French Polishing and Bespoke Furniture
All you need to do is start with 150-grit sandpaper and sand the entire surface. Once you’ve done that, move onto 220-grit sandpaper and repeat. This should remove the varnish . An orbital sander will make this job much easier and quicker if you’re removing varnish from a flat surface.
Clean small sections at a time, and change cloths frequently to keep the old finish from being reapplied to the furniture . When the finish is off , go over the entire piece with a scraper to remove any remaining traces of finish . A furniture scraper is best, or use steel wool dipped in thinner.
Apply citrus stripper After 30 minutes (or more), use a plastic putty knife to scrape off the finish . Warning: it’s a goopy mess. Try to scrape directly into a trash can. If there is a lot of Citristip residue, you may want to clean it off with a wet rag, but try not to get your wood too wet.
If you need to remove the polyurethane while not affecting the stain beneath, you’ll need chemical help in the form of a homemade stripper formula. Pour equal parts of lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol into a small empty paint can. Apply the mixture onto the polyurethane finish, covering the stained wood .
As proof of its power, vinegar can tackle even the toughest of substances: varnish . One blogger used a 50-50 mix of warm water and white vinegar to strip the varnish from his hardwood floors. With a set time of just half an hour, the old glue easily peeled away with a basic floor scraper.
What is best to use? If it’s a varnish or paint you are looking to remove then consider Paint Panther Paint and Varnish Remover from Barrettine. It’s a highly effective paint and varnish remover that works in just minutes and removes most types of paint and varnish.
Stripping is Faster and Often Safer. It’s almost always better to strip than to sand . To begin with, except in cases where the old finish is flaking off, it’s a lot more work to sand than to strip using a paint-and-varnish remover.
The best paint stripper Best Overall: Citri-Strip Paint and Varnish Stripping Gel. Most Eco Friendly: Dumond Smart Strip Advanced Paint Remover. Fastest Working: Sunnyside 2-Minute Advanced Paint Remover. Most Family Friendly: MAX Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper. Most Heavy Duty: Dumond Peel Away 1 Heavy-Duty Paint Remover.
Here are 5 Ways To Paint Furniture Without Sanding : USE A MINERAL PAINT . Mineral paint is very similar to chalk style paints in that no prep or prime is required. USE MILK PAINT + BONDING AGENT. As I already mentioned, the antique desk in this post was not prep- sanded . USE A BONDING PRIMER. USE A LIQUID SANDER /DEGLOSSER.
Pour vinegar on the stain and brush it with a stiff brush. Let the vinegar work for several minutes, then rinse off and let the wood dry. If the stain is still visible, it can sometimes be removed by bleaching with oxalic acid, sold at some paint stores and home centers.
Use 60- or 80-grit for aggressive, fast wood removal. Use 100-grit for all-purpose sanding and 120 or 180 for the finest finish, but follow power-tool sanding with hand sanding. Power tools leave hidden scratches that show up later. And always sand parallel to the grain.
This task is accomplished through the use of chemical paint and varnish removers and light sanding. Assemble equipment. Apply stripper using a brush. Scrape the area with a plastic scraper or plastic putty knife. Brush stripper onto an area adjacent to the area previously stripped.
To remove it, dampen a soft, fine-grade steel-wool pad with more paint stripper and rub it against the wood , following the wood grain, then wipe off the softened stain with a rag.
Acetone is a chemical solvent commonly found in nail polish removers that can help dissolve the glue and ease removal.