How to repair oak veneer furniture

You may have seen furniture or cabinets with the description "oak veneer." These products, if manufactured well, may appear to be solid oak wood. If you own an oak veneer and it needs repairing then this guide should help you along your way. Replacing a damaged oak veneer is pretty straight forward and doesn't require many tools or advanced skills. Use the steps provided below whether the repair is small or large. All it involves is removing the damaged veneer, cleaning up any underlayment damage, and gluing down the replacement. However, cutting the new veneer requires a degree of precision, but if you're uncertain of your ability to create an exact match make a paper pattern to follow.
1
Remove the old piece of veneer. Hold a straight edge tightly against the veneer and use a utility knife to make a straight cut. Repeat this on all sides of the damage. Keep the lines straight to make the repair less noticeable.
2
Repair any damage to the surface under the oak veneer. Clean out dirt and old glue. If the surface beneath the veneer has separated from the base material reattach it by putting wood glue between them. Use clamps to hold them together until the glue hardens.
3
Cut a new piece of veneer to fit the area where you removed the damaged oak veneer. Try to match up the grains. If the new oak veneer is thinner than the old veneer, glue a piece of Kraft paper cut to the size of the repair to the surface under the veneer.
4
Use a small paintbrush to apply a thin coat of wood glue to the back of the veneer and to the top of the surface underneath or Kraft paper. Lay the veneer replacement in place and use clamps to hold it until the glue has set. Use a piece of cardboard or wood between the clamps and the veneer to prevent damage.
5
Use fine-grit sandpaper to very lightly even areas where the veneer is not an exact match, for instance, on the side of a table. Apply oak stain to exposed spots where the veneer did not line up exactly.