As you can see from the before and after pictures, this coffee table was in rough shape when it came to us.  The veneer was in very bad shape, so it had to be removed.  Removing veneer is tedious, but doable if you are patient; especially on older pieces because the veneer was attached by using hide glue and hide glue reacts to steam.  The technique is simple; first, spread an old towel over a section of the veneer, then take a steam iron that is set to a steam setting and iron the towel so that the steam works its way into the veneer. As you are steaming it, take a putty knife or scraper and work it under an edge on the veneer.  As the steam loosens the glue, you will be able to work the putty knife farther and farther under it.  Repeat the process until all of the veneer is removed. Continue reading →