Oiled Walnut veneer. Several edges and corners have damage with missing veneer as well as missing the underlying structure.
End goal is to remove the old finish, sand, and do something more neutral that won't yellow, like a water-based satin poly over either an oil rub to bring out the grain/dimension, or seal with shellac then poly, or maybe just poly on the raw wood.
My first thought was to clean the wound, cut out the damaged veneer, fill, sand, and replace veneer bits. This seems tedious and difficult. I'd need a thicker veneer than stock so I can sand flush.
I have also considered simply cleaning, filling sanding alone, but I'm concerned that the filler will really stand out, especially after being finished.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Greg.