How to repair a headboard
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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.
Related content:
You can patch wood after removing veneer
How to Repair Veneer
The veneer was pulling away from the front and the back of this headboard.
Visit the My Repurposed Life Amazon Store to shop my favorite items.
If you want a good hold when you repair a headboard, I recommend the ever popular Gorilla Wood Glue .
Then, I used 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.
New Use for Painter’s Tape
My regular readers know I’m a huge fan of ScotchBlue Painter’s tape. I have found a brand new use for it! Look how I applied tape to two pieces of scrap lumber.
Clamp Headboard Veneer
I used those two pieces of taped boards to clamp the headboard. Applying 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.
Clean Repaired Headboard
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.
Repair a Headboard with Wood Putty
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.
Paint Headboard White
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 from Homeright.
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.
boy 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!
boy 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!
Wow! 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.
I am so anxious to use your idea with the blue tape on the boards. That is genius.
Fantastic job! You are amazing. I have a lovely headboard with cracks in it – any suggestions? I’ve used filler but it still shows.
Looks great!. Thought I was the only one with furniture to paint in my kitchen. judy
You 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
It’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! 😉
Once again–another great job! Love the fact that you are like me–hurry and paint outside while you can!!! Can’t wait till Spring!
Great job, I pass up so many veneer disasters. This looks great.
Wow! I would have left that at the curb! Thank you for inspiring us to take on the task 🙂
Semalee @ Nailing Jello to a Tree
Oh 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