Determining Lathe Settings for Optimum Veneer Quality

Published data on rotary veneer lathe setting optimums were studied to determine if consistent relationships among adjustment parameters could be established. By calculating the value of a parameter termed exit gap, it was found that at the optimum settings published for a number of species, this parameter was very nearly equal to the gap (horizontal opening). Studies were conducted to test this relationship of equality between gap and exit gap. Equipment was a milling machine modified to cut veneer from small blocks of young-growth Sequoia sempervirens (D. Don) Endl. The veneer chips (1 inch by 3 inches by 1/8 inch, 3/16 inch and 1/4 inch) were evaluated for each lathe setting tested by measuring four aspects of veneer quality. Results verified that the optimum lathe settings for this species resulted when gap was equal, or very nearly equal, to exit gap. Contour plots of gap and exit gap for each measure of veneer quality showed that the actual optimum varied in a small range (plus or minus 0.005 inch) from equality depending on which aspect of veneer quality was maximized. It was also shown that use of gap and exit gap for adjusting rotary veneer lathes is rapid, accurately reproducible, and a very simple technique to perform.

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