Calidris oak veneer and surface treatment

All Calidris wood elements are veneered, with solid edges in oak veneer. Compared with solid wood, oak veneer ensures a more even quality with a finer wood grain pattern and structural continuity, and a stable wooden board that will not warp. Solid wood is a living material that interacts with air humidity and temperature. If solid wood is to be more stable, it must be glued together from many smaller pieces.

We have chosen to use oak, as beautiful oak veneer with clear wood grains and structure. There will be natural variations from tree to tree, and depending on whether the veneer was cut from near the heart of the tree trunk or the bark, and on where the tree grew. Trees draw minerals up from the soil, which form a dark base in what is called the grain structure, so-called mineral streaks, that vary according to where the tree grew. The natural variation is a quality, which is precisely what distinguishes a natural product from industrial imitations in foils, laminates or melamine. It also means that if a product is re-ordered, they may vary in colour, but the differences will be reduced over time through exposure to sunlight.

What is oak veneer?

Oak veneer is thin strips of wood, 0.4 thick, which are glued under pressure on to wood fibre board. The fibreboard is sanded down to 15 mm, so that the finished piece is 16 mm. All Calidris wood originates from sustainable forestry in the EU. 95-98% of the wood comes from Croatia.

The veneer is sorted into different qualities from A to D. Dansani uses only quality A oak veneer for the fronts of front panels and the carcass, and quality B for visible sides on the backs of front panels and inside cabinets.

Quality A consists of:
Primarily quarter-cut oak veneer that is cut at right angles to the grain structure in the wood, to give a uniform linear grain pattern. Fresh knots up to Ø6 mm are acceptable, which means there are no cracks of any kind in the wood. Veneer strips 60-120 mm wide are glued together at the edge.

Quality B consists of:
Mixed quarter-cut and plain-cut, which is cut parallel to the cross section of the wood, which gives more variation and what is referred to as a cathedral pattern. Tight knots up to Ø15 mm are acceptable, which means that there may be a crack, but not a structural break in the oak veneer around the knot. Strips of veneer in differing widths are assembled with a zig-zag glued thread on the back

Quarter cut:

Plain cut: