Do a trial run first to make sure that the shellac and lacquer will “marry”. The object is to get a smooth surface that is free of scratches and flaws before you apply the next coat of finish. 1 Sand the surface of the oak veneer by hand with a folded piece of 180-grit sandpaper to remove loose fibers and rough spots. A Rundown on Veneer Sanding. How to Gel Stain Laminate Furniture (Yes you can)! Can I take a sander to it to refinish it? The table is made of engineered wood with a "birch" veneer (I have this in quotations, because I'm not sure if the veneer is even wood.) I fill the missing veneer with wood filler, let that dry and then sand smooth. If I lightly sand it, will it accept stain? The longer that the stain stays on the surface of the veneer, the more it will darken the wood. It’s challenging to find the right size and glue it perfectly. Use a NEW brush. It is best to sand very … I use Klean Strip 15 minute Stripper. You can lightly sand between gel stwin coats, just make sure you sand I. Second: Water based polyurethane varnish. In those cases, hand sanding or extremely careful orbital pad sanding can remove the surface stain and gloss coat, then it can be restained and clear-coated from there - assuming you want pretty much the same or darker color stain. You can spray without wiping dyes or top coats tinted with dye. Let the stained surface dry for 24 hours before applying a finish. Veneered furniture can be refinished like other wood furniture, as long as the veneer is not too thin, and you take care not to remove too much of the veneer when removing the old finish. Let dry between coats. Paint on the Gel Stain with an artists brush. For a darker look, you can do multiple layers of stain and sand lightly in between the coats, which are not a must. If the veneer is really thick, sanding can take a super long time. One drawback to using stains is that they tend to dull down the luster of the wood. If you are fortunate enough to have a piece with a 1/4-inch veneer, the piece will respond perfectly to this refinishing process. The good thing is, if you are not satisfied with how your coverup looks, as long as the glaze has not dried completely, you can wipe it off with its appropriate solvent. Brush on the first few coats of shellac. On the other hand, it is surprising how much sanding a veneered surface can take. I carefully applied carpenters glue underneath and put a weight on to hold it down. Always let the finish dry completely before sanding between coats. (I even use a rag to apply my first coat of finish,  first coat only, when applying a finish.). Protecting Veneer Furniture Although veneers tend to be less expensive that solid wood options, some of the most famous names in furniture, such as Hepplewhite and Chippendale, used veneer to create truly unique and beautiful works of art. Sand the veneered furniture with 120-grit sandpaper just enough to rough up the wood surface. Its actually an ancient art that dates all the way back to the Egyptian time period! Yes, my piano is a soft maple veneer. Getting a good finish using wax, stain, penetrating finishes and oil finishes is pretty easy. For the purposes of this article, we will stick to wax, penetrating finishes, shellac, lacquer, water based polyurethane varnish, and petroleum. In this video, I answer a simple question about engineered hardwood flooring. Some veneers are so thin that, by sanding the surface, you actually wind up sanding through the veneer … If you have a piece of furniture that is still in great working shape, but looks terrible, wood veneers are a great way to spruce up a piece of furniture. Using A Paint Scraper. Make sure you remove any sanding dust from the surface. 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