was solid wood. It was all staves of timber such as mango and, it seemed to me, anything cheap grown in countries like Vietnam where the stuff was made. The designs were……simple to the point of naive. A good use of “everything rectangular”.
For me, a shining example of design first and materials second. In other words, design something which is pleasing to the eye and fulfils the function you want - and then figure out how to make it.
Veneer items generally *are* cheap and nasty, MDF (Cardboard), Chipboard/particle board all have useful lifespans of less than 20 years in ideal circumstances, veneer starts to come apart with the slightest damage..
I have solid pieces that now going to the 3rd generation, my kids (and weren't expensive for the time, adjusting for inflation they were in fact cheaper than most modern junk)
@ you’re entitled to your opinion but there is a weight of evidence to show you are wrong. I have no doubt that there has been and is a lot of cheap veneered stuff out there - I remember the crap from MFI - but to say that a good substrate has a life span of 20 years is just plain flying against the facts. I have pieces, and know of pieces, that I made for family and friends over 30 years ago and the substrate is as good as the day I made them. Some have had signs but are easily repairable - no different from a ding in a solid piece. As a love of good furniture, I have several pieces from the 19th and early 20th century which are veneered - and look great. Some veneer had lifted due to the shifting climates of houses but that’s no different in principle to classic cars - they all need maintenance.
I have been woodworking for over 45 years and continue to make pieces in solid and veneered timber. I couldn’t make most of the pieces that are curved in solid timber but, if you want 90 degree furniture and only 90 degree furniture, then great; it leaves curved pieces to the discerning user.
it's not the veneer.
The problem is the structure, or lack thereof, of the substrate
@@seanfaherty so, for you, veneered items are not inherently better or worse. Any competent woodworker understands the structural properties of ply and MDF, for instance, and use the right substrate for each task. For sides of a cabinet,as an example, I will use MDF because the piece is vertical. If the top has a longer unsupported section, I would use ply or cheap solid or, I guess, a torsion box.
@ I see what you’re saying but you’ve never met my nephews.
Simply amazing work~!! You gifted in both having the vision to conceptualize a piece like this and then having the ability to create it. Mind blown~!
I saw this on my feed this morning. I'm watching now as I wind down for the night, literally been desperate to watch since. Love your work, both with timber and film making, each video is more polished and refined
Thanks for watching
I never thought of veneering before because I didn’t think I had the skills to pull it off! Of coarse it’s woodworking! You cease to amaze me with your design and skills. I enjoy each video, thank you.
Thank You
Exquisite workmanship !!!
Another great looking piece of art! Awesome job!
The big foot fade out to the logo really hit the funny bone. I've had a rough week so a good laugh was very welcome.
Good to hear, thank you
Absolutely mind blowing as always Nick😮
Thanks for sharing the build and inspiring people 🙏
Thank you
I love watching your videos. Such clear explanations of what you're doing and why and amazing designs. As a mostly self-taught woodworker who's lucky enough to be able to make a living from what I make, I learn something new (usually multiple things) every time I watch one of your builds. And while I consider myself a professional woodworker these days, you're the gold standard here in Australia and where I aspire to be some day. Probably lofty goals but you know, why not dream. 🤣😂 And for the record, I'd consider veneering to be proper woodworking, just because of the planning and complexity of actually doing it and doing it well.
Thank you
Absolutely beautiful…well done. Your patience filling the burl knot holes is amazing.
as a retired custom furniture maker i agree with everything you have said. i watch your videos because i am inspired by your designs. on a side note i agree with the whole box thing lol. that's why i went to a one man shop doing custom work. i hated repetition.
Another sick piece! the grain continuity is amazing! Love the addition of the copper flake and the subtle details. Another killer project dude!
Thanks mate
Another amazing piece, Nick. That burl is just mind-blowing, and notably not anything you could actually make components out of from a solid piece of wood. I assume here that you did a copper gilding - looks great as the accent!
I'll sort of echo some of the supportive comments here, and your content - I absolutely loathe the stupid gatekeeping that goes on. I imagine in the distant past, some dude gave another dude s**t for using an iron axe to fell a tree to make something... "You're cheating! Stone tools or nothing, poseur!" I sometimes watch a restoration video, and what I've noted is that the craftsperson uses the tools, methods and materials they have. I absolutely believe 18th century furniture makers would use Titebond and pin nails if they had the means to. Why would they not?
Love your videos, Nick. At this point, I'd watch you make a ham sandwich and enjoy it.
A Ham Sandwich video hey? not a bad idea lol
I have used that same burl veneer on a box lid :-) I thought that was extending myself but this video is like discovering a 5th dimension. As usual your video production is top quality . Thanks Nick !
Thanks
The main reason veneer is considered substandard is because people have experience with it used on high wear surfaces, and generally solid wood is easier to repair if damaged. Quality is not the issue, but perceived durability is. Very good video and as always, most excellent craftsmanship.
Let me ask you this; what is the material generally Veneered? (Answer: MDF, Chipboard/particle board)
The life of these products is less than 2 decades IF cared for very well.. a solid oak piece well cared for WILL last generations.
Veneering is a sign of cheap and nasty because it is. not because of the Veneer itself, or even the design of the piece but the choice of substrate.
I would’ve stared at those doors for the rest of my life and still not been able to figure out how to get those curves to line up. 😂 your craftsmanship is amazing and the designs are always inspiring.
Thank you
must be awesome to be able just create and build and enjoy, instead of just rushing just to meet deadline for another kitchen. Your work is beautiful, design and execution are next level!Also your videos are relaxing to watch !
I've come to fine woodworking late in life, but I learn so much from watching you create. Thanks for posting your process in making these amazing pieces!!
Thanks for watching
Again a fabulous, stunning, work of art. Always enjoy your work and approach to details, and so inspiring. Thank You.
Trabalho magistral! Para um iniciante e entusiasta da marcenaria como eu, seu trabalho está no mais alto nível que eu conheço. Obrigado pelo seu trabalho inspirador e por compartilhar suas habilidades! Felicitações de Parnamirim/RN Brasil 🔝
What a stunning piece. One of the best woodworkers on TH-cam.
Veneer or not, your creativity and precision is through the roof. Great job as usual!
Always inspiring and informative. I'd forgotten about bendable plywood! What if's are what happens after we start our Journey. Thomas Hucker was the first to scramble my notions of woodworking and design. Always hit that image when you post on TH-cam. I appreciate your evolution and sharing of your journey! In my shop lots of machines can rust. LOL!
Nick - you are the pinnacle of what I want to accomplish as a woodworker. Thanks for always pushing the boundaries and keeping me humble as I stare at the mountain I aspire to climb to get to your level someday. And yes, your Patreon helps A LOT, showing the path :). Bravo, again. (P.S.: just got my Vacupress and bag😅)
Thank you! You wont be disappointed with the vacuum setup
@ just used it for the first time and love it.
Absolutely amazing, from imagination to putting it out in real the whole process of how you create is inspiring and a treat to watch! Another masterpiece 👏
Recently, we visited Italy and saw many varieties of structures made from stone, wood, or other materials available in ancient times, which are just awe-inspiring. Your work reminds me of many pieces made by artisans like Michelangelo, Rafael, and many others. I also love your narration, which reflects your thinking process
Thank You
The hide glue/veneer always reminds me of eagerly watching Steve Hay on Woodworking Masterclass back in the day.
“Remember to keep it sharp, but more importantly keep it safe”😆
17:42 🤯 whoaaaa . . . I never knew wood could be made to do that!
I love using timbermate to coat my veneer sheets too. Always have to water it down first . Like you did
that is a beautiful piece of art. The door opening is probably my favorite! I love watching your videos and I don't mind waiting because I know it will be awesome.
I used to sneer at veneer… when I was young in my woodworking journey and uneducated (= ignorant of the history of fine furniture). Some of the most amazing furniture pieces made in the past 500 years in Europe utilized veneers.
Great video, beautiful woodworking.
Excellent episode, as usual.
Incredible. I'm in awe.
Love good veneer work. Absolutely beautiful when done right. I get that it's also overused for cheap stuff... but it's used because it does the job.
Ive been watching your videos quit repetitively lately and im exsteamly impressed! Your imagination,talant is over the top. And your advice is vary motivative. Keep up the cool videos and great work . Love watching them👍👍
No question...that's a high end piece of furniture. It's not about the materials; it's about the design and execution by the craftsman. Bravo! And the continuous wrap of that burl is totally awesome.
Thanks
Unexpected Sunday night pleasure.. glad to see a new video
Wow! I had no idea that you could use ordinary wood glue , veneer , and iron to apply edge banding! I never even thought to use the heat of an iron to set glue!
Wood glue is water based, heat drives off the water and sets it up faster..
Awesome design and construction, Nick. I use veneers (phenolic backed, paper backed and non-backet) in much of my work and appreciate the design flexibility it offers. Thanks for sharing this build video with us.
Thanks for watching
Incredible work. Thanks for sharing
I always enjoy your videos, but I enjoy your creativity and execution even more. Thank you for the entertainment and the inspiration
Thanks for watching
Absolutely beautiful.
It's look is very deceiving.
From afar it looks nice yet simple. Close up a person can start to see the true craftsmanship. It's a special kind of mind that can both design and build something as unique as this "simple" cabinet.
Increíble tu trabajo, y tu imaginación de poder crear semejantes muebles 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Once again, stunning design and craftsmanship AND teaching moments for we new explorers into the world of wood artistry and techniques.
Good Evening 🌅, another splendid piece of furniture you have created, well worth the time and effort you have spent on it,
Strange, I was looking for my vacuum bag last week , it’s obviously gone missing in the process of me moving, I’ve got my pump, so I’m going to have to source another vacuum bag at some point, now I’ve seen you do this I feel I want to have a go at what I used to do many years ago again, back in the 80s I made a Rosewood bar, as a display piece for a company that made components for high-end yachts, the front was S shaped, and I’ve been near the front with Santos Rosewood, it took me nearly a week, I had to do it all by hand, on the top was book matched, out of solid rosewood approximately 6 to 8 inches wide boards I got from a place down in Kent, the underside of the top was done in quarter inch thick mahogany, as a balancer for the Top ,
Keep up the great work look forward to seeing your next project , kind regards from me to you, oh and a happy New Year as well,
I see there is a lot of comments people saying that Ebony was first used in Europe by master craftsman, making imperial furniture, but I think you’ll find a date back long before that in Egypt the pharaohs and in Japan,
A beautiful piece, for sure. I actually love that you and ENCurtis covered this topic at the same time. There are some similarities, but a lot of differences, and hearing the perspective of two furniture artists at different points in their journey was enlightening, especially some of the tips you provided. It is really unfortunate that cheap 70s and 80s furniture which laid the groundwork for flat-pack trash ruined the reputation of veneered furniture because you can do so many interesting things with veneer and a stable substrate that you just can’t with solid wood, even if you could get the wood you wanted as solid wood.
It's just intergenerational forgetting. I love Art Deco moderne era furniture, and without veneering, the sweeps and curves just wouldn't be possible or durable.
Beautiful work! Veneering is fun, I recently got into it and it can make your work much nicer if done correctly!
Never heard of this. As I learned to be an carpenter in Germany we worked with solid wood and veneer. It depended on what you wanted to do and between Ikea veneer and veneer we used were worlds in quality.
I drabbled a little bit in restoration of older pieces and almost all of them came with veneer to get for example a luxurious look for a side table. Underneath was solid wood, most of the time softer inexpensive wood.
And I learned that even if the veneer got damaged you can repair it with patience, same looking veneer and pigments to blend both pieces.
I think woodworking for me is just working with wooden materials in a way that the material fits the purpose.
I wouldn't build my kitchen out of solid wood, you can but alone the steam while cooking is enough to warp things if the construction is not perfect.
And with veneer you can in my experience be more free with creative patterns etc.
Even more so because a lot of that "Full Wood Furniture" just isn´t. I have a good few pieces of antique furniture. And every single piece exept my 200 years old massive oak table and the chairs that belong to it has some degree of veneer work on it. The difference is that it isn´t there to hide MDF or other super cheap materials. It covers solid wood that just doesn´t look as nice. And to enhance the piece in areas where grain direction might not look as neat for example or where the material the veneer is made from just wouldn´t be feasible to make the whole part from. Either because (As with the burl veneer here) you would never find the material in large enough pieces/quantitits or the wood would be too soft or brittle.
Hell, there is/was actually a sub-category of the cabinet maker/carpenter (Schreiner for us Germans) that specializes in working with veneer and creating complex patterns and what I can only describe as pieces of art by piecing them together from veneer and doing inlay work. Anyone who says veneer work isn´t woodworking has never actually looked at some of the most beautiful and elaborate furniture going back quite some time.
As I like to say, it´s never the tool or material (most of the time), it´s the way you use it. If you make cheap mdf or chipboard boxes and cover them with veneer to hide the cheap material beneath? Thats not woodworking. If you make complex furniture, applying skill and knowledge as well as using materials and techniques well to create beautiful pieces of well made craftsmenship? That definitely is "Handwerkskunst" even if it isn´t using solid wood and dovetail joints everywhere. (Usually traslated to Craftsmanship. But it´s a German word that doesnt really have a good match in english. It´s a combination of Craft and Art. It can describe the process of a craft being executed skillful enough it´s an artform. As well as describe a very skillfully made and beautiful piece of well done craftsmenship.)
@@theexchipmunk agreed
Absolutely agree from a British Carpenter.
Looks amazing! I love the choice of veneer.
Thank you for posting stuff to TH-cam. I love professional content and since KingPost stopped making videos, I’ve missed it.
Mad props for the bit at 16:19. I’m in a fairly different boat to yourself but the excuses people make around lack of tools is so lame.
Okay just finished the video - that turned out insane!
Very beautiful piece of furniture
The clocked screws on the plaque. I see you, man. Beautiful work as always!
Thanks for noticing
Here's a thought... Marquetry and inlays are found on many antique and high end furniture. That alone dismisses any notion that veneering should be devalued or dismissed as not real woodworking.
To me, the work you do is so so so far away from things I’m capable of that all your projects aren’t woodworking to me. Or actually I’ll change that to the work I do isn’t woodworking in comparison. 😁 The craftsmanship you always put in blows my mind everytime and has helped me try and think more out of the box. So thank you sir, incredible piece!
Brother, this is another wonderful video. Like the whiskey cabinet, it's not a piece I'd want in my home, but it's a piece I'd want to look at in a space where it's a good fit. More than that, though, your way of showing us your process, the voicover, the backing music, the editing- just as good as the piece itself. Strong work all around, again.
Thank you
Stunning and inspiring, both the result and your explanation of your methods, choices and passion for the craft.
i have now done alot of veneering, have made some lovely stuff, and although i did start off with clamps, once i got a vacuum pump and bag i have never gone back, i have never had a failed veneer with a vacuum bag, and when u spend 100's of hours making a veneer design, u can't afford a failed glue, so folks if u r going down the veneer road, please get a vacuum bag.
It's a lovely piece of furniture. I think this is one of the best you have made in your TH-cam series. The scale was excellent. Congratulations. I am sure your client was very pleased.
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your creations, what you are accomplishing is absolutely amazing. Just a little question though; was it intentional to lign up the screws for your ´sign´ inside the door in an angle of about 30 degrees or did you just got lucky? Can´t wait for the next one, thanks for the inspiration.
I would love to see Alm Fab fly over and do a collab! Thanks for the video, I’m happy to see artists doing amazing things with their craft.
Veneering is a very efficient use of rare woods. Why waste all the beauty of a rare/special grain on the core?
The message at the end was the icing on the cake
Glad you liked it mate!
Beautiful work as usual. Anywho I think most people's problems with veneer is that they feel they shouldn't be paying as much money for "fake wood" as a piece of solid wood.
Top quality veneer is real wood. Period. It's not fake, and veneering is so ancient that the Egyptian Pharoahs did it. So... Educate your customers. Just because there cheap printed veneers that are sticky back plastic, doesn't mean that quality veneering is cheap and nasty. Or that veneered substrates aren't durable. For a beach house on the coast of Florida, making furniture from moisture-resistant marine plywood or marine MDF as the substrate is the only way to ensure that it will remain dimensionally stable in the humid atmosphere. If designed well, and veneered with exotic hardwood, such pieces will outlast their owners, and be durable for decades or even longer if taken care of, and not misused.
Your work is extraordinary! Your ability to just go with it and see where it takes you is great.
Thank you
Can’t tell you how pleased I was too see your latest video this morning, glad to see you back
Thanks
Awesome woodworking, as usual from you Nick. Having done veneer work myself, in the past, with far less equipment, I am in awe of your mindset and skills. Cheers!
Usually the people…and it’s usually middle aged men…who criticise are just envious. The veneer work from the 17th to 19th century is mind blowing. Most modern wood workers would struggle to achieve their level of perfection because it takes time. Something most don’t want to invest in today. Just like marquetry. Stunning.
Like the copper leaf in the doors, gives the whole piece an unexpected twist. Also like the book matched veneer of the doors. What grit of sandpaper did you use to sand the putty off the knotholes? I’d be afraid of sanding that veneer in fear of burning through it.
Never knew poplar could look spectacular! I turned an Eames walnut stool out of poplar boards and stained it to look like walnut. Those boards were bland and straight grained with the typical tan and pale green colors, this veneer is at a whole new level!
Once again a stunning piece. Also an enjoyable, informative, and entertaining video. Always love it when I see a new video available and have never been disappointed.
Well, I’m not sure if you’re fine Woodworker or movie content creator. Your cabinetmaking and design skills are exceptional, but watching your work in your organised workshop and filmed in such a captivating manner is … mind blowing. Thank you. 🇦🇺👴🏻
Thanks so much
Absolutely beautiful design and really inspiring build. Your hard work, skill and design shine through.
Wonderful, Nick! Truly amazing work!!! 😃
But I'd say this... If it evolves wood and you're having fun, it's woodworking!
Happy new year! And stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thank you!
Unbelievable work. Thanks for the great video. Impeccable quality.
Thank you
Absolutely stunning. You are the inspiration that helps me try new things and create something from raw materials. Thank you for everything.
Thats awesome to hear! Keep up the great work!
Amazing piece of art! What kind of black finish are you using?