Additional Stripping Techniques for Furniture

Different removers require different removal techniques. Once your testing proves that the finish is ready for final removal, use the appropriate technique as detailed below for wash-away, waxed, or nonwaxed removers.

To remove the wash-away compounds, use water and medium-fine steel wool. Do not use a scraper, putty knife, sandpaper, power equipment, or heat. It's easiest to simply hose off the furniture outside. If that's impossible, use a brush to apply the water and steel-wool the wood clean. On curved or carved areas, use the special removal techniques listed below. When the finish is off, thoroughly dry the wood with a soft towel or other absorbent cloth. Keep in mind that water is harmful to wood; dry the wood immediately. Let the wood air-dry for several days before you continue with the refinishing process.

Remove non-wash-away compounds with a scraper or steel wool. Minimize the mess by dumping scrapings into a bucket.

Remove non-wash-away compounds with a
scraper or steel wool; minimize the mess
by dumping the scrapings into a bucket.
Be careful not to gouge the wood.

Remove non-wash-away compounds with a scraper and steel wool; scrape very carefully so you don't gouge the wood. To minimize the mess, dump the scrapings into a bucket as you work. On curved or carved areas, use the special removal techniques listed below.

If the remover contains paraffin or wax, immediately scrub the surface with turpentine or mineral spirits. Work the turpentine or mineral spirits into all the dips, dings, cracks, and carvings. Change the cleaning cloth frequently; otherwise, the paraffin or wax will be transferred from the cloth back onto the wood. The paraffin or wax should be removed now, not sanded off later.

During the stripping process, you may want to change removers, especially when the remover you're using isn't doing a very good job. Make the switch. But do not mix paint and varnish removers; follow through on the complete removal of the first chemical before you apply another one. There's no danger involved here; the mixtures may simply not work.

It's a good idea to treat even non-wash-away, nonwax removers with denatured alcohol. Liberally spread the alcohol over the bare wood with a clean, soft cloth. Dry the wood thoroughly. Finally, wipe the bare wood thoroughly with mineral spirits to prepare it for refinishing.

As soon as you finish working, lay out paper coverings, plastic dropcloths, brushes, and cloths used to apply the paint and varnish remover and allow them to dry. Then dispose of them properly. Do not wad waste materials up and stuff them into a wastebasket or trash can. The chemicals in the remover could cause spontaneous combustion.

There are shortcuts you can try to remove old finish from legs, curves, and other nonflat surfaces on your wooden furniture. Let's review these shortcuts in the next section. 

Nonchemical Removal Techniques
Somewhere along the line, some helpful person will recommend that you use an easier, faster method than chemical removal. There's only one answer to this -- don't do it. The usual alternatives are power sanding, lye, and heat; for milk paint, only ammonia will do the job. While it's true that these methods do work -- and that professionals do sometimes use them -- they can do considerable damage to the wood, and, sometimes, to you.

Power Sanders: Power sanders remove lots of old finish very fast. If a piece of furniture isn't very valuable and has several thick layers of old finish, power sanding can be useful. If you are new to refinishing, however, it is strongly recommended that you not sand with a power sander.

There are lots of power sanders, but only two should be considered for removing finish: the orbital and straight-line sanders. For a professional, either one of these sanders can do a good job of removing old finish from furniture, without too much danger of grooving the wood surface. In the hands of a novice, an orbital sander can leave tiny swirls in the wood surface, regardless of the fineness of the abrasive; a straight-line sander can groove the wood.

Lye: Lye, the caustic used to open drains is a very effective finish remover. It can also remove skin and clothing, cause blindness, discolor wood, and kill vegetation so thoroughly that nothing at all will grow in that spot for decades. If you're ever tempted to use lye, take your piece of furniture to a professional stripper instead.

Ammonia: Ammonia is the only thing that removes old milk paint, sometimes found on antiques. It is very effective, but the fumes are very strong; it should never be used without a breathing mask or, preferably, a respirator. Ammonia also darkens wood; fumed oak has been ammonia-treated. If you must use ammonia, work outside, and keep children and pets away. Rub the ammonia on and the finish off with medium-grade steel wool.

Heat: Heat is strictly a last-resort method of removing finish, and it can very easily remove the wood, too. Two devices are available: propane torches, with special fittings to spread the heat, and electric paint removers. The electric tool looks like a small toaster element on a handle.

At best, heat has only limited utility. It can be used only on flat or slightly curved surfaces, so that a scraper can be used to remove the softened finish. It doesn't work readily on clear finishes such as lacquer, shellac, and varnish. Finally, it can be very dangerous. You may not burn the house down if you're careful, but it's very easy to scorch or char the wood. Neither the risk nor the work is worth it.