First I tried to soften it with Lacquer thinner and Mineral Spirits. That did nothing so I tried some stripper and a brass brush. That helped some, but not much. It probably would have worked if I let it sit for a long time but I was concerned about lifting the veneer. So I tinted some Timbermate filler and rubbed that in. Then I put on a light coat of pigment stain followed by 2 coats of dewaxed shellac and 4 coats of GF Polyacrylic. All that is on the top. The base didn't get any filler and only 2 coats of poly.