How to Refinish a veneer table top

Water damaged table top

Do you have water damage to a veneer table top? Well you do not have to cover the spot with a table cloth to hide the damage if you follow the steps in this article. When I started looking for instructions on the subject of repairing veneer, I was disappointed to find that there was just not any information out there about the subject. I experimented with several pieces of damaged veneer and finally came up with the perfect way to obtain the result I wanted.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 00 Steel Wool
• 220 Grit (very fine) sandpaper
• Random orbital sander
• Rubbing oil stain and finish
• Satin finish spar varnish
• Rubber gloves
• Soft lint free cloth towels

1. Sand the surface of the table top lightly using a random orbital sander and 220 grit very fine sandpaper. Avoid the temptation to rush this step since veneer is very thin and if you sand through the surface, the table top will be beyond repair. Continue to sand the surface until the finish on the veneer has been removed and the color of the table top is uniform and smooth.

2. Using the 00 steel wool, lightly rub the table top in the direction of the grain until the surface is smooth.

3. Remove all of the dust from the surface of the prepared surface. It is important that the surface at this point is completely free of any residual dust.

4. Follow the instructions on the rubbing oil stain and finish and apply lightly to the table top. Let this dry according to the drying time indicated on the finish container.

   Rub the surface with 00 steel wool in the direction of the grain to prepare for the next coat of stain or spar varnish.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the desired color is obtained.

6. Completed project

   When you have obtained the color and richness you desire, rub the surface of the table top with the 00 steel wool. Apply 1 or more coats of spar varnish to the surface to prevent further water damage. The spar varnish is superior to regular polyurethane in guarding against water penetration and will provide years of protection for your restored table top.

Tips & Warnings

• During the initial sanding of the table top, use extreme caution not to sand through the veneer.

• Do not use medium sand paper or course steel wool.

• Use multiple light coats of the rubbing oil stain and finish instead of heavy coats.