Project Update: Checking out Veneer

Since I've decided to set the case bottom aside for now, I'm going to go ahead and start preparing the case sides. One of the crucial steps in finishing them up will be veneering them with quarter sawn red oak in keeping with my Arts & Crafts/Mission design theme. I stopped by Crosscut Hardwoods in Portland to price some of the stuff. It's not cheap, but given what it accomplishes, it's certaily less costly than solid oak (which I would never use on a case).

As you can see, one 4' x 8' sheet is $69.00. I'll go with the paper-backed product and use contact cement to take these astonishingly thin sheets to my desired 1/16" thickness. I'm planning on skating through the holidays and then purchasing a sheet to get those sides completed.

On a couple of unrelated notes, I also spotted this at Crosscut Hardwoods:

I've never run across wigglewood before and cannot imagine a scenario in which I might need some. As my buddy, Phil Bradfield, said on Facebook, it's not a hardwood. I'll just leave it at that.

Another Tortuga Early Instruments fun fact is that I burn incense whenever working in the shop. My flavor of choice is Nag Champa, which is widely regarded as temple incense. Because the shop is my Sacred Space, this only makes (in)sense.

Until next time...