How to Repair a Split Leg on Cherry Veneer Furniture

Lay down a furniture pad on the ground to prevent scratching the top of the piece. Turn over the furniture so the legs are up in the air.

Use masking tape to put the broken leg back together again temporarily.

Cut the head off of two, 4-penny nails with diagonal cutters. Use one of the nails as a drill bit to drill two holes into the broken leg, with one hole on each side of the break at a 90 degree angle to the break line. Insert the two nails into the holes to add some structural support to the ends of the broken area.

Pull off the masking tape and apply epoxy glue to both broken ends of the leg, holding the pieces tightly together until excess glue oozes out of the seam. Wipe away the excess with a rag before it dries.

Clamp the two pieces together to let the epoxy dry overnight. If the break is at an awkward angle for clamping, wrap wax paper around the break and then wrap twine around that to hold the wood in place.

Remove the clamps or the twine in the morning. If the nails are sticking out from the repair at all, trim the ends with the diagonal cutter. The leg will be repaired and the cherry veneer will not be damaged.

Scrape out old glue or loose wood fibers that are under any loose veneer with a razor blade so the veneer can lay against the wood underneath smoothly.

Apply epoxy glue to the edge of a business card and slide it under the loose veneer to get the glue all the way under it. Wrap wax paper around that section of the table leg and clamp the veneer down for an hour to let the glue dry.

Replace any missing veneer with a fresh piece of equal color. Trim the new veneer with a router and a 3/4-inch straight bit to properly shape it to fit the missing area. Place a piece of craft paper between the new veneer and the wood underneath on the table leg because the new veneer is likely thinner. Glue the paper and the new veneer in place, wrap the repair in wax paper and clamp it for at least an hour.

Remove the clamp and wax paper. Sand the new veneer if necessary with fine sandpaper so it matches the texture of the veneer around it and doesn't stand out.