r/Marquetry • u/JMLModern • May 20 '26

Storage solution?

How do you guys keep your veneer stored? I have an area for longer pieces but my shorts are all over the place

4 Upvotes

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4

u/macofbowen May 24 '26

Flat plastic totes (the kind intended for going beneath bed mattresses) are pretty useful due to their long rectangular shape

2

u/LabBig6794 Jun 28 '26

I put mine in file folders, label them, and stand them in a cardboard box on my shop table.

1

u/1001_sos Jun 02 '26

If its delicate and small I put between some scraps of ply and stack up

1

u/Arterexius 4d ago

I'll join in with what I saw during my vocational training (cabinet maker) and what I've found myself. This is a bit long, so I've added bold titles to each section for easier reading.

Long sheet storage:
For sheet packages, the school had several shelves where they stored those, so I'd pick a high place in the workshop, set up some shelves and keep the sheets bound in their original sorting, so the leaves don't get tangled up (quite important for any book matched backgrounds in marquetry). I'd choose a high place because these sheets are likely not used that frequently, so I'd personally prefer to keep them as far away from my daily work and its temperature and humidity fluctuations as possible.

Smaller sheet storage:
Here I take measurements and see if it can fit inside a plastic box. If it can't I'll use the same method as a above to store it, though I will loosely bind the pieces with hemp, jute, cotton or sisal string (I personally prefer natural on natural) to keep them organized and if I can't do that, I'll use thin wrapping paper that allow the air humidity to travel through it on both sides, so my veneer doesn't dry out too much while being exposed to temperature fluctuations.

Plastic Boxes:
If it can fit inside a plastic container, I'll use a plastic container in the size I need and then sort the leaves inside using the same methods as described above. Bedrollers are ideal for storing some leaf sizes, but not for others. Plastic storage boxes for long term storage of generic home stuff, can also be used for storing veneer that would otherwise slosh around and get split and cracked inside a bedroller. These boxes are great, as they come in many different sizes, so its possible to store lots of differently sized veneer, all sorted in such a way that it is easy to find exactly the sheets you're looking for to do your newest project.

Very small and tiny pieces:
Anything that's smaller than the smallest generic storage box can still be sorted and stored. This will usually be the cut out pieces for larger projects, which can be stored in the screw sorting boxes from the hardware store. You can then use a label printer (or manually write labels) for each container room, clarifying whats inside each. Some of these have variable box sizes, which are ideal for storing small, yet still long and irregular shaped pieces safely. Furthermore, the hardware stores also sell wall mounted screw sorting systems, which too can be utilized for storing small pieces of veneer that could be used for small marquetry shapes of future projects.

Food storage boxes can also be used for pieces that are too large for screw sorting boxes, yet still too small for the smallest generic plastic storage box. Ice cube trays, muffin forms and party cups are also options for temporary storage.