Laminating a Dresser Top

Pour hot hide glue, or HHG, which is a form of animal protein glue granules, into a small plastic disposable bowl. Add water over the granules. The granules should absorb the water quickly and transform into a gel. Pour or scoop the gel into a cast-iron double-broiler type of cooking pot. Place the pot on a hot plate. Insert a cooking thermometer, and heat the glue to between 140 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The glue should be a medium- to dark-brown color. The viscosity of the glue should be similar to a thin syrup that breaks into drips at 12 inches.

Run a toothing plane over the smooth and level top of the dresser. Press the teeth of the plane at a 45-degree angle across the entire top. Place the plane 90 degrees opposite your first planing, and plane the top again at 45 degrees in the opposite angle. This will produce an even crosshatch pattern on the wood. Wipe off all debris with a tack cloth.

Cut your veneer pieces to the length you need to fit the top of the dresser in the direction you wish to laminate. In general, most dressers have grain running in the width direction. Cut the veneer by placing a metal straightedge along the cut measurement, and use a veneer saw to cut through the material.

Dip a larger round-tip artist's brush in the hot glue pot once the glue is between 140 and 180 degrees. Place the brush on the top of the dresser in the area you wish to glue. Move the brush in a circular motion to coat the area being glued. Place the veneer piece on the dresser top upside down. Add glue to the back side of the veneer piece following the same gluing technique. Pick up the veneer and turn it right side up. Align the veneer with the edges of your veneer area. Add glue to the top of the veneer.

Press a veneer hammer into the veneer at the center of the veneer piece, and move the hammer like a squeegee, pushing down and toward the sides of the veneer. Work with the grain to push the excess glue out of the sides of the veneer. Work across the entire veneer surface. Although the tool is called a hammer due to its shape, it is not banged against the surface. Push and press only. Scrape off the excess glue with a putty knife.

Repeat this process for your next piece of veneer except overlap the second piece edge by 1/2 inch over the first piece. After working your hammer across the second piece, place a metal straightedge 1/4 inch from the overlapped edge, and use a veneer saw to cut through both layers of veneer. Remove the top excess, and lift the edge to remove the underlying excess. Use the veneer hammer to finish attaching the edge. This technique will create a very tight joint. Scrape off excess glue. Allow the glue to dry based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Finish your veneer in the same manner as if it were solid wood.