How do I remove old veneer from an antique dresser?

Lisa
by Lisa
  1 answer
  • Roxaneg Roxaneg on Sep 22, 2017

    1. Remove what you can by hand. Be wary of the splinters and wear gloves to protect your hands.

    2. Use a putty knife horizontally to pry up pieces of veneer. I've used a paint scraper which is pretty rigid as well as more flexible putty knives. Again, wear gloves.

    3. Increase the leverage of the putty knife with a hammer to get the blade of the knife in between the veneer and the real wood.

    4. Heat helps. A blow dryer, a heat gun, an iron. You want to soften the glue, but not set fire to the dresser. Wear gloves. (Do you see a theme?)

    5. Moisture helps. Use a wet towel and let it soak into the veneer before trying to pry up more veneer. Yes, you can use a damp towel and the iron to really get the moisture into the veneer's glue.

    6. Scrape off any remaining glue.

    7. Sand off any remaining glue and veneer. Yes, sanding works, but understand that the glue can clog up the sandpaper.

    • See 1 previous
    • Roxaneg Roxaneg on Sep 22, 2017

      Sorry about the gloves, but my experience with veneer played havoc with my hands.