Plywood veneer raised by screw

[BikerMike]

Building a basement bar. Bar top is maple veneer plywood. Bar was attached by screws from underneath. Two screws pushed veneer up and caused small crack. Backing out screws did not flatten the veneer. Looking for suggestions to reduce/remove dimple prior to applying finish.

[pkinneb]

Can you clamp a board on it to compress the fibers? Maybe a 3" x 3" ply square right over where it was pushed up. You want something big enough that you can apply pressure to fix the spot but not so much you imprint the top. I would try it without glue first 

[Chet]

If the above doesn't work, I would take a clean terrycloth towel or rag of that type material wet the towel, not dripping wet, but you want it more then a little damp put it over the spot and then press it for about 5 seconds or so with a hot clothes iron and then put some weight on it will it cools.  in either case, what is suggest above or this you will probably have to sand it some with some 220 grit sand paper wrapped around a block of wood.  Sand lightly though the maple veneer is fairly thin.

[wtnhighlander]

Sometime firmly pressing the dimple with the round end of a ball-peen hammer works.

[SawDustB]

10 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

Sometime firmly pressing the dimple with the round end of a ball-peen hammer works.

Yes, this. I had a couple of spots on the tool cabinet where I misjudged the screw length and had this happen. Using a smooth metal or plastic object (I used a rounded ball peen hammer head) you can burnish the veneer surface to get it smooth again. Obviously you need to be careful, but I got an invisible repair in the three places I had to do this.