Hello! I just purchased a secretary from a second hand store. I am not sure of the wood; however, it is a majestic and heavy piece. I noticed on the drawer fronts that they are veneer and are not in good shape.
I'm thinking about removing the veneer and replacing it. Is this something a novice could do (as long as I took my time)?This will be part of the process of refinishing the beast. Any suggestions would be great.
Would it be better if I took this item to a professional?
Thank you!:D

You may have already found the answer to your questions. But, just in case you haven't here it is.

I am a professional furniture refinisher. Have done a lot of work with veneers.

You can do the job yourself. It just costs a lot more to have a professional do it.

You can purchase veneer that already has glue on the back that you use a hot iron to fasten it to the wood, veneer that already has an adhesive and you just press it in place, and veneer that has no glue or adhesive; you need to put the glue on yourself.

My personal preference is the kind that already has the glue on it. You work from one end to the other when applying it, or from the inside out. The trick is to avoid any bubbles. You also need to let a little bit of what you have first ironed dry for a short while, otherwise the veneer piece may move.

Depending on the size of the veneer that I am working with, I just use regular, big scissors to cut basic sizes and shapes and single-edged razor blades to trim edges. The edges will need to be sanded lightly after that.

Real wood veneer is expensive. But, if the piece has a lot of value to you, replacing the veneer would be fine if it cannot be repaired. It would be up to a professional to determine if the veneer can be repaired. If the piece is an antique, it may be better to repair the veneer so that the piece will retain it's intrinsic value.