Re-Gluing Wood Furniture Veneer
Small pieces of loose veneer or blisters in veneer
can be reglued. Large veneer repair jobs should be taken
to a professional furniture repairer.
If a piece of veneer has come off the surface, lay
the veneer on a flat surface and scrape off the glue. Do
not wet veneer. Remove the old glue from the piece of
furniture--not the veneer. Put glue on both pieces and
put the veneer in place, add a paper pad, and clamp down
with C-clamps or lay weights on it. Be sure the pressure
covers all parts of the piece of veneer and don't remove
the pressure until the glue is dry.
If veneer is still attached but has loosened from an
edge or corner, use a hypodermic needle or thin knife
blade to insert wood glue into the area. Proceed with
clamping as described above.
If you have a blister in the veneer, cut a slit with
the point of a sharp thin knife at the side of the
blister where the veneer is still glued. Be sure to
follow the grain of the wood. Hold the slit open with the
knife. Fill the blister with warm white vinegar and let
it stand for several hours to dissolve the glue. Wipe
away any vinegar that remains with a damp cloth. Let the
blister and the surrounding wood dry thoroughly before
adding glue. Then work plenty of wood glue under the
blister, using a hypodermic needle or thin knife blade to
get the glue in the blister. Apply pressure to flatten
it. Leave it under pressure until the glue is completely
dry.