Veneer material

[MasterClass]

Hello Everyone

Does veneers has to be made of those dye strips of wood?

Is it more difficult to use hard wood as veneers? any reason why it is not as popular?

I remembered the old viking cues use to use some kind of plastic to construct cue veneers. I think it is called wico blanks or something. Please correct me if i am wrong.

Does anyone still do plastic veneers? Any reason why people do not do so now?

Thanks. Just curious for information.

 

[Dave38]

First, This is only my opinion, and ask for the seasoned cuemakers to correct me if I'm incorrect, but, my opinion would be, hardwoods would and do work well, the issue is, hardwoods, that thin, don't show any figure, and usually don't have any vivid color to them. Therefore cutting out the usual reasons for using veneers. There are the ebony, and purpleheart, hollywood, etc. That have great color, but most are not nearly as colorful as a dyed piece. The plastics issue, wood with wood veneers will expand or shrink with time, pretty much the same rate. Plastic veneers will not change with the wood, but at different rates and times. Wood changes with moisture, whereas plastics change with temp. therefore creating bumps, or raised lines, valleys, etc. that can crack the finish and look horrible after.
Hope this helps to answer your question,
Dave

 

[MasterClass]

Anyone else has an opinion on plastic material for veneers?

 

[JoeyInCali]

Anyone else has an opinion on plastic material for veneers?

It's crap.
Takes away the tone of the cue.

Martin/WesternCue has the best veneers in the history of pool imo.
Real maple and sycamore.

 

[MasterClass]

It's crap.
Takes away the tone of the cue.

Martin/WesternCue has the best veneers in the history of pool imo.
Real maple and sycamore.

I do know some cuemaker made cues with ivory veneers. It did not look too bad at all.

I was wondering if ivory substitute material could be use to make veneers as well.

 

[ratcues]

Anyone else has an opinion on plastic material for veneers?

Very, very, bad material for veneers. I repair several a year that just fall apart. The glues have a difficult time adhering to the plastic. Also, the plastic sands at a different rate than wood giving the cue a square feel.

Newer resin based products, such as Elforyn, would work because of different proporties, but it is very hard to beat wood veneers, especially from Martin Bick (jazznpool).