How to Salvage Used Wood Veneer

Those unfamiliar with woodworking are surprised to learn that wood veneer is actually not the laminate that is so often applied to modern day mass manufactured furniture, but that instead the term refers to actual custom cut segments of wood—usually as thin as 1/8”—that take time and skill to fabricate. Thus it is not surprising that those working with wood will attempt to save wood veneer whenever they alter, repair, or even dismantle a piece of high quality furniture. Although not complicated, learning how to salvage used wood veneer takes a bit of skill and some determination. Follow these detailed steps and you are certain to remove and keep for reprocessing any used wood veneer.

Things You'll Need

• Magnifying glass
• Bright light
• Small flathead screwdriver
• Hammer
• Low-grit sandpaper
• Wood putty
• Saw
• Wood glue
• Mid-grit sandpaper
• Stain
• Satin polyurethane sealant

Instructions

How to Salvage Used Wood Veneer—Safe Removal

1. Seek to discover how the veneer is applied to the wood. Most commonly this is done with small nails. In some cases, wood glue was applied. A good quality magnifying glass and a bright light source can help you find the almost imperceptible fissure that exists between the wood veneer and the actual piece of wood.

2. Find a weak point where there might be a small scratch, hole, or dent.

3. Loosen the veneer. Apply the small flathead screwdriver to the weak point in the veneer and then tap it gently with the hammer. Removing the strips of wood when trying to learn how to salvage used wood veneer is the most labor intensive aspect of the entire project. The slower you proceed, the more success you will have in keeping the pieces intact.

4. Remove excess dried on wood glue from the back of your used wood veneer with a piece of low-grit sandpaper. Once all the glue has been removed, give the entire length of the veneer a rub down with the sandpaper. This creates a uniform surface that will once again accept wood glue. For used wood veneer held in place with nails, try to keep the nails intact and reuse them when finding a different spot for this particular strip of wood veneer.

5. Repair any small cracks in the veneer with wood putty.

How to Salvage Used Wood Veneer—Reuse

1. Locate the piece of furniture to which you want to affix your salvaged used wood veneer. Ideally, it should be the same kind of wood or at least the same grain.

2. Cut the veneer to size if necessary, and use the wood glue to attach it to the furniture piece. Let it dry completely. If the veneer was previously attached with nails, use these same nails in addition to some wood glue to fasten it.

3. Strip off the paint on the furniture and veneer with paint stripper.

4. Sand the piece of furniture including the veneer.

5. Stain the piece of furniture to achieve the desired color and let dry. Finally, finish off the process by applying a couple of coats of the sealant. Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations with respect to the number of coats that are considered ideal and also how much time to let elapse between applications.

Resources

• Visit the ExpertVillage.com website for a great video on salvaging used veneer.
• If you are interested in finding retailers that specialize in recycling salvaged used wood veneer, visit the GreenExhibits.org website.