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Veneer Strips

Host Amy Devers begins the chandelier project by preparing the veneer strips.

From "Freeform Furniture"
episode DFFF-212

The first phase of Freeform Furniture's unique chandelier project involves cutting veneer strips for the top and bottom tiers. A hole is drilled in the top of each one of the strips for the nickel wire, and then the strips are sanded and an oil-based polyurethane finish is applied.

Room: Before

Room: After

Host Amy Devers creates this unique two-tier chandelier with thin strips of wood and ribbon.

Amy begins the project by cutting all the veneer wood strips.

Materials:

1/8" thick sheet of cedar veneer
push stick
plywood jig with toggle clamp
right angle cauls
standard wood clamps
oil-based polyurethane finish
respirator
vinyl gloves
cup
lint-free cotton rag
30-yard spool of synthetic ribbon
scissors
lighter
white glue
craft paint brush
10-gauge nickel wire
flux
soldering block
thumbtacks
synthetic steel wool
binder clips
chandelier fixture
light bulb

Tools:

table saw
miter gauge
ruler
clamp
drill press
random orbital sander
wire cutter
cordless power drill
soldering torch
solder
ball peen hammer
metal file

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Veneer Strips

First, cut off the factory edge on both sides of the sheet of veneer. Set the fence for 1" and start cutting strips.
FYI: A fence is just a straight edge that keeps the wood straight and parallel to the blade while cutting. It is especially useful for repeated identical cuts.
Use the table saw to cut a total of 100 strips of veneer. Sixty of the strips need to be 1" wide for the top tier of the chandelier.
Carefully feed the sheet of veneer across the blade and use a push stick to press it across the saw (figure A) and finish up the cut.
Re-set the fence for a 2" cut. These strips are for the bottom tier. You need 40 strips for that.
Use a miter gauge on the table saw set for the length and then make the cuts (figure B).
Drill a hole in the top of each one of the strips because you will be stringing nickel wire down through the hole.
Measure for where you want the holes to go and make sure the holes line up perfectly. Clamp three veneer strips into the plywood jig that you make with a toggle clamp screwed on (figure C). A toggle clamp works on a pivot and lever system and locks just past the center of the pivot point.
Use a drill press for this job because you need to cut holes perfectly straight through the veneer. If you used a handheld cordless drill, there is no guarantee that you will get an exact 90-degree cut for the holes.
All of the machining is done on the strips but they still need to be sanded before you can put a finish on them. This is a lot of strips to sand and to save time, clamp a bunch of them together and sand them all at once.
Use a couple of right angle cauls and some standard wood clamps and then you can hit all the edges with the random orbital sander at once.
Make cauls out of scrap wood and use them to equalize the pressure of the clamps. They will also prevent the clamps from scratching up the veneer (figure D).
Once the strips are secured into place, you can start smoothing them out.
After the edges are sanded, remove the clamps and lightly sand the front and back of each strip to finish them off.
Use an oil-based polyurethane finish. First, pour some of the finish into a cup, dab some of it onto a lint-free cotton rag and just wipe an even coat on the surface of the veneer.
Safety Tip: You may wonder about putting a flammable finish on a piece of wood that will be near a heat source like a light bulb. Almost all oil-based finishes are flammable, but as the solvent evaporate as the finish dries, it becomes much less flammable. This is not to say that it is flame retardant—if you threw it in a fire, it would still catch on fire! Keep in mind that you want to make sure the finish is fully cured before you wire up your lamp and plug it in, and this type of design is appropriate for an incandescent bulb—but definitely not a halogen bulb!
You should consult an electrician before making your own lighting fixtures.
Always wear a respirator and vinyl gloves when working with toxic chemicals like polyurethane.
Then, put on two more coats—letting them dry for four hours in between coats.