r/sandedthroughveneer

I was looking for a round, wooden table for my living room and found this beauty on Facebook Market for $75. I think the previous owner had kept it outside for a long time and it looked in desperate need for some restauration. The seller said he was going to sand it himself but just didn't have the time, so he sold it instead.

On my way home, I notice the "Rasmus - Made in Denmark" tag, google it, and to my delight realize these tables are worth quite a lot more than $75.

For that price, I happily spent the extra bucks on a sanding machine, an N95, some tack cloths and a bucket of polyurethane.

This was my first sanding project, and so AI was my guide and mentor. First mistake.

I start sanding and blissfully igonrant start seeing the marks and scratches disappearing. But some of the marks and scratches were much deeper. I continue to sand, but soon start to notice some unusual bright spots through the wood. AI reassures me that the table is definitely solid oak, and that these are just ray flecks. Mistake number 2...

I now realize that I have sanded through the veneer top plate in some spots, and see something I believe is particle board.

Common sense has finally bonked me in the head, and I thus come crawling to the only realiable source of knowledge; Reddit, instead of asking AI again.

Does anyone have advise for what I can do now? Is there any finish that would help hide the particle board and protect the table? Should I re-veneer it?

I make fingerboards (mini finger skateboards) and I’ve been experimenting with dyed maple veneer and gloss lacquer finishes, but I’m struggling to consistently achieve that super smooth “deep gloss” finish without texture/orange peel under direct light. Sometimes I get the smoothest glassy glossy finish and other times it’s just shit, always same lacquer same environment same amount of coats and strategy. My current strategy and environment consists of:
- sanded with 80 grit, 120 grit, 400 grit, 600 grit
- Dust and debris is removed with lint free microfiber cloths, compressed air, and sometimes a dab wipe of isopropyl alcohol
- 3-4 layers of watco spray gloss lacquer (can says no sanding required between layers), typically 15mins between coats
- first layer is typically a light layer, increasing thickness as layers go up
- sprayed in my garage
- cured inside

I attached:
- first photo, example of one of inconsistent results
- second and third photos, examples of the finish quality I’m trying to achieve

A few things I’m trying to figure out:
- What grit should maple veneer actually be sanded to before lacquer?
- Is sanding sealer or grain filler recommended on dyed maple veneer?
- Should lacquer coats be sanded/leveled between coats?
- Is wipe-on polyurethane actually better for smoothness than spray lacquer?
- What’s the proper curing + polishing process for that ultra smooth finish?

I’m trying to avoid:
- uneven texture
- orange peel
- raised grain
- sanding through dye

Would appreciate hearing the process experienced woodworkers or finishers use for high-gloss veneer work.

Hi,

We have an engineered ash floor that was previously lacquered black. We’re sanding it back to natural ourselves with a belt sander. The surface is clean but the open ash grain is still full of black pigment, the only way to get it out is to sand deeper. Problem is, previous owners already had it sanded before (unknown how many times), and 2 out of 3 professional companies refused the job because they’re worried the veneer is already too thin.

I’m attaching a photo of a specific spot where I’m not sure, is this just the natural ash grain pattern or am I already close to or hitting the substrate?

My questions:
• How do I tell from looking at it whether I’m close to the veneer limit?
• Is there any way to get black lacquer pigment out of open ash grain without sanding deeper?
• Any other tricks to clean the grain without losing more wood?

I have the time to do this carefully. Thanks!