French Polishing and Bespoke Furniture
If there is a veneer , you will be able to look at it from the side and see where the sheet of veneer attaches to the front of the piece. Also, if you see unfinished wood underneath the furniture , it’s probably wood and not laminate – which tends to cover the furniture from top to bottom.
You might think it’s a modern material, but the Egyptian Pharaohs used laminated wood in furniture and it was used in England in the 1740s . Three-ply plywood as we know it today was made in 1905. Chrome and Formica on your furniture?
A heavier piece of furniture usually indicates solid wood or plywood construction and a better quality . Veneered pieces are generally more stable and less likely to warp; however, real or solid wood is often more attractive and can be easily refinished.
If there is a veneer , you will be able to look at it from the side and see where the sheet of veneer attaches to the front of the piece. Also, if you see unfinished wood underneath the furniture , it’s probably wood and not laminate which tends to cover the furniture from top to bottom.
Get a water saturated (but not dripping wet) towel to cover your surface and drape it over top of the veneer you want to remove . After a couple hours, take a firm putty knife and scrape off the veneer . If you did it correctly, it should lift off fairly easy!
In short, veneer is a thin layer of real hardwood applied to a less expensive material such as plywood. Laminate is a printed surface made to look like real wood, but usually made of plastic and bonded to a composite base.
August 7, 1866
Wider, uniform machine-cut dovetails were common in factory-made pieces from 1890 until the modern era. If a piece has no dovetails , it can still be a candidate for refinishing if it’s sturdy and well-designed, but it’s not likely to be an old piece with antique value.
How to Determine the Age of Antique Furniture Look Past the Style of a Piece. Examine Bottoms, Insides, and Backs. Check for Perfectly Matching Elements. Try to Figure Out What Tools Were Used. Look at the Wood and Upholstery Fabric. Investigate the Screws and Other Hardware.
You noticed, porcelain veneers are more expensive but there is a reason; they look more natural and last far longer than their resin plastic counterparts. An average set of porcelain dental veneers will last about 10-15 years. Some veneers can last as long as 20 or 25 years.
A veneer top dining table can have just as good quality as a solid wood dining table . Veneered wood ranges in thickness, and can be as thin as a slice of paper. Some lower-quality veneered furniture is made with particle board, which is thinner and absorbs moisture easily.
Veneer is technically a thin layer of hardwood , usually thinner than 1/8 of an inch. Typically, veneer is bonded, or glued with adhesive, to a cheaper surface that is hidden below. Veneer can be sanded along the grain, painted and stained because it is real wood .
7 Easy Tips ~ How To Remove Veneer Remove loose pieces of veneer by hand. Use a metal putty knife/scraper in a HORIZONTAL position to pry off the veneer . If your “people-power” couldn’t get all the veneer off, use a hammer. Use an old blow-dryer and your putty knife. Wet an old towel in hot water and ring out the excess.
Good quality furniture frames will sit even level with the floor. Bad quality furniture will wobble, twist, or creak. Wood on a good quality furniture piece should be reasonably scratch resistant, if it dents easily the furniture will not stand up to much use.
General Cleaning In order to clean your wood veneer surface, clean with care and use a lint free and soft cloth. Keep the cloth dry if you are dusting or slightly dampen the cloth with mild soap and water for cleaning . Be sure to wipe the veneer dry after the damp cloth is used.