MANZONIA VENEER STRIPS 0.5 X 5 X 1000 MM BY 20

Manzonia veneer 0.5 x 5 x 1000 mm, pack of 20

The pack holds twenty veneer strips with a section of 0.5 x 5 mm and a length of one meter. Half a millimeter is half to a quarter of the usual strip thickness — such a strip will bend around practically anything and adds practically no bulk to a hull. The doubled number of pieces against a usual pack answers to the fact that thin veneer covers area and the consumption is higher. Manzonia is a hard African wood of a dark tone with a fine, dense grain.

Use on a model

• the second, visible layer of hull planking laid over a sanded-down first layer
• fine deck planks, where a thicker strip would look oversized
• facing for superstructures, bulkheads and inner surfaces
• dark bands and inlay details against pale wood
• finishing a stand, a base or a nameplate for a model

Working with the wood

Veneer is flexible but also brittle, chiefly across the grain — carry the strips flat and do not bend them over the edge of the table. Cut with a sharp scalpel against a metal rule, in one smooth draw. It is glued over the whole area with a thin layer of PVA glue; at half a millimeter any excess would be pressed through to the surface and the varnish would then draw it as a glossy stain. Hold the pressure with rubber bands, tape or a soft pad under clamps. Sand with a really fine grit and with the least possible pressure — at half a millimeter it is a matter of a few strokes before you go right through to the layer beneath. Seal the surface at the end with matte varnish, wax or oil.

Who the veneer is for

For builders of wooden ship models who are finishing a hull with a visible layer and want dark wood in the smallest thickness, and for modelers who face stands and bases with veneer.

The veneer strips are supplied in their natural state, unworked and without any surface finish. Glue, abrasives and varnish are not included in the package.