Advice for sanding veneer?
 

Hey everyone

I've now got a Necchi and a Borletti that both have decorative veneer on their cabinets. Different colours and patterns of veneer have been used in combination to give a decorative effect. Both of them have the usual kind of damage: been in the shed and not looked after; spots of paint; rings of grease and stuff from having things put on them, as well as flaking/perishing varnish.

So I've had a go at giving a test piece a light sand with some fine 220 grit sandpaper and it looks nice and smooth and takes the old flaky varnish off, but then I'm left with the stains and water damage stuff. I'm presuming that I can't keep going to try and sand this off as I risk sanding through the veneer, or weakening it too much. Any thoughts or experiences with this? I'll post pics when I can. TIA!

Be very careful sanding too much with veneer. It is extremely thin. You might just have to live with the stains as 'badges of honor'. Perhaps look online for suggestions for wood stain removal? There might be some odd combinations of materials that will fade/blend the stains vs continuing to sand them.

i have been told that Vaseline will remove marks and rings... (RESEARCH before attempting)

You can try TSP (trisodium phosphate) otherwise known as wood bleach on it. I think it's sold as a deck cleaner. If you use TSP you will most likely have to re-stain the whole piece afterward. Go very light on the sanding. It doesn't take much at all to sand through veneer.
Rodney

Antique stores sell some stuff similar to Old English polish but not oily. It's what they put on antiques to update the finish but not strip and redo the finish. It takes care of alot of flaws and scratches. I bet they have a similar thing in Australia also.

Thanks Steve :)

That sounds interesting. I heard a little tip about that - related to the fact that our deck needs cleaning - which is that apparently Napisan is the same stuff except that "deck cleaner" is bucket loads more expensive. Still, I'm reluctant to use anything that wets the veneer, as I know how badly that could end....

After I started this thread I found Skipper Glenn's cabinet refinishing thread and was intrigued by the mention of this stuff. I'll definitely look into it for the remainder of the cabinet, which is in nowhere near as bad as the top. Thankfully the horrible rings of black sludge sanded right off... but there are dark patches of staining. I don't really mind. I want to use it for sewing so as long as it's smooth and functional, I'll be pretty happy. Also, I'm all for the patina of age and use but not so much for the reminders that someone put it in their shed and treated it like cr@p! Not sure how others view this, but that's my current standpoint. Will definitely load some pics tomorrow. It's been a busy day! Thanks for all your suggestions :D

TSP is easily found in the paint department at most home improvement places. They recommend its use to clean painted walls prior to painting. I really didn't like it for that, personally.

There's a Restor-A Finish product that works well. It's often at the antique stores. It's "color matched", and if memory serves, it has a very light solvent or stripper component to it which is supposed to help soften and blend with the old finish.

I also love the Howard products, also often found at the Antique stores. I use Feed'n'Wax on everything! LOL! Everything from abused wood cabinets, to FW tables to our wood floors.

Wear gloves with TSP. Ask me how I know!

That's interesting, Rodney. I would have never thought of TSP for a sewing machine cabinet. What has been your experience with it?

BTW, veneer is replaceable. You can remove and replace it. Check your local woodworking store, or order online. Sorry, no particular source to offer.

Cricket

Oxalic Acid (another form of wood bleach) will get rid of water rings/stains. DO NOT use vaseline. Wood bleach can be ordered from Woodcraft, Highland Hardware, Constantines, etc. Older veneers ARE thicker than new veneers but you will still sand through them easily so bleach would be the best way to go. Oxalic acid will also remove rust stains and ink stains.

Also, to remove water rings, you can use toothpaste and a soft toothbrush to remove them without damaging the finish.