Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Mahogany refinishing in a 1920s Railcar
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08-31-00, 06:24 PM
We are currently refinishing a 1920 dining car with a mahogany veneer finish (original) that was painted in the 1930s. Some areas are easy to strip, the remover has it come right off. Other areas appear to have been sanded, then primed with a light color primer, and getting that off has been a bear. Any suggestions? Someone suggested applying clear shellac then stripping that, but is it just another step?
08-31-00, 07:06 PM
I've tried the shellac adn strip method myself with minor success. I usually have better luck using steel wool with stripper (wear gloves) followed by steel wool and lacquer thinner.
Some mahogany has a very pronounced grain and can be difficult to strip under the best of conditions.
One other trick is applying stripper and covering it with plastic (the old 8X10 cheap drop clothes) to let the stripper work for a lonegr time. The plastic keeps it from drying out. That has worked for me in the past on really stubborn areas.
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George T.
Some mahogany has a very pronounced grain and can be difficult to strip under the best of conditions.
One other trick is applying stripper and covering it with plastic (the old 8X10 cheap drop clothes) to let the stripper work for a lonegr time. The plastic keeps it from drying out. That has worked for me in the past on really stubborn areas.
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George T.