Question:

Can I sand a veneer coffee table?

by Guest64518  |  earlier

0 LIKES UnLike

I bought a coffee table for $10 the other day and it is fairly old, no deep scratches but your typical nicks, wear, and scuff marks that make it look horrendous. I am fairly certain the top portion is veneer. Can I take a sander to it to refinish it? I have the staining stuff and the clear coat bit I need to know if I can sand it down. I have also heard I should maybe strip it?If I strip it how do I go about doing that?Thanks in advance

 Tags:

   Report

6 ANSWERS


  1. Veneer can be stripped the same as solid wood. Although veneer is very, very thin it's as tough as the wood it's glued to.

    It's best not to sand it as it's so thin you could sand through very quickly.


  2. Some veneers are microthin...and you will sand right through it and destroy it. If the base under the veneer is plywood or just pine, it will look terrible.

    First, clean it! No wax, strippers, or anything...just squirt some dish detergent right on it and use a moist sponge-keep it wet and let the soap

    remove all the dirt, stains, dried on liquid residues...and see how it looks clean. Then, get something like English furniture scuff polish...it's a furniture polish that looks alot like liquid shoe polish-a few drops on a rag, then wipe the surface and keep the rag going-don't pour it directly on the table-just a few drops as needed on the rag. Let it sit a few minutes, maybe 'wet' it in the worst marks and scuffs...wait a few, then wipe it with a clean rag and see how it looks in a half hour. You might remove the worst of it and be surprised. At least it will look better than sanded through to the core...if you do that, you will NEVER fix it and the table will look worse.

    A furniture 'strip' will remove any lacquer or topcoat, second application will start removing paint or stain...and eventually you could 'even' out the look of the wood-and then restain it. But unless you can figure out how thick the veneer is...don't take a sander to it...try a scotchbrite pad first...that won't cause major damage...and if there are 'dings' and 'dents', you might be able to 'steam' them out...scrap piece of cloth, not thin like a hanky but like a facecloth...wet it, wring it out good, and lay flat over the dent area...'iron' it with a HOT household iron-press FLAT but keep it moving in circles...watch for the 'steam' to rise from the cloth. DON'T keep ironing until the steam stops-you could 'burn' the wood. You want to force steam INTO the wood-it will swell and the dent can disappear. Keep wetting the cloth if needed as the dent raises up.

  3. be careful sanding, veneer is thin.. and i wouldn't use stripper, it might melt the glue, and cause the veneer to separate... before i did anything else, i would give it a good scrubbing with a fiber bristle brush , and murphy's oil soap.....once you get the dirt off it might be almost presentable....

  4. Not if it is an antique.

    That ruins its "value".

    otherwise yes just dont go to deep.

  5. Depends on the thickness of the veneer Normally very thin.

  6. Using a sander on veneer isn't a very good idea.  You're liable to and right through the veneer.  Take a look at Formby's Refinisher.  It is used with steel wool and might do the job.  

Question Stats

Latest activity: earlier.
This question has 6 answers.

BECOME A GUIDE

Share your knowledge and help people by answering questions.
Unanswered Questions