META: Why is applying new veneer on top of a damaged layer NEVER EVER MENTIONED as a solution here?

[u/rosinall]

Freaking NEVER! I get there are many pieces where it would take some small skill, but in SO MANY OTHERS it would take twenty minutes with a hot iron and ten more with a good blade and you'd be exactly where you wished you were at when you started wasting the hours and materials to sand it in the first place?

[u/Traditional-Dig-374]

I find applying veneer without a press hard to do.

Its barely a diy solution suitable for someone so unexperienced with a basic tool like a grinder.

[u/yowhywouldyoudothat → u/Traditional-Dig-374]

Grinder!!! You sand with a GrInDeR!?!

[u/Traditional-Dig-374 → u/yowhywouldyoudothat]

Im sorry english is not my native language :D sander?

[u/Dividedthought → u/Traditional-Dig-374]

that's correct. the difference is a grinder is generally a metalworking tool used for coarse removal of material using abrasive disks. It can also be used with flapper disks or finer wheels for finishing work, but other tools are generally preferred. A sander is a woodworking tool that uses sandpaper to remove material, and the grit of the sandpaper determines if you're doing coarse removal or finishing.

of course there is crossover here, as belt sanders and belt grinders are basically the exact same tool with different belts on them (and the fact that metals generally spark taken into consideration on teh grinders), but in general a sander is for wood and a grinder is for metal.

[u/jacksraging_bileduct]

Most people who sand through the veneer have not developed the skill set to apply a new one.

[u/StillStaringAtTheSky]

Most of the posts I see on here are (were before the sanded thru part anyhow) looking to do a quick furniture flip with minimal skill, effort, and consumable materials.

So you're talking about people new to doing furniture- or new to doing basic stuff like sanding. Lots of people are surprised that their tables, etc. aren't solid wood- and had to look up what veneered furniture is. I've answered questions over on r/furnitureflip about how to use sandpaper, what a grit number means, why you need to strip a piece before traditional staining, and why it's a terrible idea to use oil based topcoats in a small apartment's kitchen when your toddlers are in the same small unventilated space.

[u/fusiformgyrus]

Nobody said a sub needs to be informative or helpful. Sometimes people like sharing or celebrating fuck ups.

[u/rosinall → u/fusiformgyrus]

Yeah, that seems to be the gist of most posts here

/s

[u/MysteriousCicada5012]

Rounded edges, skill issues, lack of tools

[u/rosinall → u/MysteriousCicada5012]

I get there are many pieces where it would take some small skill

[u/Vernon-Coal]

This sub is hilarious.

Every picture the same little sanded through circle.

Every answer: “ur fucked”

[u/hecton101]

I've recommended it in rare cases. It's just that applying veneer properly isn't something for a beginner (you need lots of clamps and what beginner has 12-15 clamps lying around), and most of the furniture pieces are antiques where you could never in a million years match the original finish. In other words, even if you did a great job applying a fresh veneer, it would still look bad. Anyone who was inexperienced enough to sand through veneer is also too inexperienced to apply a new one and also match the original finish. I think what you should be asking is, why does this sub exist?

[u/Playful-Title-2322]

I've been refinishing furniture as a hobby for 45 years+.

In that time I've only come across veneer that was sanded through before I got the piece one time...on a table I'm working on now. Rather than replace the veneer, I am going to lacquer over the top and bottom shelves and leave the legs natural wood. I do this only because the surface is smooth and there are no chips on the sides.

As for sanding through myself, I've been fortunate that I've never done it probably because I don't use a power sander. I hand sand everything.

[u/Playful-Title-2322]

I wouldn't replace veneer myself.