Do you have a headboard with bad veneer? My nephew Jimmy dropped this off for me to repair and paint.
Isn’t it a beautiful bed?
Excuse the blurry picture. It’s the only picture I have that shows how bad the veneer was warped.
The veneer was pulling away from the front and the back of this headboard.
I used the ever popular Gorilla Wood Glue to repair the veneer.
I use something very thin to spread the glue. If you look carefully, you’ll see how wavy the veneer is in both the front and the back. After I spread the glue I need to clamp it.
My regular readers know I’m a huge fan of ScotchBlue Painter’s tape. I have found a brand new use for it! I applied tape to two pieces of scrap lumber.
I used those two pieces of taped boards to clamp the headboard. I applied just enough pressure to get a little ooze. Don’t apply so much pressure that you make ALL of the glue ooze out.
I used four clamps and let the glue set up.
You can see that this option is a lot better than using the same four clamps in random areas. It sandwiched the bad veneer really well.
When the glue had set up, I removed the clamps and “popped off” the scrap lumber. It did stick slightly to the bed, but not like it would have stuck if the ScotchBlue had not been used.
It’s the dead of winter but we had a pretty warm day, so I was able to work outside. After sanding the bed, I used some TSP to wash it down.
There were some cracks there on the top left, this is before I filled them with wood putty.
This is after I filled the cracks and sanded.
It was warm enough for me to paint outdoors. This is after I sprayed some gray primer on the footboard. I have a new favorite sprayer
I didn’t have much time to work, so I mostly concentrated on the spindle parts of the bed, because they are so hard to paint by hand.
The weather turned cold again, and I was painting by hand indoors with a fabulous Purdy paint brush! If you’ve never used one, you really should try it.
Here I am painting in my kitchen! The bed is mostly finished. Jimmy is having a hard time finding side rails. I think he’s going to try using a regular metal bed frame. His aunt gail has had side rails, but has repurposed them into other items.
gail
If you’re not using the headboard for the bed, you will love these ideas on how to repurpose headboards.
linda kusmaul says
May 26, 2014 at 9:56 amAnother way to get the glue into smaller places is to use a straw and blew it into the crevices. It works wonders so you dont have to pull back the veneer.
Kristen says
January 5, 2014 at 9:03 amWhat did you use to fill in the cracks?
Brenda says
December 22, 2012 at 5:33 pmthanks for the tutorial and the pics..it looks great! I have my old childhood walnut dresser with some damage to a few drawers.I am going to use your method to repair and paint it!
zinny says
April 10, 2011 at 7:52 amThank you so much for responding and so quickly.I think I’ll practice on some end tables first before tackling the bed 🙁
Hopefully, I’ll have some good pix to update you with soon.
I’ll also send a note so you have my email address.
Thank you for sharing.
zinny says
April 9, 2011 at 11:36 pmHello Gail, Your work is wonderful. I’ve found a new blog to watch. I stumbled upon your blog via google because I am thinking of re-doing my bed (headboard, footboard and sides). I am a new DIYr and this will be the largest project I am embarking on. Can you tell me a few things, did you sand by hand or with an electric sander and did you use a paint the whole bed by hand?I am hoping to surprise my DH with a mini-makeover when he returns in a week. Thanks.
Katy says
January 20, 2011 at 6:58 pmThis is a wonderful helpful post. I just bought an old buffet off Craigslist, and the veneer on top is wavy..I’m not sure how to fix it though since I have no way to clamp it.. Maybe I could stack something really heavy on top?
The bed looks gorgeous, and I love your blog! happy to find you!
Kim @ Second Time Furniture says
January 20, 2011 at 5:25 amWhat a sweet auntie you are! Thanks for the great tips! 🙂
Gloria (The Little Red House with the White Porch) says
January 17, 2011 at 8:41 amHoly cow! You took a beautiful antique which looked like piece of junk (which is what I would have said, seeing the separated wood) and you brought it back to life. Good for you!! Really, I am SO impressed. I am going to save this – who knows when I might need to to do this one day!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Gloria
Denise says
January 16, 2011 at 3:32 pmWow. You have taken the fear out of veneer! The next time I see a slightly damaged veneer piece, I won’t be so reluctant to try to fix her up! If you have time, I would love for you to link this post (or any of your other ones) to my blog party at http://firstadream.blogspot.com/
Becky@Beyond The Picket Fence says
January 15, 2011 at 5:50 pmWhat a great tutorial and so worth repairing! Thanks for sharing at Beyond the Picket Fence.
Tammy says
January 14, 2011 at 1:42 amGreat post! Can’t wait to see the finished project.
Tracy says
January 13, 2011 at 6:59 pmWow, that is impressive how the veneer flatten out!
Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal says
January 13, 2011 at 6:40 amGreat repair job Gail! Great tips to get nice even pressure on the veneer. It looks great all painted too. I hope the side rails gets figured out!
Homemade Quilts by Granny says
January 13, 2011 at 6:24 amMarvelous job you have done…I hope nephew is paying you good to do all this work…cause I personaly would not have under taken this for anyone but myself and maybe not even for myself. Blessing Trish
Nana's Fun Stuff says
January 13, 2011 at 4:44 amYou definitely worked your magic on that! It looks great 🙂
Pam says
January 13, 2011 at 2:33 amLovely job Gail. Bet your nephew is loving it.
Dawn says
January 13, 2011 at 2:33 amI agree with everyone else that just kept thinking the entire time “I would have left that thing at the curb and thought nothing can be done for it!!” Thank you for opening our eyes to more possibilities!
Granny says
January 12, 2011 at 9:48 pmI’d be willing to bet that 90% of the people woldn’t have attemped to repair that bed. I looks amazing. I’ve tired using Gorilla Glue with disastrous results. lol I always use too much. I love the painters tape. In fact, Grampy just bought a new roll to use when we paint our two bathrooms.
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
January 12, 2011 at 7:34 pmboy do i wish we lived closer. this is the kind of work i hate doing, but needs to be done. ick. you are so good at it!
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
January 12, 2011 at 7:34 pmboy do i wish we lived closer. this is the kind of work i hate doing, but needs to be done. ick. you are so good at it!
Suzanne@Meridian Road says
January 12, 2011 at 4:01 pmWow! It looks like a new bed.
Using the tape was a great idea.
I think I’m going to have to bring things into the kitchen. It’s still so cold I can’t even work in the garage.
MMB Creations says
January 12, 2011 at 3:34 pmI am so anxious to use your idea with the blue tape on the boards. That is genius.
Journey says
January 12, 2011 at 3:34 pmFantastic job! You are amazing. I have a lovely headboard with cracks in it – any suggestions? I’ve used filler but it still shows.
" SHABBY JUNK" says
January 12, 2011 at 3:04 pmLooks great!. Thought I was the only one with furniture to paint in my kitchen. judy
Megandvd@Beauty in the Attempt says
January 12, 2011 at 2:29 pmYou can work magic on a piece! And you also make me want a purdy brush so bad. I use to have one but I loaned it and it came back to me in not the best condition. They are so worth it…as shown by the spindle work. Great job!
Cheers~
e
Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic says
January 12, 2011 at 2:10 pmIt’s official. you ARE a miracle worker! I would not even have tried to restore that bed, and you made it come out beautiful! Love the clamping tips, have to remember that ’cause I don’t have nearly the number of clamps you do! 😉
Midwest Cottage and Finds! says
January 12, 2011 at 2:02 pmOnce again–another great job! Love the fact that you are like me–hurry and paint outside while you can!!! Can’t wait till Spring!
Cindy @ LeChaiseParfait says
January 12, 2011 at 2:01 pmGreat job, I pass up so many veneer disasters. This looks great.
Semalee says
January 12, 2011 at 1:47 pmWow! I would have left that at the curb! Thank you for inspiring us to take on the task 🙂
Semalee @ Nailing Jello to a Tree
Proper Prim says
January 12, 2011 at 1:41 pmOh Gail that is looking so good… looks brand new again… great job.
Got to love that Gorilla Glue, I got some from Santa but haven’t tried it yet.
Have a great day… hopefully you get some nicer weather than we have… it was a white knuckle drive to work this morning… and it is going to be another one going home. I wish Mother Nature would stop PMSing… lol
Hugs, Deb