Thanks for the towel tip! I live in AZ and couldn't keep mine damp enough for overnite use so I had puppy pads that I have no idea why I saved them but glad I did. I wet the pad side and put it down and the plastic kept the water from evaporating and made it go even quicker.
I picked up a table top from the garbage that was covered with veneer but was solid oak underneath, so I wanted to turn it into useful lumber for projects but didn't know how to remove the veneer. Your video helped a lot. I was glad to see you also showed your difficulties in some areas and how you resolved them. Thanks.
Top tip for removing veneer use a damp cloth in a really hot iron as you did, but go over whole top first (or side or drawer front) Then have a coffee and repeat whole top again. Then have another coffee. Once you have done the whole area being worked on a least twice, now start trying to remove the veneer. If it still doesn't want to play ball and leap off , do the whole area again and have another coffee - repeat. All of this depends on how old the piece is, because that will dictate what the adhesive is. Old pieces used animal glue, which will soften easily and the veneer will fall off. The younger pieces will have used synthetic adhesive and that will require more patience. Patient multiple steamings will remove the hard work. Steaming is much better that soaking with water. Ah! time for another coffee!
This is why I like Junk Monkey Paint from Sonya And Matt Miller up in Pennsylvania. I use Kurd Cutter. and I can do all these beautiful colors over veneer and make it look beautiful and not all of the stuff. Most Veneet is sadly frowny brownie and it looks like you're trying to go back in time when brown was considered yiur only choice..But a lot of people love it so I love that they enjoy it. You're doing a lovely job. Keep up the great work.
Good Afternoon Christiana, here in the UK as a hobby i refurbished Tea caddies, from small verneer repairs to complete verneer projects...I also designed and used many veneers in an art deco design such as sun rays....I recently started doing the same with chest of draws...however with the tea caddies being small they were easy to strip. ....but with larger items it proofed a huge challenge. ...such as the last stubborn areas....after watching your video ....how easy it is to remove. ...absolutely excellent video. ...thank you. Kind regards Danny UK ❤🇺🇸🙂🇬🇧👍
This is the best video i came across for stripping veneer or laminates.. thank you for giving safety instructions and little tips.. lots of love from India🧡
Christina that is an awesome bunkbed that you created my granddaughter fell in love with it I will try and create one just like that just for her awesome ideas awesome channel thank you very creative👍🙏🍷💪
I use a vinegar and water mixture and a towel. Soak the towel with the V&W mixture and let it sit on the piece overnight. The veneer comes off sooooo easy!
I have a near exact copy of that dresser in the same condition. Been wondering what to do with it. Now I know. Good to see you wearing eye gear while working. I humbly recommend tennis shoes at the very least. Sandals good for showing off pretty feet but offer no protection from potential hazards when doing such projects. Thanks again for the post.
Thanks for the help, just gaining interest in fixing up or customizing furniture lol but I know nothing at all sooo lol let’s see how this goes. I’ll be documenting my journey on my UA-cam Channel lol this should be hilarious 😂
I am so happy i came across this video!!!!!! This is exactly a project i am working on. is there a video of how you stained or painted this piece? would love to see it.
I’m curious if there is any way to save a piece that has been painted already but the veneer is lifting? Anyway to keep the paint intact and fix the veneer underneath? Thanks!! Love watching all your videos. I can’t help but binge watch!!
Hi Christina 🙋🏻♀️I appreciate you and your knowledge, I enjoy watching your UA-cam tutorials. I have a question for you🙋🏻♀️can you paint over veneer and if so how and what to use? Thank you in advance 🙃
Coming from someone who restores sewing machines and sewing machine tables, please please PLEASE put new veneer on the table! We must restore the natural beauty
New subber from CT and I’m sooo glad I found your channel! Cant wait to learn more! I love the wet towel idea. But I’m wondering how effective a heat gun would be? (If under time constraint).
Hi there. I inherited my moms buffet. It had damaged veneer on it. Much like the one in your video. I did not realize that it was veneer till I seen videos like yours. Not sure if I can fix this now or not. I had a friend try to fix it by putting wood filler under it and then sanding it to make smooth. I did not know anything about how to fix this till now. It now has 3 layers of paint on it. Can I sand off and get this off even with 3 layers of paint on it? I know I would have to do all the safety things you showed because of the paint. The paint had caused it to buckle because of the Veneer trying to come up. What would be the best way to approach this.
Thank you so much for sharing. I have a dresser that my son put a fish tank on, needless to say, the top is trashed. I'm looking forward to watching what you do with it. Kim 💓
Omg I just woke up to the same issue and I am so mad! It's a brand new dresser 😑 What did you end up doing? I think it's MDF underneath, but portions of the dresser are wood.
I have a really old piece that I want to redo. I was told the top is veneer but I’m not sure. It’s super shiny, like glass and it’s very hard. Any tips? Should I just use an all in one and paint it?
I have a vintage waterfall i think head/footboard and vanity with 3 part mirror. My teenaged sister owned it last and destroyed it like a teen would do. I own it now. Im to embarrassed to put it all together and use. I have my mattress on the floor! I want to make it pink with glitter. Can you recommend any sites videos on how to or who to talk with? Keep kicking girl power🥰 p.s. im a beginner to crafting and diy's.
Question? Do we have to remove the veneer if we are just going to paint over it? Also if I just remove the veneer that is pealing and then add wood glue to fill that area in and then sand it down and paint over it would that work. I have a small side table that has some pealing veneer on the front of the drawers. The wood underneath is just some cheap wood that doesn't have good texture. So I don't know exactly what to do. Any advice?
Replacing/repairing veneer is all about cost. This veneer wasn't beyond repair, but it would not have been cost-effective for this average piece. People pay bigger bucks to restore/repair value, whether it be monetary or sentimental: a high/higher $$ value antique, or an average nothing piece with high sentimental value. I once had a client bring me an average, casual armchair, originally purchased from Montgomery-Ward in the 1940s for around $15, and usually sits in the corner. Her dad used to sit it in every night after work to remove his shoes and chill as he waited for the family to gather for dinner. Nothing special about it; any other person would have tossed it when it got so so rickety no one could sit in it, but it held very special memories for her; so many memories that it was worth $250 to her to have it completely restored.
Hi Christina, will you remove a veneer on an Ikea coffee table? I am interested to know what your vision could be on that piece. I have one at home and I would like to give it a new life
I try the towel with the hot iron and it work in places where it was easier but some places were really difficult so I grab a carver, those thing that have a flat sharp edge and a long handle and a hammer and was able to dislodge the rest of the veneer. Thank you for your advice.
I just did this and under the Veneer the wood is water damaged....how do i fix that? The wood is cracked so i can pull it off but not sure if i should.
I'd say it depends on how damaged the veneer is. I had a little table that I wanted to chalk paint, but the veneer was seriously damaged and curling up, peeling off, huge holes and gaps. No paint would heal that. I used her steaming method, which worked fantastically well, and discovered as a bonus there was beautiful wood underneath the veneer!
So definitely you are going to stain from there? Does anybody every try to recreate the veneer treatment? I have a family pie I would like to fill restore to the state I received it. Can you show how to do that?? Please!!!
Caution- Dont use steam or moist rags on MDF or particleboard based furniture. It will swell terribly. You can try to sand the panel flat again, but oh what a pain. Hope to see your finished project soon.
Christina Muscari www.festoolproducts.com/festool-570789-ras-115-04-e-rotary-sander-t-loc.html?SID=4mugc3infom9irofukcp4tqs84 That’s a great option. But I got a festool rotex 150 since it doubles as a finish sander too!
In addition to trying a heat gun, you could have used a hammer to hammer the handle of the chisel to get under the veneer. I kept thinking why not use a hammer?
Oh my heavens.., you really did try to take yourself out. I think a good pair of gloves and revisit your technique hopefully will make you not end up ending up in an emergency room the second time. Take care.
Eight hours spent stripping veneer? Wouldn't have been a lot easier (and faster) to repair it properly in just about a couple of hours? For future projects, if you don't want to patch the areas with missing veneer, simply reglue the loose veneer with Wood Glue, and use Quickwood or Epoxy-based Wood Putty to patch the missing areas. Small or large, then sand it, stain it, or hand paint the area to match the rest of the grain of the veneer. It won't take you more than a couple of hours for the whole job. Sorry for all the work you have to go through. Cheers
so much easier to buy a piece of veneer very cheap cut out the damage in nice straight cuts go beyone the damage to make a square or some easy shape and replace the piece with wood glue then putty the seems simple. this is ridiculous. Why would you spend all this time to do this when you can do it in less then an hour
That sounds like a great option, too. Thanks for sharing. I actually ended up stripping another layer of wood off this top and found some really beautiful plank wood underneath. It’s what worked for me. ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
This is terrible... don't make this,much better idea is glue down peeling off veneer! Stop destroying furniture....You can bring piece of furniture to furniture restorer and he'll do it right...
Thanks for the towel tip! I live in AZ and couldn't keep mine damp enough for overnite use so I had puppy pads that I have no idea why I saved them but glad I did. I wet the pad side and put it down and the plastic kept the water from evaporating and made it go even quicker.
Great tip!
This works magically well! No more scraping (and swearing!). Thank you!
Woodprix Blueprints has some very useful blueprints with all the details you need.
Great plans dude! I love it ! 😀😀
I picked up a table top from the garbage that was covered with veneer but was solid oak underneath, so I wanted to turn it into useful lumber for projects but didn't know how to remove the veneer. Your video helped a lot. I was glad to see you also showed your difficulties in some areas and how you resolved them. Thanks.
Top tip for removing veneer use a damp cloth in a really hot iron as you did, but go over whole top first (or side or drawer front) Then have a coffee and repeat whole top again. Then have another coffee. Once you have done the whole area being worked on a least twice, now start trying to remove the veneer. If it still doesn't want to play ball and leap off , do the whole area again and have another coffee - repeat. All of this depends on how old the piece is, because that will dictate what the adhesive is. Old pieces used animal glue, which will soften easily and the veneer will fall off. The younger pieces will have used synthetic adhesive and that will require more patience. Patient multiple steamings will remove the hard work. Steaming is much better that soaking with water. Ah! time for another coffee!
What a beautiful comment!
so, all this coffee, will make me a zombie?
Picked up a table off the curb I wanna fix up and you are an absolute lifesaver!
Can't wait to see your finished product!
I'm so glad that I found this video. I just got a very old piece of furniture that needs the veneer stripped and I will be trying this technique...
So glad this popped up in my feed today! I’m getting ready to tackle a small table that all the veneer is coming off. Thank you for the tips
Good luck!
I have the cutest little carved side table I will try this on. I'll remove the veneer just on the top. Thanks for the tip.
This is why I like Junk Monkey Paint from Sonya And Matt Miller up in Pennsylvania. I use Kurd Cutter. and I can do all these beautiful colors over veneer and make it look beautiful and not all of the stuff. Most Veneet is sadly frowny brownie and it looks like you're trying to go back in time when brown was considered yiur only choice..But a lot of people love it so I love that they enjoy it. You're doing a lovely job. Keep up the great work.
Good Afternoon Christiana, here in the UK as a hobby i refurbished Tea caddies, from small verneer repairs to complete verneer projects...I also designed and used many veneers in an art deco design such as sun rays....I recently started doing the same with chest of draws...however with the tea caddies being small they were easy to strip. ....but with larger items it proofed a huge challenge. ...such as the last stubborn areas....after watching your video ....how easy it is to remove. ...absolutely excellent video. ...thank you. Kind regards Danny UK ❤🇺🇸🙂🇬🇧👍
Oh wow! I'd love to see some of your finished work. chrisitina@prettydistressed.com
@@ChristinaMuscari no problem will forward some images for you.
You are my favorite restorer!
Steaming is absolutely brilliant!
Hi there. That was very interesting. I have an old iron without Steam, so can I use your method without steaming? I have an old French bedhead to do.
Hey try a heat gun when removing the old veneer. It breaks the bond of the old glue for easier release and scraping.
Thanks for the suggestion!
i guess I'm pretty randomly asking but does anybody know of a good website to stream new movies online?
@Kasen Ahmir lately I have been using FlixZone. Just search on google for it =)
This video has saved my refurb life today. Thanks! Also did you ever finish the piece?
This is the best video i came across for stripping veneer or laminates.. thank you for giving safety instructions and little tips.. lots of love from India🧡
Thanks for this technique!! Very helpful as I work on a piece with stubborn veneer. Like your channel and will keep watching!
Thank you again for your tutorials. Really appreciate them ! Did you post a second part of this video?
Christina that is an awesome bunkbed that you created my granddaughter fell in love with it I will try and create one just like that just for her awesome ideas awesome channel thank you very creative👍🙏🍷💪
Vintage pearl Rodriguez if you have any questions about the construction, let me know.
I use a vinegar and water mixture and a towel. Soak the towel with the V&W mixture and let it sit on the piece overnight. The veneer comes off sooooo easy!
I have a near exact copy of that dresser in the same condition. Been wondering what to do with it. Now I know. Good to see you wearing eye gear while working. I humbly recommend tennis shoes at the very least. Sandals good for showing off pretty feet but offer no protection from potential hazards when doing such projects. Thanks again for the post.
Yep, I need to invest in some workbooks. But it was like a million degrees in my garage. 😬 You are right though. Safety first.
Thanks for the help, just gaining interest in fixing up or customizing furniture lol but I know nothing at all sooo lol let’s see how this goes. I’ll be documenting my journey on my UA-cam Channel lol this should be hilarious 😂
I am so happy i came across this video!!!!!! This is exactly a project i am working on. is there a video of how you stained or painted this piece? would love to see it.
Yep! ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
Well done 👏🏼 👍🏼💪🏼
From England 🏴
I’m curious if there is any way to save a piece that has been painted already but the veneer is lifting? Anyway to keep the paint intact and fix the veneer underneath? Thanks!! Love watching all your videos. I can’t help but binge watch!!
Hi Christina 🙋🏻♀️I appreciate you and your knowledge, I enjoy watching your UA-cam tutorials. I have a question for you🙋🏻♀️can you paint over veneer and if so how and what to use? Thank you in advance 🙃
Just brought my first pc of furniture to customize and a draw need some work but it has veneer on it so I thought it was a lost. Thanks for the help!
so glad I stumbled across this video! I will now take the veneer off my treadle sewing machine! Thank you for posting this.
Coming from someone who restores sewing machines and sewing machine tables, please please PLEASE put new veneer on the table! We must restore the natural beauty
New subber from CT and I’m sooo glad I found your channel! Cant wait to learn more!
I love the wet towel idea. But I’m wondering how effective a heat gun would be?
(If under time constraint).
A heat gun would also be a great option. I just didn't have one. Thanks for subscribing!
Hi there. I inherited my moms buffet. It had damaged veneer on it. Much like the one in your video. I did not realize that it was veneer till I seen videos like yours. Not sure if I can fix this now or not. I had a friend try to fix it by putting wood filler under it and then sanding it to make smooth. I did not know anything about how to fix this till now. It now has 3 layers of paint on it. Can I sand off and get this off even with 3 layers of paint on it? I know I would have to do all the safety things you showed because of the paint. The paint had caused it to buckle because of the Veneer trying to come up. What would be the best way to approach this.
Suggestion please… sanded an oak dresser top and the corner splintered. Under the veneer is not wood. Would you use wood fill then sand?
Thank you so much for sharing. I have a dresser that my son put a fish tank on, needless to say, the top is trashed. I'm looking forward to watching what you do with it.
Kim 💓
Omg I just woke up to the same issue and I am so mad! It's a brand new dresser 😑 What did you end up doing? I think it's MDF underneath, but portions of the dresser are wood.
I have a really old piece that I want to redo. I was told the top is veneer but I’m not sure. It’s super shiny, like glass and it’s very hard. Any tips? Should I just use an all in one and paint it?
Great job! What about horribly damaged faux marble top? I think it’s laminate over mdf. I feel like throwing it out lol.
I have a vintage waterfall i think head/footboard and vanity with 3 part mirror. My teenaged sister owned it last and destroyed it like a teen would do. I own it now. Im to embarrassed to put it all together and use. I have my mattress on the floor! I want to make it pink with glitter. Can you recommend any sites videos on how to or who to talk with? Keep kicking girl power🥰
p.s. im a beginner to crafting and diy's.
Wish we could of seen the finished piece!
I'm dealing with this hell myself 😒 Hopefully I'll have a nice desk by the time I'm done, or some kindlin for my fireplace. Thanks for the tips 👍
Good luck!
Question? Do we have to remove the veneer if we are just going to paint over it? Also if I just remove the veneer that is pealing and then add wood glue to fill that area in and then sand it down and paint over it would that work. I have a small side table that has some pealing veneer on the front of the drawers. The wood underneath is just some cheap wood that doesn't have good texture. So I don't know exactly what to do.
Any advice?
hello, new here. Do you have a video not fixing a table top with bubbled up water spots? can I send it down and paint it??
Hi, Christina - did you post a video with the final product? I want to see how it turned out 😊
I did! ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
I’m trying this today.
Where do you live? If in GA I will hire you!
I did a table and matching buffet. I had to laugh when you said you walked away. It ends up beautiful. Well worth the elbow grease and time.
Omg looks great. Because of this video i picked id an antique dresser with lifted veener and ivdidnt find nice wood underneath. 😭😭😂😂 #learning
Would a steamer work instead of an iron
Replacing/repairing veneer is all about cost. This veneer wasn't beyond repair, but it would not have been cost-effective for this average piece.
People pay bigger bucks to restore/repair value, whether it be monetary or sentimental: a high/higher $$ value antique, or an average nothing piece with high sentimental value. I once had a client bring me an average, casual armchair, originally purchased from Montgomery-Ward in the 1940s for around $15, and usually sits in the corner. Her dad used to sit it in every night after work to remove his shoes and chill as he waited for the family to gather for dinner. Nothing special about it; any other person would have tossed it when it got so so rickety no one could sit in it, but it held very special memories for her; so many memories that it was worth $250 to her to have it completely restored.
Just about a house and there was a dresser in the attic from previous owner. Was gonna junk it but now I'll try this....thx for great video!
Good luck!
Hi Christina, will you remove a veneer on an Ikea coffee table? I am interested to know what your vision could be on that piece. I have one at home and I would like to give it a new life
Ikea most likely made out of particle board. Nothing to work with. Need a real wood foundation
Did you do anything else with it?
What can I do with a dresser that the top layer came off but below it feels like paper or card board.
Patience and it will shine
Hello, i did this and all veneer are off from my table legs, but there is a glue, how I can take that off?
I try the towel with the hot iron and it work in places where it was easier but some places were really difficult so I grab a carver, those thing that have a flat sharp edge and a long handle and a hammer and was able to dislodge the rest of the veneer. Thank you for your advice.
I had one of those, too, but it did not work for me at all. I think my chisel was too dull. It is hard work.
I'm going g absolutely mad! 🤪😂😭 if one more side and it's such a long process! Thanks for the tips xx
Did you ever finish it? I would like to see it if you have. I have a buffet that the veneer is pretty bad on.
Yes! ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
I wonder if you can use stemer
I can't wait to see what are you going to do.like your video.
I just did this and under the Veneer the wood is water damaged....how do i fix that? The wood is cracked so i can pull it off but not sure if i should.
Very...very inspired.
Did you do the same with the front and drawers?
I'm actually leaving those for now because the veneer is in great condition. I may just try to strip the stain from them. Stay tuned!
How would you fix that God awful veneer that looks like a cheap contact paper on particle board? Love the tips and tricks!
Can you just chalk paint over the Veneer? Or if it is damaged it needs to come off and then be painted?
I'd say it depends on how damaged the veneer is. I had a little table that I wanted to chalk paint, but the veneer was seriously damaged and curling up, peeling off, huge holes and gaps. No paint would heal that. I used her steaming method, which worked fantastically well, and discovered as a bonus there was beautiful wood underneath the veneer!
Did you consider adding a thin board across the bottom of the two sides to cover the peeling veneer?
If the veneer is painted do I need to strip it first before removing it?
No, if you are taking it off no need to remove the paint first.
Hi. I have such a dresser. Taking the veneer off coz it started to chip anyway... What should i do to it next?
This is what I did with this one..ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
@@ChristinaMuscari ok,thanks.
heat gun instead of iron?
Omg I want to do this!
What number was the sand paper
Are there other ways to remove veneer?
Would you be able to just prime it instead of removing the veneer?
You can repair the veneer by glueing down the loose pieces and filling in the missing pieces with wood filler or Bondo.
Christina Muscari thanks!! And then prime and paint?
Yes, you can!
Bonnie Parisi x
Do you ever put new vineer back on
I don’t, but you could if you wanted to.
Thanks for that Example. Xoxo
Very helpful....thx
You're welcome!
So definitely you are going to stain from there? Does anybody every try to recreate the veneer treatment? I have a family pie I would like to fill restore to the state I received it. Can you show how to do that?? Please!!!
How can you tell if it is veneer?
You can use oven cleaner to save your iron🤗
Caution- Dont use steam or moist rags on MDF or particleboard based furniture. It will swell terribly. You can try to sand the panel flat again, but oh what a pain. Hope to see your finished project soon.
Finished product is in this video..ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
I also did the finger gauge the other day with some veneer lol that stuff hurts!
So bad! 😭
Get a rotary sander and savage thru the veneer in 12 minutes 😉....nice salvage!
I'll have to check into that!
Christina Muscari www.festoolproducts.com/festool-570789-ras-115-04-e-rotary-sander-t-loc.html?SID=4mugc3infom9irofukcp4tqs84
That’s a great option. But I got a festool rotex 150 since it doubles as a finish sander too!
Heat gun is more efficient compared to hot iron.
Has anyone removed a Formica veneer? I have a Lane MCM side table with the Formica top and it has a chip in it…just want it off 😊
In addition to trying a heat gun, you could have used a hammer to hammer the handle of the chisel to get under the veneer. I kept thinking why not use a hammer?
I have seen that a heat gun will do the same trick as an hot iron.
I'll have to try that!
I wasn’t using gloves and the putty knife slipped and ended up in the emergency room last night .. so lesson learned I ordered some gloves 🧤
Oh my heavens.., you really did try to take yourself out. I think a good pair of gloves and revisit your technique hopefully will make you not end up ending up in an emergency room the second time. Take care.
Can't find Part 2? A little dissatifying to not see the "after."
ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
FTR....A heat gun works better than an iron.
I have one now! I’m excited to try it on veneer.
Great video! Thank you! I’m famous 🤗
You saved the day!
Why do they veneer over nice wood like that? Is there an economic reason?
Battling this very problem. I am not a fan of veneer .
I will be stripping my badly chipped cedar chest once my bathroom cabinets are done! 👍👋🇨🇦
Too bad that thanks to hoarders and the virus, we can't get respirators anymore...I really need some for when I sand too -_-
Eight hours spent stripping veneer? Wouldn't have been a lot easier (and faster) to repair it properly in just about a couple of hours? For future projects, if you don't want to patch the areas with missing veneer, simply reglue the loose veneer with Wood Glue, and use Quickwood or Epoxy-based Wood Putty to patch the missing areas. Small or large, then sand it, stain it, or hand paint the area to match the rest of the grain of the veneer. It won't take you more than a couple of hours for the whole job. Sorry for all the work you have to go through. Cheers
Wouldn't it have been a little bit easier to be less patronizing? Cheers😁👍
Next time use a hammer to tap your putty knife to get under the areas that are tough
Please stop doing the hi wave. You don't need it.
Sorry, it's instinct. 😂
so much easier to buy a piece of veneer very cheap cut out the damage in nice straight cuts go beyone the damage to make a square or some easy shape and replace the piece with wood glue then putty the seems simple. this is ridiculous. Why would you spend all this time to do this when you can do it in less then an hour
That sounds like a great option, too. Thanks for sharing. I actually ended up stripping another layer of wood off this top and found some really beautiful plank wood underneath. It’s what worked for me. ua-cam.com/video/52YvgnWZQrk/v-deo.html
At
This is terrible... don't make this,much better idea is glue down peeling off veneer! Stop destroying furniture....You can bring piece of furniture to furniture restorer and he'll do it right...