Assuming you don't want your cabinets, ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture
or other products made from plywood to smell like dirty diapers, a quick
look at the Complete Guide to Hardwood Plywood and Face Veneer by Ang
Schramm is in order. According to Schramm, South American Lapuna Sumauma
wood has a high starch content that is susceptible to attack by
anaerobic bacteria while sitting on the bottoms of holding ponds at the
veneer plant. The byproducts, butyric acid and caproic acid, exude an
odor that may not always be noticeable in properly dried wood in dry
conditions but becomes offensive when humidity increases. As can be
expected, veneer from this species is in low demand and therefore cheap,
and manufacturers buying on price point alone can find themselves in
possession of a product whose odor is, at this time, irreversible and
without remedy.
Not all of the content in this book is so esoteric. The book's 157 pages
are organized into sections covering variations in appearance, the
veneer manufacturing process, types of veneer matching, grades and
product standard, substrates, the hardwood plywood manufacturing
process, meeting customer expectations, and troubleshooting common
problems. Liberally sprinkled with black-and-white photographs and
diagrams, the book gives excellent detail on describing, the processes
of plywood and veneer manufacturing so the reader can better understand
the advantages and limitations of the product and the various processes.
For instance, the chapter on troubleshooting provides a diagram showing
why one side of veneer (tight side) is more heat-reflective and
impervious to finish than is the other (loose) side, which is more
light-refractive and absorbent. By understanding the relative
differences between the sides and why those differences exist, it is
then possible to present an explanation why starch book-matching veneers
has the problem of adjacent sheets of veneer having different
light-reflecting/refracting and finish absorbing characteristics. The
manual can then proceed to explain different techniques to overcome the
variation and present a more uniform appearance (in this case,
glue-sizing or wash coating) and to recommend specific products to help
achieve the desired result.
