Advice on hardwood insert in a plywood panel

[Kevh50]

Making a mantel clock . Carcase will be veneered plywood. Both sides will have windows which will have decorative routered edges .I will need to make a hardwood insert that can be routered. Question - will the plywood and hardwood expand and contract at the same rate and will this be seen under the veneer.

 

[Droogs]

Hard to say. All depends on the type of hardwood, ply and veneer you will use. If you are putting the finished piece somewhere there will be a lot of humidity changes then i would suggest you seal the ply first before putting on the veneer. Also edge it in the same hardwood as the final veneer. Use this type of bit to join the edge banding before applying the veneer and once you have it perfectly level and smooth cover both the ply and the edging before profiling to avoid telegraphing the join through the veneer.

hth

 

[peter-harrison]

I've done lots of things like this- mainly veneered table tops with long and end grain lippings, on MR MDF or ply cores, which are then veneered over. I've never had a problem with it. Just keep the solid timber as narrow as you can, to minimise the expansion or contraction.