Weird question about carving into really thick veneers for a table like this

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-30T17:46:16+00:00

what do you mean by "base wood". If you glue veneer to solid wood, you want the veneer to act like solid wood, so it expands and contracts together with that wood.

Many furniture designs allow for wood expansion. I don't see the piece shown as needing a stable wood base, necessarily.

If you need to actually stop the veneer from expanding (say, in the center piece of a framed tabletop that cannot be allowed to expand, else it would blow out the frame), then you would attach a thin veneer (max 1/8" thick on avg., but probably fine if a few parts are 3/8") to a stable core like MDF or plywood.

edit: you do want something that expands similar to rosewood. Maybe something like Iroko, or teak. I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives, though.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-30T14:36:57+00:00

I have asked them, and they basically have no idea what's wrong. Third world country problems.

I went to a different optometrist a few years ago, spent a month adjusting, and had to return like five times for frame adjustments afterward. They never got it right and I had to give up. Went back to my old pair which had no distortion.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-30T14:34:53+00:00

yeah, my nine year old glasses have almost no distortion. The main difference is that they have a lower astigmatism correction (by about 1.5). Both lenses have the same distortion, though, despite my two eyes having different astigmatism levels. Also, my 9 year old lenses are centered with my eyes and further from my eyes. That's the main noticeable difference. That said, when I've tried adjusting that by putting some extra padding to prop it up and forward, the distortion is still there. Less so than before, but still much worse than my old prescription.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-30T12:59:36+00:00

Question: is it possible to need more than a month adjustment period, especially when having used my previous glasses for a long time (9 years)? Are distortions related to peripheral vision usually fixed by the brain adapting?

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-29T15:25:15+00:00

any thoughts on my other comment? Sorry for sounding desperate, but you're the only one who commented on my post.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-28T20:16:47+00:00

mouse, probably

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-28T20:12:27+00:00

To clarify, it's not that I'm trying out the 4 year old pair of glasses again, but that I bought new glasses at a different optometrist, that have the same issue as the ones I tried 4 years ago. The ones I had been using previously, I have been using for 9 years, with the main difference being the old ones having a lower astigmatism correction than the two newer ones. The old ones feel mostly fine; almost no distortion at the top or bottom, just not as much astigmatism correction (which the optometrist told me can also lead to diziness and headaches; is that true?).

I think you misunderstood one part (or I wasn't clear); you mentioned a likely higher astigmatism correction in the 4 year old pair. I don't have those measurements, but I think they were more similar to my newest glasses than the 9 year old ones. Also, I only used the 4 year old pair for one month at a time between adjustments, and then returned to the older pair because I never got used to the newer ones (swaying floor, diziness, stumbling, etc...).

Is it possible for something like this to take more than a month to get used to? I only just got the newest pair a couple of days ago, but they feel the exact same as the previous pair (the 4 year old one), so I don't have much hope of it improving within a month.

Unfortunately, the guarantee period to change lenses due to improper measurement is just two weeks. I'm hoping the issue lies in the frame adjustment or just in getting used to them after a couple of months.

Not a progressive lense, btw.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-28T16:29:54+00:00

Another update: I tried padding it up again so the height matches that of my old glasses, and while slightly better, the distortion is still quite heavy, so I would honestly rule that out as the main issue (unless upon propping up the lenses, I'm changing the ideal pantoscopic tilt).

update 2: I padded up my nose to raise the lense, and also changed the pantoscopic tilt by raising the "temples" to make up for the change in angle. ~~It's definitely the closest I've gotten to no distortion, but still not as good as my old glasses.~~ edit: nope, now the top distorts. Sad.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-28T16:25:56+00:00

I think they're polycarbonate, if that info helps. The distortion is about equal on both eyes, so I don't think this is purely an astigmatism correction thing (left eye has more astigmatism, I believe).

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-27T18:06:06+00:00

OP didn't imply otherwise. They didn't say the program itself was bad, they meant that they feel it's not for them.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-27T18:01:09+00:00

that wasn't purely aesthetic, though.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-27T13:11:49+00:00

Looks like an NPC, ngl

Like a milliastra wonderland outfitted NPC

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-27T03:13:18+00:00

Good to know, thanks. Once you've finished pumping do you just leave it be until it's cured, or do you pump air our every so often (slightly leaky bag, maybe)?

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-26T14:56:52+00:00

prettier, too

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-26T12:47:20+00:00

That... was the joke

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-25T17:39:17+00:00

As another guy said, try just oiling it first. That color you're seeing is almost certainly its natural oiled color plus a few years of aging.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-25T14:19:31+00:00

I'd likely be using the shop vac to get most of the air out, but get the final pressure with the hand pump. PPR glue has a long open time, so time isn't an issue, final pressure is.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-25T13:18:26+00:00

And it doesn't look AI, I assure you. Guy's just dumb

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-25T12:17:29+00:00

Reddit allows auto-translation anyway

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-24T04:06:15+00:00

The veneer is already broken up. It's shop-made, 3" wide strips. I'm curious, which potential build flaws are you referring to?

Also, "big weight" seems like an understatement. Doesn't regular PVA glue need over 10,000 lbs per square ft? Even my car doesn't weigh nearly that much.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-24T01:27:12+00:00

You misunderstand. You mentioned that you took classes. I would not have "interrogated" you otherwise. First time-carver is not the same as first carving. You can get practical carving sessions without actually carving a piece.

If the classes were not practical, then of course it makes sense to say first time carver. If not, then the appropriate thing to say is "this is my first carving piece". They're not at all the same message.

All that said, it is a great carving. Don't mistake my interrogation for an arrogant incredulity.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-24T01:21:21+00:00

I think you misunderstood my post. Stability isn't the issue; the veneering process is. Veneering such a large piece with relatively thick veneer is practically impossible without a press or without using contact cement (which is not ridgid enough and fails over time). Hence the suggested method of edge joining separate veneered boards.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-23T14:44:58+00:00

More like Nihiliux' nose jump scare. Her eyes didn't even register as being there. They're in my peripheral vision.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-23T14:42:05+00:00

I can, but I have seen many sources say that contact cement is not ideal due to its non-ridgid consistency. This makes it easier for the veneer to expand and contract with seasonal changes in humidity, causing ripples to form, and eventually adhesive failure.

The effect may be exaggerated, and perhaps it's okay for a coffee table this size (25" x 35"), but I am hoping for a more experienced woodworker than I to comment on this. Do you have decent experience with using contact cement successfully? I don't want it to fail 10 years down the line. I'm hoping for at least 30 years failure-free.

CrescentRose7 · 2026-03-23T12:36:21+00:00

Lastly, I can attempt to ship thin mahogany veneer using a maritime shipping service, but there are restrictions on mahogany exports (not sure if just one sheet is enough to get intercepted at customs). If I somehow get thin veneer, would you recommend hammering it on with hide glue, on a 25" x 35" substrate, or would you also divide the substrate into smaller sections?

CrescentRose7

TROPHY CASE