Review of VENDIA marine plank by Adrian Morgan

Last April we wrote about Scottish Adrian Morgan who was fascinated by VENDIA marine plank and built Bob - 4,8 meters long skiff. Adrian found VENDIA marine plank from Richard Jagel's article in WoodenBoat magazine and wrote also a review of VENDIA marine plank himself in the same magazine later this autumn (issue September/October 2015). 

Read more of Adrian's experiences in the original article below and see how VENDIA marine plank was like in the hands of boat builder - writer.

Original article >>

Veneer slicing video

We have been asked what the veneer slicing means in practice. Rotary cut veneer is more familiar for the most of us, whereas the veneer slicing is a quite unfamiliar method to produce veneers. We have been writing about the differences between sliced veneer and rotary cut veneer in this post. However we also shot a video how the veneer slicing happens and what is a starting point of VENDIA marine plank. Let the video speak for itself.

Next generation of VENDIA marine plank

The new version of VENDIA marine plank, VENDIA Pro, was introduced at Helsinki International Boat Show on February 2015. Thinner cross veneers and extra lengthwise core veneer are the differences compared to the first generation of VENDIA marine plank. The new structure still ensures that the plank does not crack and the thinner cross veneers make the edge even tighter and increase the longitudinal stiffness of the marine plank. Thickness of VENDIA Pro is 9 mm but it meets the longitudinal stiffness of 12 mm solid plank. 

Compared to the first generation of 9 mm VENDIA marine plank, VENDIA Pro has eight veneer layers in total instead of seven in the normal VENDIA marine plank. VENDIA Pro consists of six lengthwise and two cross veneers, whereas normal 9 mm VENDIA marine plank consists of five lengthwise and two cross veneers. Lengthwise core veneers are still 1.2 mm thick in VENDIA Pro but cross veneers are now thinner, only 0.6 mm. In the normal VENDIA marine plank all the cross veneers are 1.2 mm thick. Face veneer thickness is 1.5 mm in both, normal VENDIA and VENDIA Pro. All the veneers are sliced.

First comments from the boatbuilders who have tested VENDIA Pro have been very positive. As one of the boatbuilders said: “I don’t know how a marine plank could be any better.”

Try VENDIA Pro yourself - now available on VENDIAstore!

Sliced veneer vs. peeled veneer

Many people have asked what is the difference between VENDIA marine plank and normal plywood. We will introduce more detailed the differences and features of VENDIA and normal plywood in a separate posting, but today we are introducing the differences in making the veneers. 

The both, VENDIA and normal plywood are made of veneer but the most significant difference is the way how the veneer is cut. VENDIA marine plank is made of sliced veneers whereas plywood is made of peeled veneers. What is the difference between sliced veneer and peeled veneer then?

Photo: hrzn.net

Sliced veneer is made by shaving veneer sheets from the log. By slicing, the grain pattern will remain natural. Also the veneer surface remains unbroken and it doesn’t include small micro-cracks such as in veneer made by peeling. The features of sliced veneer are better than peeled veneer, and therefore it is often used for more demanding purposes. The appearance of the veneer depends on the cutting direction. The face veneers of quarter cut VENDIA marine plank are sliced radially and face veneers of crown cut VENDIA are sliced tangentially. Appearance of radially sliced veneer is straighter and more regular than tangentially sliced veneer.

Surface of the sliced veneer remains unbroken.

Surface of the peeled veneer includes small cracks.

Peeling is cost-effective method to make veneers. When peeling, the log is rotating against a stationary blade. This method produces continuous “rug” of veneer. The veneer is curved and it has to be flattened before using, at the same time causing small micro-cracks on the surface of the veneer. This weakens the longevity and life of the veneer. Also the finishing is more difficult than in sliced veneer. The blade slices through growth rings and then the appearance of the veneer is not so natural than in sliced veneer.

Crown cut VENDIA marine plank.

Quarter cut VENDIA marine plank.

The most significant disadvantages of peeled veneer for boatbuilding are the small micro-cracks. The small micro-cracks of peeled veneer expose the plywood panel to decay fungi. As a result the paint or varnish can be damaged over the time. These small cracks allow also the water absorption to the traditional marine plywood. The most important advantages of sliced veneer for VENDIA marine plank are the beautiful and natural appearance and longevity.