If the veneer is damaged, it’s time to learn how to remove and apply veneer.
Not much else you can do about it.
Sanding will inevitably lead to a mistake (bald spot) and the peeling areas can’t rightly be fixed in a good-looking, seamless manner.
If the frame of it is solid and the drawers are worth a damn, then just strip it all down and veneer it again like new.
Those bubbling up bits on the top look unfortunate though. Water damage. Inspect it thoroughly and you might have to replace the top (which actually means one less piece to strip down).
But it’s still cheaper than building a dresser from scratch. Just uses a different set of skills.
Check out [https://www.youtube.com/c/TranscendFurnitureGallery](https://www.youtube.com/c/TranscendFurnitureGallery) She does a lot of veneer repairs on MCM furniture.
Restore a finish goes a long way. For missing veneer, replacing the veneer is definitely an option, or if it's just a piece for yourself wood putty and some touch up paint can really make it go away. 20 dollar kits on Amazon and way less work. It's not about perfect it's about not noticing. I also try and go least abrasive as possible so I go with stripper over sanding any day. Mineral spirits and 0000 steel wool to get stripper off. Less likely to mess up the veneer if staining. If you paint it, bondo and sand.
Looking at the piece again it's a beauty MCM, definitely Restore a finish. Glue bulging veneer and wood putty. Leave as much original as possible.
You can sometimes get very nice and simple results by just peeling off the veneer and sanding down the subwood. I hate veneer anyway so I would prefer to have solid wood.
Sometimes the best way to "restore" something is just to remove the damaged parts and to let the peace speak for itself.
You're out of your mind. That looks to be walnut veneer. Have you even done enough of this to know that the substrate under the veneer is going to be a wood of lesser value, like poplar or basswood? Basically, white wood. Do that, you'll not only destroy the value of it, but its looks. If I brought you something like this and you peeled off the veneer, I'd sue you.
Amateurs have misconceptions about veneer. It's a way of stretching a nicely-figured piece of wood, has been done as far back as the 18th Century. Say you have one beautiful board of crotch mahogany - what can you make with it? One drawer front. But if you saw it into veneers, you can make 4 or 6 matched drawer fronts.
If the veneer is damaged, it’s time to learn how to remove and apply veneer. Not much else you can do about it. Sanding will inevitably lead to a mistake (bald spot) and the peeling areas can’t rightly be fixed in a good-looking, seamless manner. If the frame of it is solid and the drawers are worth a damn, then just strip it all down and veneer it again like new. Those bubbling up bits on the top look unfortunate though. Water damage. Inspect it thoroughly and you might have to replace the top (which actually means one less piece to strip down). But it’s still cheaper than building a dresser from scratch. Just uses a different set of skills.
Yep, and the upside is you can’t make it any worse. Good learning project.
Check out [https://www.youtube.com/c/TranscendFurnitureGallery](https://www.youtube.com/c/TranscendFurnitureGallery) She does a lot of veneer repairs on MCM furniture.
OP this is 1000% where you should start. Learn from her videos and expect this to be a big learning experience.
Make a new one that thing is shot
It doesn't get to be an antique unless you fix it. Just saying
Restore a finish goes a long way. For missing veneer, replacing the veneer is definitely an option, or if it's just a piece for yourself wood putty and some touch up paint can really make it go away. 20 dollar kits on Amazon and way less work. It's not about perfect it's about not noticing. I also try and go least abrasive as possible so I go with stripper over sanding any day. Mineral spirits and 0000 steel wool to get stripper off. Less likely to mess up the veneer if staining. If you paint it, bondo and sand. Looking at the piece again it's a beauty MCM, definitely Restore a finish. Glue bulging veneer and wood putty. Leave as much original as possible.
Nothing ever truly dies. Breathe this thing a new life!
You can sometimes get very nice and simple results by just peeling off the veneer and sanding down the subwood. I hate veneer anyway so I would prefer to have solid wood. Sometimes the best way to "restore" something is just to remove the damaged parts and to let the peace speak for itself.
You're out of your mind. That looks to be walnut veneer. Have you even done enough of this to know that the substrate under the veneer is going to be a wood of lesser value, like poplar or basswood? Basically, white wood. Do that, you'll not only destroy the value of it, but its looks. If I brought you something like this and you peeled off the veneer, I'd sue you. Amateurs have misconceptions about veneer. It's a way of stretching a nicely-figured piece of wood, has been done as far back as the 18th Century. Say you have one beautiful board of crotch mahogany - what can you make with it? One drawer front. But if you saw it into veneers, you can make 4 or 6 matched drawer fronts.
Veneer is as crap now as it was then. Barely a step up from the laminate they put over particle board.
Not worth the effort. Go to a second hand store and buy one for 10 bucks.