Vaneering, or Finishing, a kind of marquetry, or inlaying, by which several thin slices or leaves of fine wood, of different kinds, are applied and fastened on There are two kinds of veneering; the one, which is the more ordinary, goes no farther than the making of compartments of different woods; the other requires much more art, and represents flowers, birds, and the like figures. The first kind is what we properly call veneering; the latter we have already described under Marquetry.

The wood intended for veneering is first sawed out into slices or leaves, about a line thick. In order to saw them, the oaks or planks are placed upright in a kind of vice or saw press, the description of which may be seen under the article just referred to. These slices are afterwards cut into slips, and fashioned divers ways, according to the design proposed; then the joints being carefully adjusted, and the pieces brought down to their proper thickness, with several planes for the purpose, they are glued down on a ground or back of dry wood, with good strong English glue. The pieces being thus joined and glued, the work, if small, is put in press; if large, it is laid on the bench, covered with a box, and pressed down with poles, or pieces of wood, one end of which reaches to the ceiling of the room, and the other bears on the boards. When the glue is quite dry, they take out of the press and finish it; first with little planes, then with divers scrapers, some of which resemble rasps, who take off dents left by the planes. When sufficiently dried, the work is polished with the skin of a sea-dog, wax, and a brush and polisher of shave-grass.