Re-veneering a tabletop

[orydian]

My coffee table has had a fair old bashing from various parties, computer repairs, clumsy accidents and general tomfoolery. In short, it looks more like the surface of Mars than it should. I could just buy a new one, but it would be a major logistical PITA.

Can such a thing be done? Would it be expensive?

Advice appreciated.

ory.

[yawner]

For best possible results, get a french polisher in every time. Your table will look as good as new. Not sure how much that would cost you though fella. 

[robwhizz]

It can be done, but is fairly difficult/fiddly and decent veneer is pretty expensive (I think I paid about £70-80 for an 8 foot sheet a long time ago).

The only way I know how to do it is to pull off the old stuff and fill and sand down the top of the table to to a nice smooth finish, then get a sheet of veneer bigger than the table, coat it and the table thinly with contact adhesive making sure it's perfectly smooth and even. Use lots of little dowels on the surface of the table and lay the veneer on top. Working from the middle remove the dowels and slowly stick the veneer down making sure you don't get any air bubbles (cause then you're knackered). If all goes well you use a flush cutting bit on a router to trim off the excess veneer to a perfect fit.

Not only is this a lot of hassle and easy to screw up, if you can't get a good match on the colour, you'll need to do the sides too and probably the legs. Then factor in the finishing. I'd use some wire wool to rub danish oil in. That stuff isn't cheap either and it's time consuming and extremely smelly. 

I've used veneer many moons ago and it was no fun.

I'd go with yawners idea and weigh it up against the cost of a new table.

[orydian]

Cheers guys. Think I'll get someone to do it for me.

ory.

[Matt]

Or, if you want a new one gimmie a shout and Ill meet you one saturday, take you to the shop, and bring it back and put it up there for you no probs.

All for the price of a beer

My coffee table has had a fair old bashing from various parties, computer repairs, clumsy accidents and general tomfoolery. In short, it looks more like the surface of Mars than it should. I could just buy a new one, but it would be a major logistical PITA.

Can such a thing be done? Would it be expensive?

Advice appreciated.

ory.

[orydian]

Awesome, might do that. Cheers mate.

ory.