# HELP (removing veneer)



## Hubbard (Jan 1, 2012)

So. A neighbor had an old piano they disassembled and put on the street. Lots of big pieces of wood, so of course, I scooped it up. I cut one slab into a manageable piece and noticed it was a veneered slab of wood. Not sure what wood it under there, looks like oak, but doesn't smell like it. 










But I want the veneer off so I can use it. Can't run it through the planer because of the glue. Sanding will take a year (I've tried). Trying the hammer and chisel method but that's slow going. Anyone got a tip?


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

If it is really old, it's possible that the veneer is attached with hide glue. Heat and steam (steam iron?) then ease it up with a putty knife, maybe? Wall-paper steamer?


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## Hubbard (Jan 1, 2012)

Maybe. As I'm uncovering it, it appears to be oak 2x4's that were glued into a slab. I may just cut it into boards the width of max table saw height and saw the veneer off that way. Chisel and hammer is too hard to control depth and I don't have any real way to heat and peel


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## del schisler (Nov 5, 2009)

Hubbard said:


> Maybe. As I'm uncovering it, it appears to be oak 2x4's that were glued into a slab. I may just cut it into boards the width of max table saw height and saw the veneer off that way. Chisel and hammer is too hard to control depth and I don't have any real way to heat and peel


that would be the best and fastest way, you won't loose that much in the saw off and you will be done,


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## Hubbard (Jan 1, 2012)

So here is what I got. Looks like oak to me but I don't recognize the smell, probly due to age









Thoughts?


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Could be ash


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## Hubbard (Jan 1, 2012)

Hmm. Never dealt with it, would explain why the sell isn't familiar


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## cowtown_eric (Feb 16, 2013)

The glue wont screw up yer planer. just set the depth of cut to cut a tad below the glue line. if it can handle the depth of cut. It's likely hide glue and just turns into fine dust. 

Someone suggested it might be ash, and if the smell is kinda acrid it may well be. Ash don't have a pleasant smell on a hot saw blade

Of course, you could have opted to restore the piano, but depending on the degree of abuse, that would have been an unfruitfull interesting excercise (don't ask me how I know!)

I just saw the guts of an old piano some feller was gonna convert to a desk. and had hacked it apart with his sawzall. Primo secondary woods, really dense rings. Stuff you can't buy anymore. 

good luck and a sharp rip blade should do the trick. 

Eric in Cowtown


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## Hubbard (Jan 1, 2012)

Solved the problem by buying this guy:









Which made very short work of it. Now I have this:











So much of it doesn't make sense. Veneer over hardwood. Oak butt caps on a different wood. Beats me. Ill use it. Thanks for all the tips


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