Veneers are thinly cut slices of wood, and veneering is the process of glueing veneers to a substrate. Basically, veneering allows a woodworker to cover inexpensive woods or other materials such as MDF, with a thin layer of expensive wood, thereby enhancing the look of a project (with highly figured grain patterns for example) while keeping the cost down.

Using veneers also has a positive ecological impact. There are many types of wood that would not be commercially available today if it were not for the use of veneers. Much more (surface area) material can be obtained from a tree by cutting it into veneers instead of into boards.

Many woodworkers still choose not to work with veneers however. Although it is not difficult to learn how to veneer, it does take some extra equipment and knowledge. Mostly however, woodworkers who do not want to work with veneers have the perception that solid wood construction is superior than building a project that utilizes veneers.

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