How thick is veneer?

Q:

I’m making a table, and the plans say to subtract the thickness of the veneer when cutting certain parts. Can you tell me the thickness of veneer? Some places say it’s ¹⁄₄₂ " and others say it’s ¹⁄₃₂ ", or even ¹⁄₁₀₀ ".
—Jack Griffin, Brighton, Ont.

A:

You won’t find such a thing as a standard veneer thickness, Jack. Thicknesses vary by species, veneer makers and sometimes even with customer preferences. The David R. Webb Company in Edinburgh, Ind., sells veneers mostly in the range of .5mm to .6mm, a little thicker than ¹⁄₆₄ ". But it also sells a 2.5mm (about ³⁄₃₂ ") veneer used by boat builders as well as veneers thinner than ¹⁄₁₂₈ " for export to Japan, where the need to use valuable veneer logs efficiently dictates a standard thickness much thinner than in the United States.

Your best bet: Order the veneer you want before beginning your project. Then measure its thickness, double that to allow for both the top and the balancing bottom veneers, and use that number when machining your other project parts.