Rehabbing old veneer tops on dressers?

[squall_line]

My wife and I acquired a full bedroom set from her grandmother when we moved her out of her house.  It's a mid-century modern set, neutral color wood (oak or ash?), etc. etc.; pretty much the exact aesthetic I was looking for, and it kept the set in the family.

It's not a major brand or a rare piece like Piersall or anything like that, but it's in good shape other than the veneer tops.

The veneer has dried out significantly (as seems typical for furniture we usually find from that era) to the point where it will cath a fingernail but isn't actually curling or anything horrible like that.

We plan to use the lowboy dresser as a changing table for our soon-to-be, and I want to make sure it's protected from liquids.  The highboy is in similar shape and won't see liquids in the near-term, but may in the future with plants, drinks, etc.  The MCM lowboy we have in the other nursery has a laminate top, which has made it such an easy surface to maintain as a changing table.

Refinishing options and concerns:

Option: Sand with 220 grit, seal the top
Concern: I'll sand through the veneer before I knock down the high spots

Option: Shellac/poly the heck out of the top and build up a finish until it's flat and sealed
Concern: Bleeding/uneven staining, dissolving the glue and lifting the veneer

Option: Remove and replace the veneer
Concern: Not in my wheelhouse, not much time to do that

Option: Remove the veneer and replace with laminate (wood-look laminate is period correct for some MCM furniture)
Concern: Time isn't on our side; finding the right shade of laminate may be tough, WAF may not be high (she appreciates the ease of use of the other lowboy, but prefers real wood)

Any thoughts or recommendations on a path forward?

 

[Michael Kellough]

“Neutral wood”?

Another option is psa real wood veneer.
Fairly easy to apply and only needs very light sanding.
There will be visible edges since it will sit on top.

 

[Rutabagared]

I would try to sand it first.  If you sand through, you can always veneer at that point.  As stated, PSA veneer is a good option.  Good luck.

 

[squall_line]

“Neutral wood”?

Another option is psa real wood veneer.
Fairly easy to apply and only needs very light sanding.
There will be visible edges since it will sit on top.

Neutral color.  Not enough coffee this morning.

 

[Cheese]

Back in the Fifties they were still using veneers that were relatively thick so sanding through may not be an issue. Try carefully examining the pieces on the back or on the inside to find some place that the veneer layer is visible so that you know what you're up against.

If this were my project I'd use both option #1 and option #2.

I'd also add a piece of clear acrylic over the top with many felt pads adhered to the bottom to protect the wood surface. The felt pads allow any liquid to roll under the acrylic but not reach the wood. If just acrylic is applied directly to the surface, capillary action will spread the liquid across the entire wood/acrylic interface.

I made something similar to protect a wood top desk from multiple house plants in pots.

 

[Packard]

I believed that hide glue was the adhesive of choice back then.  A little google research shows that to be correct.

I use hide glue for my cane work because it is reversible.

Which brings me to these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tutorial:+Replacing+Damaged+Wood+Veneer+On+Antique+Furniture+24

And here is my search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=working with hide glue&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-m

 

[Crazyraceguy]

You didn't mention the finish that is already there. If it hasn't been messed with over the years, I would assume shellac or lacquer. I think I would go at it with a scraper first, just to see how it reacts. That vintage veneer is probably much thicker than what we see today, so sanding on it may not be as intense as it seems. If you can get the finish off before sanding, it would be better yet.
220 might be a little too fine, more burnishing than stripping/leveling. I think a gentle hit with 120, to take the high spots down quickly, then 150 a little more thoroughly. With film finishes, you really don't need to sand that fine.
Seal it with a couple of coats of shellac and then you can do pretty much anything. Poly is probably your best bet for being as water resistant as you can get. Shellac and lacquer both take in moisture and show spots/rings etc. An oil based poly might give you some yellowing though, so the wood species might be more noticeable, bringing out more red, if it is Oak, not so much with Ash.
Solid wood edges I assume?