How to Fix Bubbles in Wood Veneer

Wood veneer is typically used to create a wooden surface on an object that would be prohibitively expensive if built with solid wood. You glue the thin wooden sheet, the veneer, to a piece of core material. While the typical result is a smooth wooden overlay with no signs of the core material beneath, sometimes the veneer can fail, forming a bubble in the veneer surface, either through misapplication of the adhesive or by air trapped beneath the surface. Fix these bubbles by correcting the adherence of the veneer at the bubble's location. You'll have a smooth veneered surface that looks like solid wood.

Utility knife
Hair dryer
Veneer roller
Putty knife
Carpenter's glue
Paintbrush
Cloth
Waxed paper
Wood block
Books

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the center of the bubble in the veneer. Cut a slit through the veneer into the void beneath with a utility knife to give the air creating the bubble an escape route. Make the slit about ¼ inch long, right at the center point of the bubble and running in the same direction as the grain in the wood.
- 2
  Turn on the hair dryer to its highest setting and pass it over the bubbled area to activate the adhesive on the bottom of the wood veneer. Keep the dryer in constant motion, taking care not to scorch the wood with its heat. Immediately turn off the hair dryer should the wood begin to darken from the heat you're directing. Heat the bubble for about two minutes.
- 3
  Roll the bubble flat onto the surface beneath with a veneer roller. The glue will immediately bond with the surface beneath the veneer with only moderate force from the roller required. Roll from the center of the bubble outward past the bubble's edge and cover the entire surface of the bubble to fully glue it into place. If the veneer does not stick, it may be glued with non-heat-reactive glue.
- 4
  Glue newer veneered surfaces using non-heat-reactive glue back in place by extending the slit through the bubble's center across the length of the bubble with the utility knife. Place a second cut through the veneer, crossing the first with the knife. Peel back the loose veneer and scrape the glue from the rear of the veneer and the surface beneath with a putty knife. Brush on a layer of carpenter's glue to the bottom of the veneer with a paintbrush, and press the veneer back onto the surface. Smooth the veneer into place with the veneer roller.
- 5
  Remove any excess glue that may seep out of the small slit with a damp cloth.
- 6
  Place a sheet of wax paper over the repaired area. Place a wood block large enough to cover the bubble onto the wax paper, then weigh the block down with a stack of heavy books. Leave the weights in place overnight to keep the veneer flat as the glue sets again. Remove the books, wood and wax paper to use the surface normally.

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