Carpentry and Woodworking - interior woodwork
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07-30-01, 12:58 PM
Hi, I have recently purchased a 90 yr old house. Fortunatly it has all the orignal woodworking throughout and thankfully hasnt been painted over. I was wondering if there is any way besides "sanding" to remove the old varnish and wax build up. I would like to strip it completly and refinish it so its a little lighter. Any help would be great, anything to avoid the mess of sanding it all would be wonderful....
Thanks
Steph
Thanks
Steph
George
07-31-01, 06:48 PM
Steph:
If you're dealing with the original finish, it's probablyl shellac, which can be removed without a 'stripper'. You can test for this finish in this manner. Dampen a rag with denatured alcohol and rub a small area with a circular motion. If the rag starts to drag/stick, the finish is shellac.
Denatured alcohol by itself or alcohol mixed 1:1 with lacquer thinner is a very effective stripper for shellac. As amber (yellowish) shellac was a standard finish for many years, you just may find the woodwork lite enough after removing the shellac - all you 'll have to do is apply a new finish.
If you're dealing with the original finish, it's probablyl shellac, which can be removed without a 'stripper'. You can test for this finish in this manner. Dampen a rag with denatured alcohol and rub a small area with a circular motion. If the rag starts to drag/stick, the finish is shellac.
Denatured alcohol by itself or alcohol mixed 1:1 with lacquer thinner is a very effective stripper for shellac. As amber (yellowish) shellac was a standard finish for many years, you just may find the woodwork lite enough after removing the shellac - all you 'll have to do is apply a new finish.
08-04-01, 07:13 AM
George has a good point, but if you want to lighten the color from the original stain, you'll have to remove it first. That requires not only getting through the wax and finish, but lightly sanding the top surface of the wood, where the stain has penetrated. A good product for that is Miracle Eraser blocks. http://miracleeraser.com
I use them all of the time on furniture projects and the are great. Because they are lightweight and conform to shapes, I would think they would be great for trim and molding. They are non toxic so using them indoors in place is OK, and clean up is easy - just vacuum up the residue.
Best of luck. If you do try them, let the forum members know how they work on trim and molding projects.
I use them all of the time on furniture projects and the are great. Because they are lightweight and conform to shapes, I would think they would be great for trim and molding. They are non toxic so using them indoors in place is OK, and clean up is easy - just vacuum up the residue.
Best of luck. If you do try them, let the forum members know how they work on trim and molding projects.