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2K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  Bearpaw 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Attached are pictures of a cabinet that a friend bought at a yard sale. The veneer looks good but dry and delaminating.

If he can remove it in one piece, what should be done to restore it? I suggested covering it with a damp towel or steam it with an iron, but no pressure on it. Later to add a little weight to flatten.

To reattach I suggested a mixture of yellow glue and water applied to both pieces. Let the glue dry and then apply using an iron on medium heat to activate the glue.

Does anyone have a better suggestion?
 
#8 ·
"Once yellow glue dries it's done. There's no way to reactivate it."

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http://www.webherrera.com/blog/2009/04/19/titebonds-franklin-internationals-iron-on-instructions/9/

It appears to be on a door that ca be easily removed from the cabinet. I would not try to remove the veneer. You can work glue under it.

I would cut a platen that would fit around the block attached to the face. It should be heavy and flat. 3/4 MDF would be good. Set the door on my bench and work glue with a long artist's brush under the loose veneer. Put down a sheet of waxed paper between the veneer and the platen make sure everything is stable and then stack about 10 50lb tractor weights on top. leave it that way for about a day.

If you don't have tractor weights anything really heavy will do. If you have to clamp it make a second platen for the back and use lots of clamps. I have improvised a press with a post from the roof and a car jack. (don't laugh, it worked)
You can use a vacuum press if one is available.
 
#9 ·
The piece appears to be pre-pva glue which is a good thing. You are almost certainly dealing with hide glue that has been seriously abused to produce this failure.
You should be able to remove the existing pieces by applying heat and moisture together. Once removed, flatten the veneer by moistening it and pressing it. Then re-glue it with either hot hide glue or liquid hide glue. I would recommend Old Brown Glue. Press the pieces in a veneer press or with cauls and clamps. You won't need to remove the old glue as the new glue will re- hydrate it.
You should be able to do this without damaging the existing patina and by staying away from "modern" glues you will maintain whatever antique value the piece has.
 
#12 ·
It is quite repairable and not difficult from looking at the photos….... but you have to have an understanding of the original construction and the original processes.
 
#15 ·
I am aware that pva glue can be applied, allowed to dry and then veneer can be "pressed" by applying heat.
I have never heard of pva glue being "reversible" in the way that hide glue is and as far as I know this piece would be difficult to remove undamaged if it had been glued with pva.
I also believe that all old pva glue must be removed in order to get new pva to adhere.

Which comment says that "dried carpenter's glue can't be used"?
 
#16 ·
My guess is that this piece sat in a damp attic or basement for a very long time. Hide glue is the way to go. Most people who restore antiques wouldn't use anything else. My last big project which included some complex veneer application was done with hot hide glue and it is amazing stuff. Follow shipwright's (he is the resident expert on hide glue, especially related to veneer) suggestion of using moisture and heat to remove the old veneer and reapply with Old Brown Glue. You can use a clothes iron and wet rags. Just take your time and work slowly across the surface. As the glue releases just use a knife to gently separate the veneer. You want the iron just hot enough so you can still touch it with a dry hand and not burn yourself. If you research veneer restoration, you will find that is how the experts do it. The nice thing about hide glue is that it is 100% reversible 10 minutes or 200 years after it sets. Can't do that with PVA wood glue. Also, hide glue sticks to itself so you do not have to remove any glue residue before reapplication, though a smooth surface will make life easier. You can actually clean the old hide glue off or just smooth it out with hot water and a scotch bright abrasive pad. It runs counter to what most of us think about when working with wood but warm water is your friend when working with veneer and hide glue. Every inch of the large mirror project I posted recently was cleaned with warm water before applying a finish.

One challenge may be dealing with that raised panel where the nob is. Your edge-on photo is too blurry to tell but surely they did not glue that panel to the surface of the veneer. The way the veneer near the panel is still flat makes me wonder but hopefully it just helped prevent moisture from working into the veneer there. Assuming that panel is not glued to the veneer, it may actually help keep the veneer aligned was you clamp it back down.
 
#17 ·
Thanks for all of your input. My friend was able to take the veneer off and flatten it but said it had shrunk. I told him to give it some time for it was very dry.

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