Finding the Correct Top-Coat Stripper
When you begin the process of restoring a piece of furniture, the first step is always to remove the current finish, so that you can start fresh with the new finish. This isn’t always an easy task, however, because different wood finishes require different solvents to help remove them. This article will break down all of the most common wood finishing products on the market, and provide the best method of stripping them.
Before you even begin, make sure that you have truly done your best to renew the finish that you already have. For some helpful tips on how to maintain and remove stains from your furniture, try our article on woodworking maintenance. If you decide that there is truly nothing that you can do, you can move on to the next step: figuring out which treatment the wood currently has.
If you don’t know what treatment was originally used on your woodwork, try checking with the builder or manufacturer to see if they can prevent you the hassle. If they can, great, and you can simply find your finish on the following list, and follow the corresponding instructions. If not, you may try applying a few drops of each of the following solvents to a discreet spot on the furniture, and see which one works the best. Before starting the process, make sure to wear rubber gloves and protect the surrounding area. Sometimes the solvents will splatter, leaving brown spots or streaks on the walls.
Common Wood Finishes and How to Remove Them
Shellac: Denatured alcohol will dissolve Shellac. Just apply some alcohol onto a rag or fine steel wool, and wipe it down with the grain. Wait a few minutes for the alcohol to begin to dissolve the shellac, and you can start scrubbing once again. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the shellac being completely off.
Lacquer: To strip lacquer, lacquer thinner is your best bet. Follow the same steps as shellac, although you may like to let the thinner sit for a little while longer, as lacquer is slightly tougher to remove.
Wax finishes: Again following the same steps as shellac, apply turpentine to a rag, and wipe away. Be more careful with protecting your workspace with these, as wax can be a sticky mess if you’re not careful.
Polyurethane and Varnish: For this duo, a varnish remover will be best with a rag. Note that you likely will have to sand away some of the old finish in the grooves, as varnish remover may not get everything.
Paint: There isn’t always anything you can do with paint. Latex paints are dissolvable by denatured alcohol and a rag. Oil paints, on the other hand, cannot be stripped. For these, we recommend you sand, prime and repaint the surface.
Penetrating finishes: Finishes like Tung or linseed oil cannot be stripped, because the colour and oil have been bonded with the wood itself. If you’d like, you can apply a topcoat like polyurethane to protect what’s there. If you want to change the finish completely, you can sand, prime, and paint the surface as well. For more information on top-coat finishers, give our article on wood finishes a read.
Stripping your old finish can be a time consuming, messy and frustrating process. It is a vital step, however, because you want to make sure that you’re working with a blank slate when you are refinishing your wood. Once you have successfully stripped your wood, you’re ready to move on to the refinishing process. The stripping and preparation tend to be the most time-consuming part of the refurbishing process, but once the full process is complete, you will have no regrets. The final product will be a beautiful, new looking piece of furniture that will last another generation.