OLD WOODWoodenit

Repairing wood veneer, which as ‘bubbled’ up?

I have a piece of furniture, which got damp. It has been stored since in a warm atmosphere and the veneer surface has lifted up from the wood beneath.

the area is only quite small ( 4″x6″)

Is there a trick to getting it to return to it’s origional position, so it can be glued back down again?

I cant afford to take it to a specialist, so please don’t advise that, I was hoping there would be a cabinet maker out there who knew what to do!!

thanks!

Flooding victim (

Well, a few more details would be nice….

Is this a table like surface, or a vertical panel?
What species? How old is the piece? Was it submerged in the flood? Is there any damage to the core itself, and what is the core made of? Is the veneer split?

When discussing veneer problems a 4″ x 6″ lift/bubble is actually pretty large. Typically, there is some core damage when looking at a piece that has been in a flood too. Not only will the glue fail under certain circumstances, but the core may swell. So… with that in mind… even if we can get the veneer glued back down, you may have a slight deformity in the surface.

I usually do not encourage folks to try their first wood repair on an ‘important’ piece…. an antique that has been in the family, etc… anything that has any kind of value to it, because it is so easy to do more harm, than good.

In a professional setting, I would actually steam the veneer bubble just a bit, to add some flexibility, and inject a ‘super glue’ under the surface, then put it in a vacuum press to make it flatten out. Keep in mind, if that core is damaged, there will STILL be a slight hump.

For a ‘DIY’ project, as a first timer, I would recommend that you use Titebond 2…it has more ‘open’ time, and is more forgiving than the cyanoacrylic glues. Again, you will want to inject it under the veneer. You can purchase a small glue bottle with a metal ‘needle’ for this purpose. You will also need some clamps…. do NOT rely on just a ‘stack of books’ as has been suggested. You need to put some pressure on this. If you dont, your glue will actually form a hump under the veneer. Since you havent specified the details of where the damage is at, I can’t tell you how to go about clamping it. I’d suggest wiping off any excess glue with a damp rag, while it is wet… and yes… being your first time, you’re better off getting too much under the veneer than not enough. You should be able to clamp it so that there is a space to allow the excess glue to bleed out at the edge of the clamp surface. I’d also suggest a layer of wax paper between the veneer surface and the clamp surface, to help prevent it from sticking to any excess glue.

Once this is done, and the glue has set, you’re probably going to need to sand it just a bit to remove any glue line, and then touch up the finish with a little top coat. Match the new top coat finish to the old…. lacquer gets lacquer, polyurethane gets polyurethane, etc. Most can be matched as to ‘gloss’ too.

Now, just for the sake of considering it…. lets assume that the veneer cannot be repaired. That doesnt meant you have to throw the piece away… you could put a new veneer on. If this is a fairly simple piece, it would be easy to do. You can purchase new veneers at places like Rockler woodworking supply. Veneer comes in a variety of wood species and applications. Rockler carries some that are ‘self stick’ as well as the more traditional ‘unbacked’ veneers that you have to glue down. Commercially, most veneer is glued down with either a contact cement, urethane glue, etc. and are clamped in some sort of press (cold or hot, depending on the glue type). With a little elbow grease, you can apply the new veneer with a roller, and some care. Then you can match the existing finish of the piece.

Just take a quick look at Rockler’s selection of veneer, glues, and tools at their site – http://www.rockler.com/CategoryView.cfm?Cat_ID=1459&ln=1
Also take time to read their articles on how to use veneers in cabinet refacing, etc.

We might be able to provide some more detailed help, if you could supply a photo of the damage, or fill in the missing details.

Have Fun

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