Help with wood veneer chipping off of table top!?

Question

I was given a beautiful dining room table and buffet that has old wood veneer on top. Unfortunately, it is chipping off and need help! What is the best way to remove the old veneer? Should I refinish the wood underneath or put new wood veneer on? The rest of the table is in great, solid condition. Just the veneer is in dire straights! Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Answer 1

The veneer is there probably because the wood underneath it is not quality and may not finish very well.  That is why they make veneer, to get a really nice finish for less cost than solid wood.  

A whole table top is a trial to remove and replace.  Not many stores carry the size you will need.  However, there are places that specialize in veneers of larger sizes.  www.rockler.com is one of them; current catalog pages 116 and 117.

To strip the old veneer, first try seeing if heat will loosen the old glue.  A long shot, but perhaps worth it.  A carefully used heat gun, maybe a hair dryer, will sometimes loosen enough to get a wedge under and careful prying may get it off.  I would opt for filling the bad spots on the current top, sanding them down and letting them dry very well.  Then put new veneer over the top of the old.  Your issues will be edges and how to get them in place without chips.  Some veneers are actually plied, while others are solid.   Of course, the solid will sand at an angle fairly well, while the ply type will not.  You have to consider that.

On a final note, there are some master craftsmen out there who can actually repair the veneer to its original condition, with use of matching fillers and some expertise in matching the current coloring of the wood.  That is asking for some bucks, but if the table is treasured or worth quite a bit, replacing the veneer will diminish its overall value should you decide to sell it later on.