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This is the final article of the my VENEER series.
Todays article is about how to easily remove large sections of veneer.
Why does veneer start to lift from furniture anyway?
Hands up ... any guesses?
The ladies who have taken my workshop are not eligible so put your hands down.
The answer is
*MOISTURE*
Veneer is typically adhered with water based glues and
when water gets under the edges of the veneer it softens the glue and starts to lift.
I.E.
damp basement,
on a porch in bad weather,
moisture under a potted plant or vase
Once you have made the decision to remove the veneer
set up your furniture so the surface to be worked on is facing up.
Go get a towel big enough to cover the area of veneer and soak it with water.
You do not need hot water but make sure it is saturated but not dripping.
Spread out your wet towel over the veneer to be removed making sure the water
can get absorbed under the edges and open areas to soften the glue.
Here is the
** work smart not hard part **
Time to watch a movie, go to the grocery store, or do the laundry.
In other words leave it alone to do the work for you,
When you come back to the project you should be able to
easily start to lift and peel the veneer away.
ITS REALLY THAT SIMPLE!
The photos I have used for this article were taken over an hour and a half from start to finish.
There is no need to use heat guns, belt sanders, or nasty gauging tools from now on.
Just some more water and some time!!
CAUTION:
for the most part the decision should be made to remove veneer because the alternative is worse
but some veneers are covering up pieced together wood and wood with gauges and holes
Thanks for following along with my VENEER series
The first article explained how to deal with edge gluing loose veneer
The second article detailed filling in missing areas of veneer on painted furniture,
and the third article showed you how to get bubbled veneer glued back down.
Back again-
Time to cut out the lid. Here are several photos showing the lid being shaped:
The lid is made from two pieces of white oak. I like oak but its a coarse-grained wood and it doesnt hold fine detail well. The color is interesting and its hard and durable so Ill probably be using it again in the future.
I turned the lid and the box together one last time and here is what we have at this point:
It needs a considerable amount of sanding and Im not sure it I like that section in the lower half of the box. Ill have to cogitate on that. But the box is nice and it will hold a lot of chocolate or whatever my friend choses to put inside.
Our next box is made out of the same materials except the lid is made from white oak with a Brazilian cherry knob on top. The box will also be shaped differently so Ill post photos of that box.
Our next thing to do is to glue the red birch box pieces together in order to make a turning block. Im going upstairs for a bit and have some lunch and some hot coffee and Ill be back later today with more photos.
VW
Im repeating the veneer series for those new to my blog,
and for those needing a refresher ...
I have many tricks for dealing with veneer issues before painting furniture.
With vintage furniture, veneer refers to thin slices of quality wood, usually
thinner than 1/8 inch, that are glued onto panels of a lesser grade woods.
Veneering is an ancient art, dating back to the Egyptians who
used veneers on their furniture and sarcophagi.
The first step in any DIY veneer repair is to establish how bad the damage is
and what route to take. I will go over edge gluing this time and eventually
share how to glue bubbles, fill missing areas, and the dreaded removal of veneer.
It is actually very simple but youll just have to wait and see.
Many pieces of vintage veneered furniture have some edge lifting,
usually along the bottom.
Its a simple matter of using wood glue to secure the veneer back into place
and using masking tape to hold it down while it dries.
Use gravity!
Turn your piece of furniture over to get the glue run down in behind the lifting veneer.
I use a wet sponge to clean up any access glue before taping the edges.
Lay your tape on the veneered surface first and pull it tight over the edge.
Your drying time will vary with climate and temperature,
but a decent wait time would be 4 hours under normal circumstances.
Now go forth and Do it Yourself!
and for the SHOWROOM I have a few additions today that include ...
two aqua blue over green chairs and
a vintage tool box repurposed into a coffee table / storage trunk
Good Morning All,
Ive begun working on shaping and hollowing out this first in a series of three tea boxes. This box will be given to a wonderful friend who has been very kind to me and this is a way of saying thank you. And as she is very much addicted to chocolate, I suspect this box will never hold any tea but will become a chocolate stash in her office!
These first two photos show the box mounted on the lathe with some preliminary shaping in the second photo:
This second photo shows the foot of the box and Ive cut it down substantially from its original size. I think it looks better and lowers the center of gravity of the box so it doesnt tip over. Ive also left a rough section that will become the rim of the bowl. Im shortly going to put the top on the box and turn it together as a unit for a few minutes to true up both pieces and make the diameters match up.
Lets get the top on the lather and turn a tenon in the underside and flatten out the surface of the lid:
Here are the two parts jammed together on the lathe ready to be turned together as a single unit:
And here we are several minutes later:
I wanted to give the box kind of a pot-bellied shape and so I rounded off both pieces. The top still has a considerable amount of shaping left to do.
Truing up the bottom portion has also given me a sense of were the outside surface of the box will be and also that will allow me to establish the thickness of the wall and thus the inside diameter of the box;
And here we are about 30 minutes later:
The box portion has turned very well. The sides and bottom are a little less that 1/2 thick and this gives the box a heavy, substantial feel. It will also help to keep it from breaking should it ever be dropped.
Here is a photo of the side:
Ive left a broad, flat bead on the side of the box. This provides a transition to the lid.
This portion of the box will be sanded completely and then taken off the lathe. The lid remains to be turned and since this is a very visible portion of the box, well take this slowly.
Im going to stop for about and hour and come back to the shop later this morning. Stop by for more photos and explanation.
VW
Part 2 of the much anticipated VENEER series.
The first article explained how to deal with edge gluing loose veneer
Below is our missing bit of veneer we are going to work on.
Start by sanding any loose bits away.
Make a nice big fat centipede of wood filler.
GENTLEY flatten out the filler, over-filling the area.
Let this harden really good, a whole day would be best.
You need it to be solid because now your going to sand it smooth.
Sand your edges as well.
Paint and youre finished.
If you need to fill an area on a piece you are not painting, wood filler does come in different wood
colors or you must fill the area with a new piece of veneer.
Heres the third article of the much anticipated VENEER series.
The first article explained how to deal with edge gluing loose veneer
The second article detailed filling in missing areas of veneer on painted furniture.
This time I will show you how to get bubbled surface veneer glued back down.
For these repairs you will need 3 items,
your wood glue, a shape utility knife, and a heavy weight.
In most cases you can see where the veneer has bubbled/lifted but
running your hand over the surface will also help find areas you dont see.
You have to get the glue underneath your veneer somehow.
The next step is the scarey one.
Use your uility knife to cut a slice into the bubble.
Use a sharp knife, and cut in the direction the grain runs.
Apply your glue getting into the cut and under the bubble.
You can squish it underneath the veneer with your finger,
you can use air to blow it under the edges,
do what ever you can think of just be delicate with the edges of the cut veneer.
Wipe up any excess glue with a damp cloth.
Now weigh your repair down.
Below you can see I used a cast iron urn (heavy) on a flat board,
I even used a small bit of folded sandpaper right over the glued spot as a pressure point.
** MINI VENEER TIP **
Wax paper wont stick to glue well.
It is a good buffering material to use
between your repair and any clamps or weights you use.
HAPPY CANADA DAY to everyone and to celebrate ...
todays SHOWROOM addition is a wonderful Lane Aromatic Cedar Lined Chest
Originally made in Ontario, Canada.
