Lane Cedar Chest Veneer Repair and Refinishing
In this tutorial on Cedar Chest Restoration, we will repair some serious veneer damage !! This Lane Cedar Chest is about as wrecked as they come, but our client wanted it restored for sentimental reasons and he knew where to come to get the job done!
We'll show you step by step, the methods and techniques we used to bring this wrecked Cedar Chest back to "like New" condition !
Before
WHY?
Why restore this Wrecked Cedar Chest? I mean, It's not like cedar chests are hard to come by, or command a lot of money when restored. But after absorbing the initial shock when viewing the condition, I knew the answer without having to ask our client. This Cedar Chest had tremendous sentimental value to it's owner.
First Step - Creating A Vision
Every Refinishing, Re-purposing, and Restoration project begins with the same process. We need to create a mental conception of what we desire as the end result. Without a good idea of what we are striving to achieve, plotting out our course of actions would be nearly impossible.
My Mental Image Looked Very Much Like The Final Results
Watch Movie ~ How To Remove Veneer
Let's get Started!!
So where do we start ? Well, my first order of business was to determine (to the best of my ability) what type of veneer I was dealing with. That proved to be a little challenging, but based on grain matching I decided to go with Satinwood on the front and Teak for the sides. I ordered my veneer online and began the task of removing the veneer. There was just no saving anything but the top and the front center piece of Burl.
A wood identification kit like this one can be a huge help in helping you determine a veneer species, and you'll have it for future reference !!
So many veneer and glue types.....where do I start?
Veneering furniture can be as simple, or as hard as you choose to make it. It's not Something I do in our studio daily, weekly, or most times even monthly. Therefor, I like to keep it simple. We don't have a veneer press, nor are we a cabinet shop set up to do high volume veneering. With that in mind, I only accept veneering projects that I know are within my shops capabilities.
Unless you have access to a veneer press and many clamps, you are going to want to select veneer with a backing. Paper Backed veneer is good for use with contact cement. Veneer backed veneer is good for use with wood glue.
You can actually purchase a wide variety of veneers through Amazon. We've included the link here for you.
Watch Movie ~
Wood Veneering Techniques On A Cedar Chest
Here Are Links To Some Of The Products Used On This Restoration
Measuring And Cutting Our Veneer
When purchasing veneer, you'll find useful websites online with the many veneer species available. You'll need to match them up the best you can with what you are replacing. There are also many outlets available to purchase veneer online.
When ordering veneer, I suggest purchasing veneer with a backing. That will be either - veneer backed, paper backed, or adhesive paper backed.
BELOW, scroll through the slideshow and we'll go over how I measured and cut my front panels.
