DO-IT-YOURSELF : Elbow Grease Goes Long Way to Lift Finish

You can remove most finishes from wood with a chemical stripper and a little elbow grease.

Stripper types

A semi-paste stripper is generally the best choice for furniture. It works well on vertical and grooved surfaces and evaporates slowly. Follow the instructions on the container so you won’t damage the wood.

Strippers come in two formulas. Those containing methylene chloride work in about 10 to 30 minutes. They dry quickly and can be hazardous.

When using a chemical stripper, it’s important to work in a ventilated area away from open flames. Work outdoors if possible. Don’t smoke. Keep children and pets away from the work area. Wear old clothes, cotton-lined neoprene gloves and safety goggles. Store scrapings in a disposable can.

Water-base strippers also do a good job but take at least a couple of hours or even overnight. They are nontoxic, non-flammable and keep the dissolved finish soft for hours. However, the water will raise the wood grain, so plan on sanding the stripped wood.

Avoid the hot-lye baths used by some commercial dip-strip shops. They can discolor the wood and dissolve the glue that holds the veneers and joints in place. Shop workers may also damage the wood with excessive scraping or wire brushing.

If a shop dip-strips with methylene chloride, however, it may be fine for non-delicate pieces. Also, a professional hot-lye bath may be the only way to remove paint deeply embedded in open grain wood.

Some wood will retain deep blotches of old stain, water damage or other discolorations. As an example, the tannin in oak reacts with the iron in nails to form deep, dark spots. Try sanding or bleaching to remedy the problem.

Simple laundry bleach may do the job. If it doesn’t, try a commercial two-step wood bleach and follow the directions on the label. When using either type protect your hands and eyes.

Preparation

To strip the furniture you will need an ample supply of remover and several old or inexpensive paint brushes; some strippers recommend nylon bristles. Once a brush is used for stripping, it is unfit for any other purpose. You should also have a coffee can or painter’s bucket. Pour some remover into this container and work from it while keeping the main supply capped.

Remove all hardware before you start and soak it in stripper if you need to remove paint or varnish from it.

Applying the Stripper

Strip a single section at a time with methylene chloride so the mixture of dissolved finish and stripper won’t dry before you can remove it. As much as possible keep the surface horizontal, turning the piece as necessary.

Apply a heavy coat of stripper, brushing it on generously with as few strokes as possible and going with the grain in one direction. The thicker the coat, the better. Don’t brush it out. Let the remover work for the time directed. Most strippers will blister and wrinkle the finish. Others do not and must be tested with the edge of a putty knife to see if the stripping is completed.

Scraping

Scrape off the softened finish with a blunt-edge, round-cornered putty knife or wooden scraper. Work with the grain. Scrape carefully, particularly with the putty knife; the wood will be temporarily softened and can easily be scarred or gouged.

When scraping, pay particular attention to joints and carved surfaces. A textured plastic pad, burlap or coarse steel wool conforms to round or curved shapes to scour off softened finish. Turn the pad frequently to expose a clean surface. A stiff toothbrush, brass-bristled brush or rope of steel wool can be used to scrub finish from turned and carved work without damaging the detail. Twine or coarse string gets into narrow channels. Wrap sandpaper around a block of wood to clean finish from right angles and corners. Wrapped dowels are handy for cleaning finish from moldings.

Last Steps

Even if some finish remains on the first section, continue stripping the rest of the piece. Then, using fresh remover and clean tools, reattack the stubborn sections until all of the wood is bare. If remover drips onto a clean section, wipe it off with gum turpentine before it stains.

For final cleaning, use fine steel wool dipped in the remover and wipe the surface thoroughly with a clean cloth. Some removers require a wash-down with water or paint thinner or mineral spirits, and the wood must dry thoroughly before refinishing. Other removers permit painting immediately after the wood dries with no further treatment. Follow the manufacturer’s label directions.