My brother gave me an old '70s desk that he made then and I want to put to
use, but the top is not only beat to heck, it's not a style I like.

I've seen two methods to remove the masonite talked about: with a clothes
iron, heat each piece and little by little lift it up, or just plain chisel
away at it until it's all gone. This tells me that the glue is heat
activated, I'm thinking.

Anyone know of another way? Also, is this going to be as big a job as it
sounds? I'm not looking to spends weeks at this.

Also, while the replacement of the material doesn't sound too daunting, do I
have to get the wood surface under the masonite clean down to bare wood, or
does it matter. Talking about the old glue here. In other words, how clean
does the surface have to be so that my new top will adhere properly?

--
"Stay calm. Be brave. Wait for the signs."

regards,

Frank Johansen
Aurora, Ontario