How to Strip Wood

Опубликовал Admin
4-10-2016, 10:50
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You can give old wood furniture a new look with a different finish. Before refinishing wood, you need to strip it, giving you a clean surface to work with. You can buy the materials for stripping wood at a hardware or home improvement store. Use these tips to strip wood.

Determine the Type of Finish

  1. Identify a shellac finish. Use a paintbrush to apply denatured alcohol to the surface of the wood. The finish is shellac if it turns to liquid after applying the alcohol. If the finish becomes malleable but does not liquefy, it is composed of lacquer and shellac.
  2. Evaluate a lacquer finish. Apply lacquer thinner to the surface of the wood if nothing happens after applying denatured alcohol. The finish is lacquer if it turns to liquid.
  3. Decide if the finish is varnish or paint. If nothing happens with either of these thinning substances, your wood is probably covered in varnish or paint.

Strip the Wood of Lacquer or Shellac

  1. Prepare the furniture. Wipe the furniture with a clean cloth to remove dust and dirt.
  2. Apply the alcohol or lacquer thinner. Use a paintbrush to spread the appropriate solvent onto the wood. Apply the solvent to 1 small section at a time. Use denatured alcohol for shellac. Use lacquer thinner for lacquer. Use a half-denatured alcohol, half-lacquer thinner mixture for finishes composed of lacquer and shellac.
  3. Wait 5 to 10 seconds.
  4. Remove the solvent. Use steel wool or a coarse cloth to swab the thinner or alcohol from the wood. Work briskly so that the solvent doesn't evaporate.
  5. Continue to apply and wipe off the solvent. Move in small sections over the entire portion you want to remove. Change cloths frequently to avoid rubbing the finish back into the furniture.
  6. Scrape off the remaining finish. Use a furniture scraper or steel wool soaked in the appropriate solvent to remove the paint. Remove the finish following the direction of the wood's grain.

Strip the Wood of Varnish or Paint

  1. Ready the furniture.
    • Take the fixtures off of the furniture. If there is finish on the fixtures, soak them in a dish of paint remover while stripping the wood. If you are unable to remove the hardware, place painter's tape around it.
    • Remove any upholstery from the furniture.
  2. Prepare the workspace. Lay cloth or newspaper over your work surface. Place the wood to be stripped on top of the cloth or newspaper. Ensure that the room is well-ventilated.
  3. Apply the paint remover. Use a brush to apply paint remover to 1 small surface at a time. Do not thin out the remover by spreading it. Ensure that you leave a thick coating of remover on the surface.
  4. Cover the surface. Lay aluminum foil over the coated surface. Allow the surface to rest for 25 to 30 minutes. Coat another area while waiting for the previous surface to finish resting.
  5. Uncover the surface. Take the foil off of the covered surface. There should be cracks and bubbles where the solvent has been applied.
  6. Test the surface.
    • Put on a pair of rubber gloves.
    • Press a finger into a bubbly section. The thinner and finish are ready to remove if you are able to place your finger easily on the original wood.
    • If you are unable to reach the original wood with your finger after 30 minutes, wait 10 more minutes. If you are still unable to reach the wood after 40 minutes, remove the thinner.
    • Repeat the thinner application process until you are able to reach the original wood with your finger.
  7. Remove the thinner and finish. Use a scraper to shave the thinner and finish from the wood.

Things You'll Need

  • Finished wood
  • Denatured alcohol
  • Lacquer thinner
  • Coarse cloth
  • Paintbrush
  • Steel wool
  • Furniture scraper
  • Paint remover
  • Newspaper
  • Aluminum foil
  • Rubber gloves
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