Wood veneer is often misunderstood in furniture refinishing. Before attempting repairs or applying new veneer, it is important to understand what veneer actually is, how it differs from solid wood, how thick it is, and the tools you require in your workshop.
These guides help you correctly identify veneer and understand how it behaves so you can refinish and repair it with confidence.
Why is everyone so fearful of refinishing veneer furniture? When I first started refinishing, I was determined to work only with solid wood. Veneer? That felt like a cheap workaround. But after a few weeks of hunting for solid walnut mid-century dressers here in the Netherlands, I realised something important: they either don’t exist or…
Wood veneer is a thin layer of wood applied to a substrate such as particle board or plywood. It allows you to use expensive figured wood to create a dramatic look while cutting costs compared to solid wood. Using natural wood veneers improves consistency in colour and grain pattern across a piece of furniture. Furthermore,…
Most furniture which I pick up in the Netherlands is veneer. I would estimate 95% of the quality pieces I have come across is veneer. It’s rare to find furniture made from solid, hard wood with impressive wood figuring. So, it quickly became apparent to me that I would need to learn how to Sand…
Gosh, working with veneer has been a very steep learning curve! Which is why I couldn’t wait to share with you that I have learned so far by diving into the first part of this veneer series with wood veneer types. This was the first hurdle to overcome when I started researching and looking at…
As furniture refinishers, it’s key to know how to tell veneer from solid wood pieces. Knowing before you start or even purchase a piece is important, as the refinishing process when working on either veneer or solid wood pieces can differ. Unfortunately when you first start refinishing, it can be difficult to determine if the…