Over the weekend I carried out a few minor repairs on a great Hayson teak/veneer dressing table. A common issue often seen with the majority of teak furniture dating from the 1960’s can be chips/damage to the thin veneer. They are unsightly, can run further if caught whilst cleaning and also devalue your beautiful piece of furniture.

For example, on the left hand side of the dresser, towards the bottom edge we are missing a 15mm x 20mm piece of veneer, along with a few other smaller nicks to the right. Obviously it’s not a major issue, it’s just there, and you know about it, and you hate how it’s damaged in that area, and how it catches your eye every time you walk past – much like a dent to your beloved car!

So how do we fix? We simply glue in another piece of teak veneer, and try to match it as best we can!

The teak veneer used above I salvaged from a broken record player I stumbled across at the local tip one day. The piece to the left is a little to dark, and whilst the piece on the right is better – the grain however is a little wider and not quite as tight, but it will have to do!

So after squaring the edges, and meticulously peeling off a piece from the ‘donor’ it was trimmed, glued and clamped into place, along with a few smaller pieces (under the tape). Once the glue was dry I removed the clamp and I must say I was a little surprised at how much darker it looks now on its own compared to the side by side picture. A light sand with some 800 grit wet & dry, and a few coats of furniture polish (oil) and we’re done!

Now although the colour doesn’t quite match 100%, the repair is complete! The veneer’s are level, and firmly glued down, with no chance of any further damage occurring. Remember, we’re not trying to hide the repair or signs of it’s previous life – we’re ensuring the piece is in great, functional condition, ready for the next 50 years of use!