Removing veneer.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Any tips for removing damaged veneer from plywood prior to re-veneering?

Some of it simply peeled off like well soaked wall paper. Other bits are stuck hard.

[harryagain]

Belt sander. Chisel in corners afterwards.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Bit worried about damaging the plywood underneath.

[Roger Mills]

I was going to suggest the same thing. You obviously need a very flat surface to accept the new veneer. How big an area are you doing?

A belt sander on a stand, with a fine (rather than coarse) belt, and run slowly might do it - provided you've got a way of holding the object flat against the belt.

[fred]

Try running a medium heat iron over it a few times and then use a thin scraper.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's a large speaker cabinet. The top is 460 x 400mm. The sides 400 x 760. I might get away with not re-veneering the sides - but the top will definitely need to be.

Would have to be hand held, I'm afraid. Unless I try and find a workshop to do the job.

[Bob Minchin]

Random orbit sander will be less aggressive and you will be able to see as you sand through the veneer by the colour change and then move off that area to one that is still covered. Dust extraction on the ROS should minimise the dust indoors.

[Cash]

Question Dave,

Do you know what glue has been used to hold the veneer?

If, with a bit of luck, it's the old 'scotch' type glue, then soaking the veneer with hot water will soften the glue and enable easy veneer removal.

If it's of the PVA or casien types, then as others have suggested, try using an orbital sander such as this from Wickes (as an example)

with a medium (80/100) grit to get to the base.

Cash

[John Rumm]

A router sled jig is an easy way of taking a precise amount of material off a wide area.

[Geoff Pearson]

I use an old steam iron - where the veneer is on with old bone glue - I am usually after the veneer to reuse.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

No. Dates from about the 70s/80s so I'd guess PVA?

Thanks. I've got a couple of orbital sanders.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Quite the reverse of what I want. It's the plywood I don't want to damage.

[fred]

Unless the speaker was made by a craftsman its highly unlikely that Scotch glue was used. If made in a production environment it would be either hot melt glue or an impact adhesive.

IME router sleds only work fine in theory. (Yes I have used them in an attempt to flatten a bench top. Did'nt work all that well. )

Get as much as you can off then have a go with a cabinet scraper. You're unlikely to do damage with it.

Something in the back of my mind says try acetone or methylated spirits. Keep dabbing it around the edges and it may lift it bit by bit.