Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site crystal.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!uwvax!crystal!bill From: bill@crystal.UUCP Newsgroups: net.rec.wood Subject: Re: How do you remove veneer? Message-ID: <485@crystal.UUCP> Date: Tue, 9-Jul-85 21:17:43 EDT Article-I.D.: crystal.485 Posted: Tue Jul 9 21:17:43 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Jul-85 07:34:31 EDT References: <199@mhuxn.UUCP> Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept Lines: 40 > I am in the process of refinishing a desk and discovered, much > to my horror, that a layer of veneer has been placed over the > original wood: ash. The original ash was left untouched everywhere > else on the desk, except for the desktop. What I want is to remove > the veneer from both the top and bottom of the desktop. ... If the desk top is removable fairly easily, and has no metal imbedded in it, my preferred solution would be to take the top to a cabinet shop with a wide (30 or 36", probably, depending on the desktop dimensions) planer and have them surface it. BEFORE you do it, you should consider why the top was veneered: possibly (1) to cover up inferior wood (perhaps only the edges are ash, the middle could be poplar, or some other secondary wood; (2) to show a fine piece of ash (assuming the veneer is ash); (3) to cover deep damage, e.g., ink stains [bleachable] or other chemical stains. I would carefully check, on the bottom, before skimming. You didn't say how old the desk is. If it's old enough, a hide glue may have been used for the veneering, in which case moist heat and a sharp chisel should allow you to start separating the glue line. again, try this on the bottom surface first... for further hints on separating hide glue-lines, see a violin repair book. By the way, if the veneer IS nice, why not leave it? If damaged, another layer could be glued down. Good luck. bill -- William Cox Computer Sciences Department University of Wisconsin, Madison WI bill@uwisc ...{ihnp4,seismo,allegra}!uwvax!bill