does anyone have a good way to get veneer off. i am working on a piece that the veneer was failing, on the top of the top i was able to use a heat gun and basically just peel it off after heating it up. but on the bottom of the top, i used a heat gun and an old iron and vinegar but nothing worked to soften the adhesive. i ended up using a grinder with a sanding disk to remove the double layer of veneer and the a random orbit sander. i still have the drawer fronts to do and i am looking for some input of an easier way. thanks in advance paul

Boy that would have me stumped Paul. The heat gun would gave been my suggestion. I'll be watching this for the solution.

Try a little water and vinegar and let it soak in. Or steam.

 

The drawer fronts may have been redone before but it's either hyde glue or regular glue.

 

Are you sure it's not real wood?

Dragon1 is right . Steam should work on old hide glue just fine. A wallpaper steamer is nice. bob

Yep, steam.  My brother took the vener off and old buffet a few weeks ago and he used a damp towel and an old iron.  Came right off. 

thanks guys, ill give the steam a try and let you know the results

Was the veneer just too far gone that it couldn't of been repaired by injecting some glue under the lifted or bubbled parts?

Heat and steam from an iron sometimes can soften and reactivate the glue from underneath. Then clamp overnight and see if it takes.

 

Bubbled veneer, cut a small slit in the grain (hides the cut). Work some glue in with a glue syringe, squeeze out the excess with your fingers. Put wax paper over it and clamp with a caul.

 

-Ace-

yes ace the veneer was to far gone, not only delaminating but also missing pieces, now the plan is to paint the field of the top white and keep the edged stained and clearcoated walnut

Oh wow...you have a hand full was this a what was I think job?

 

-Ace-

 

Paul Whitmarsh said:

yes ace the veneer was to far gone, not only delaminating but also missing pieces, now the plan is to paint the field of the top white and keep the edged stained and clearcoated walnut

the top is for a vanity for my niece and my sister wanted me to make a new top for it but i decided to see if we could save the current top. i got the veneer off both sides of the top and i just have the drawers left.  the field under the veneer is poplar so when its painted itll take a nice coat. the rest of the vanity with be a combination of stained walnut legs and stretchers and painted drawer fronts and side pieces

Sounds like it will turn out nice...I see your from Michigan too...we are looking for a nice day tomorrow high 63...FINALLY!!!!! Cold rain and snow is getting a little old!!!!

 

-Ace-

 

Well its getting late, time for ...enjoy your project.

what part of michigan are you from ace, im from chatham which is right about in the center of the up. about 30 miles from marquette

Ace HoleInOne said:

Sounds like it will turn out nice...I see your from Michigan too...we are looking for a nice day tomorrow high 63...FINALLY!!!!! Cold rain and snow is getting a little old!!!!

 

-Ace-

 

Well its getting late, time for

...enjoy your project.

Good o'l "DE"troit, just a little north of the city.

I have never made it up to the UP...maybe as a kid, I don't remember. About as far north I go is Petoskey. The wife's folks live there. So you live amongst the trees, lots of forest land up there?

 

-Ace-

I've gone through Chatham. Its is a wonderful area. Lots of nice sawmills up there. My wife and I go to Munising a few times a year. I get some great wood from a mill close by. Wonderful places and great folks all over. bob

i like it bob. ive been here basically all my life and ill probably be in the pine grove cemetary when the time comes. lol

ya ace ther is more trees up here than down there.  its beautiful country, but you have to like the snow or at least be able to put up with it.  i spent the winter of 2000 - 01 down in milan south of ann arbor on 23 putting up a house for my inlaws.  we went through the blizzard of 2000 in december and it was a real eye opener to see people trying to cope with it compared to back home.

Ace HoleInOne said:

Good o'l "DE"troit, just a little north of the city.

I have never made it up to the UP...maybe as a kid, I don't remember. About as far north I go is Petoskey. The wife's folks live there. So you live amongst the trees, lots of forest land up there?

 

-Ace-

Very nice place to live Paul. I understand about the snow. We always comment at night , watching the weather and the snow is always falling on Munising. Every day, day after day. An average year here is around 50". This year was over 90". Not bad though. Up there its in the hundreds of inches. I have a load of wood I am suppose to get up there. I am waiting to hear when he gets it together.  Just some of the prettiest land around. bob

i tried the steam on the drawer fronts and it worked. it did take about three times in one spot of wetting a folded up washcloth and putting on an old iron until it quit steaming, so it did work but the veneer i was taking off was about 1/16" thick, i think when i took it off the bottom of the top piece it was a double layer of 1/16" thick veneer so my grinding/sanding method probably went faster - lots of dust but it was a nice day and i did it outside.

I know people who used to live in Epoufette in the UP!!!!!!!!!

i know where Epoufette is very well, i travel through it on my way downstate.  when i was building my inlaws house i went through it twice a week

dragon1 said:

I know people who used to live in Epoufette in the UP!!!!!!!!!