This is a pic of the bedrail. Dresser is less damaged but same chips.
We want to repair old, chipped veneer
by
Laurie
+4
want to repair chipped veneer on antique bed and dresser without painting it. Would really appreciate any ideas. Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhrOgj0e4Vw&ab_channel=DavidTermini
You can buy veneer by the foot at some hardware stores,or on line it is fairly easy to replace it .
That's a great video of a small repair, but the damage on the bed rail is a little more extensive. From the picture it looks as though the veneer has bubbled from moisture. This isn't too hard to fix really. If you can take the footboard off and lay it flat, take a damp bath or hand towel and lay it over the damaged veneer then iron over the towel, the steam will loosen the glue and make it easier to use a metal putty knife to lift the old veneer from the plywood. Once you have all the old veneer removed let it dry completely then glue a new piece of veneer over the plywood and stain to match.
Veneer repairs can be nightmarish. I had the same issue with a few pieces and decided to merely finish removing the veneer. I sanded and stained the wood underneath and it truly came out beautifully. Veneer can be removed using a heat gun and a scraper. (esp if it's really loose stuff) I've even removed some by grabbing with gloved hands and pulling hard in long strips. The plus side to removing veneer is that now you have a sloid wood surface that can be sanded and stained multiple times if you find it damaged years later. Veneer, however can only be done twice: inital manufacture and once more because of its thickness it cant hold up to multiple sands.