Replies

1. 
   boilerbay | Sep 07, 2009 04:03pm | #1

   Ken,
   Interesting problem. It appears to be a factory produced vanity.
   It can be repaired, but....

   It appears that moisture damage and subsequent expansion/contractions (surface crazing /cracking make the body of this repair much more than just the obvious corner. My first reaction is that the amount of damage is on the gross side and as such could not be repaired without a total overhaul of the top, which, as you said, is already in poor to unrecoverable state. I would not consider refinishing it.
   I would find it faster and far less effort ( if the whole top is as uncomplicated as is this corner) to remove and replace with new veneer.
   That is if you are looking for an good top.
   If you are looking for a service top, such as is indicated in the photo, then fill in with a birch veneer substrate and find a wood veneer similar to the top and the same thickness, stagger the edges with the grain, cut-in the veneer, re-glue, then sand all and over finish with the best stain possible before putting final finish on. If your very good with tints/dyes it is possible to match the repair to the body of the wood.
   The operative words are "very good"

   Regards

   Boiler

2. 
   DonStephan | Sep 07, 2009 05:55pm | #2

   My guess is that the table has a two ply veneer top over perhaps a plywood substrate.  Counting down, there appears to be a little damage to the third surface near the side, that could be filled and sanded smooth.  The bigger issue, to me, is the second layer.  Quite a bit has been lost, and it is thicker than the top (show) layer.  The first bit of the second layer, moving right from the side of the table, also looks loose in the picture.  If this is so, it would have to be tightly glued back to the substrate for the repair to have any longevity.  The bigger issue is the joint that would be formed where the patch to the second layer begins - that joint line is likely to telegraph through the surface veneer after a while (one year? 3 years? 5 years?), especially if there is even a slight difference in overall thickness of the original and patch second layers (veneer thickness plus underlying glue thickness).

   If all that is irrelevant, the above reply outlines the process well.  Good luck!