Expert: Greg Scholl - 8/11/2011

Question
Hi - I sure need some help!!  I've got an old table from the 30's that my husband sanded down because the table needed refinishing.  I think we should have used some kind of chemical on it before he did this because now, although the varnish is off the table, there is still plenty of wood stain on it - very uneven and streaky.  He sanded it over and over until I was afraid he was going to sand the veneer right off!  Actually, he did gouge it in one spot - DANG!  So then I decided to take over - Can you see the mess we're getting ourselves into here?!! LOL  Anyway, I purchased wood bleach and although it seems a little lighter it's all over a little lighter so the streaks are still there, just lighter shades of the same streaking!!  Is there anything short of just slapping a new veneer on top that we can do?  I'm thinking the easiest thing to do just might be to glue a on a new wood veneer since we've apparently made such a mess of the old one.

Thanks - Sandy

Answer
Hi Sandy..Sanding off an old finish is not the correct way to go about removing it...especially on a veneered piece.Sanding a finish off should only be done on a floor. You(He) should have stripped it with stripper. "slapping" on a new piece of veneer is not an easy job, either...but it's possible he may have ruined the top, and gouges will telegraph through a new piece of veneer as well...you're also probably dealing with an analine dye stained piece which was popular in the 20's-40's, and it is difficult to remove, and once partially removed in areas, it's difficult to even the whole piece out...another reason for chemically stripping. That leaves the wood intact,and the surface stays uniform in color.Many of these stains are reddish in hue, the most difficult color to remove, and a methylene chloride stripper is really the only way to remove the bulk of this stain...some are specifically designed to be better at this than others,like the Jasco. The problem you have now is that you've gone way past the point that this would be effective I believe, because you've scarred the veneer, (perhaps ground most of it off), then bleached it, likely making the situation even worse.The veneer is very thin, and as you get through it you approach the glue layer, which will then start to show through and look streaky as well. If you have experience veneering a table top, then that might rescue it..but it is no easy task.Sorry you got this far without seeking some guidance, as I don't hold a lot of hope that you can rescue this.....without being able to see it, it's very difficult to tell you what to do next. Feel free to post back- regards- Greg

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