veneering scroll work

[klokwiz]

hi, new to the forum.  i am an avid clock restorer and have a 1800's pillar and scroll which has damaged scrolls.  replacing the scroll base wood and then need to apply veneer to surface. my question is what is best approach to cutting or forming the curves in veneer.  I am thinking i need to cut the veneer to roughly the right shape, glue it to the base and then trim it to the proper shape.   Joe 

[Beechwood Chip]

I think it depends on the shape of the curves.  Can you give us some pictures?  We'd love to see your work!

Welcome to the forum!

[wtnhighlander]

I'm assuming that you mean flat components, with scroll-cut edges, not three-dimensional curves. I would probably veneer the flat stock first, make the edge cuts, then apply veneer to the edges, if desired. I see that as the simplest method, but it will leave the edges of the veneer more visible from the show face of the piece. The less obvious veneer seam would be achieved by cutting the substrate to shape first, veneering & trimming the edges, then veneering the face. Lots of work for a small detail, but sometimes the detail is worth it.

[klokwiz]

[klokwiz]

hi,  sorry i did not add photos originally.   Cant figure how to fix upside down photo.  so you can see i need to cover the replacement tips with veneer.  the photo with name is an example of complete clock of this type, the dark one is mine without door or movement installed.   so i need to figure how to best cover the new backing and they are only veneered on the front.  Joe 

PS i wonder if anyone can tell me what species of wood veneer is below the tips i am recovering?

 

[wtnhighlander]

Judging from the color and grain figure, I'd guess that is american black walnut. It is almost impossible to be certain, short of a microscopic examination of the end grain, so it could one of a number of look-alikes.

[klokwiz]

highlander,  thanks for your assistance.  do you feel my application of veneer is correct? rough shape glue than trim to shapes?  

What do you think the possibility of this being mahogany?  thanks, Joe 

 

[Mark J]

@Ronn W is a skilled veneer guy.  He hasn't been hanging out here so much lately, but a shout out can't hurt. 

And  @h3nry makes a lot of period furniture.

[wtnhighlander]

@klokwiz, I think you are on the right track, but the folks mentioned in @Mark J's post can probably advise you better than I. As for the wood species, I suppose it could be mahogany, but I'm sticking with my original guess of walnut. A photo of the full piece, lit from the front, might tell a different story.

[h3nry]

I am most certainly not a veneer expert ... but I do attempt to use it in my woodwork.

I guess one question is what veneer are you goimg to use to repair it?? It is clearly a crotch cut of veneer, and I would guess probably mahogany. Although that part of the grain is away from the crotch figure so you may be able to get a good enough grain match from something straight grained. If it is 19th century it is probably quite a thick cut veneer too.

Finding a modern thick genuine mahogany crotch veneer to match it might be difficult. Most modern veneers are very thin 1/42" so there will be a problem matching the level of the finished surface between the old and the new. Also most modern "mahogany" is from African species, not Central American, and although it looks fairly similar it will add to the difficulties of making a good match.

If it is an option, I would personally consider replacing the whole piece of wood, and covering it with all new veneer. I personally I find it easier to veneer a piece of wood that is oversized and then cut it to shape, rather than cut the wood to shape first and then add veneer.  This way you also won't be introducing more joins in the veneer grain.

If this clock isn't worth that much work and you just want to add patches of modern veneer ... thin veneers easily cut with a sharp knife, so cut it slightly oversized before gluing it, then trim afterwards, but being very careful not to damage the edge which will be fragile. How you trim the edge of the old veneer to get a good join is another matter. Remember that you do not want to be sanding any thickness off a thin 1/42" veneer (there isn't any thickness to spare), so make sure that the substrate is at the correct height to match the old veneer before gluing.

Normally I would suggest making a couple of practise pieces to hone your technique, but you probably don't have any scraps lying around with similar damaged veneer.

good luck.

 

[h3nry]

I'm not sure I was properly thinking about the scale of this ... those are probably pretty small pieces of veneer ... a couple of inches at most? So if it is a thick veneer, You should probably be able to saw them yourself (even by hand if necessary). Cut them a little thicker than the original veneer, then gently plane it down to thickness after gluing.

Finding a piece of wood with a good grain match will still be a bit of a challenge.

[curlyoak]

On 4/3/2026 at 1:32 PM, h3nry said:

I am most certainly not a veneer expert ... but I do attempt to use it in my woodwork.

In no disrespect, that statement made me laugh. The skills you have are unattainable for most people. I'm looking forward to your next project that you post!

[h3nry]

On 4/4/2026 at 4:34 AM, curlyoak said:

In no disrespect, that statement made me laugh. The skills you have are unattainable for most people. I'm looking forward to your next project that you post!

Thanks ... but veneering is something I still struggle with at times. Probably not always helped by my continuing to use hide glue, and not going to the dark side and getting a vacuum bag.

But whatever method, with a patch like this one of the hardest parts will be selecting a veneer that gives a good clean match without looking ugly ... unless you take the other approach and try to "make a feature" out of the join.

[klokwiz]

hi, posting photos of work.  not perfect but acceptable.  thanks for those that signed in.  Joe 

PS sorry but i cant figure how to get photos upright. 

 

[fcschoenthal]

That looks great Joe. You would only notice if you got close and most wouldn't then. The color is the hardest part.

[h3nry]

Yes ... great job ... nice match with the finish.

[Von]

Nice work.

[wtnhighlander]

Great color match! I can't imagine getting it much better, short of replacing the veneer over the entire board. Even then, matching the color of the remaining parts would be a challenge.

[Mark J]

Came out very well.