REFINISH OLD FURNITURE

Wood Furniture Stripping In Six Easy Steps

Your old wood furniture can easily be restored and renewed by removing, or stripping, its finish. This way, you can give your furniture a whole new look and save a good deal of money at the same time. In order to properly strip your furniture, be sure to collect the below suggested materials and follow the easy steps thereafter.
Tool and Materials Needed

• Protective eye wear;
• Chemical resistant gloves;
• Stripping liquid;
• Lacquer thinner;
• Paint brushes, natural 2” and 1/2” brush sizes;
• Scotchbrite;
• Empty 1-gallon paint can;
• Metal or plastic scrapers, and;
• Plastic bristled brush.

Step 1 – Protect Yourself
Before starting with the stripping process, make sure that you are properly protected by wearing a protective eye wear and the appropriate working gloves. You will be working with harsh chemicals and if some of the liquid comes in contact with your skin or eyes, it could cause severe irritation.

Step 2 – Pour Stripping Liquid into an Open Container
Once you have your protective gear on, pour the stripping liquid into your paint can. Be sure that your paint can has a large opening so that you will not have trouble using it and avoid spillage. Then, apply a thick coat of the stripping liquid on the wood surface using the 2" natural bristled brush. When working on larger areas, you can pour the liquid directly on the wood surface and use the smaller brush to help it absorb into the wood.

Step 3 – Allow the Stripper to Sit for 10 Minutes
Next, allow the stripping liquid to sit on the wood surface for about 10 minutes. The surface of the wood furniture may wrinkle, dissolve, or soften depending on the type of finish on the furniture.

Step 4 – Test the Wood Surface
After 10 minutes, try to scrape the surface of the furniture using your metal scraper. If the finish doesn’t come off easily, you can either wait for another few minutes and try to scrape it once more or you can apply an additional coat of the stripping liquid and test it after 10 minutes.

Step 5 – Remove the Finish
Once you are sure that the wood finish is ready for the stripping job, use your metal scraper, plastic scraper, scotchbrite, or bristled brush to scrape off the finish off the wood surface. Make sure that you don’t scratch or damage the wood while scraping the finish off the wood surface. You can do this by tilting your wrist downward which helps to alleviate some of the pressure on the wood. Although scraping uses some forceful motion, you should only employ enough force to remove the finish. Once you are finished working on the flat surfaces, work on the corners, curves, recessed and raised surfaces using the scotchbrite or bristled brush.

Step 6 – Use Lacquer Thinner to Remove Residue
While you may get a majority of the finish off, you may need to use a lacquer thinner to remove the remaining residue. Apply a liberal amount of the thinner onto the wood and use the scotchbrite to remove the residue from the wood surface. Repeat the procedure using a fresh layer of the thinner and apply it on the surface using a cotton cloth. Allow the furniture to dry out for at least a day before applying a new finish.

How To Paint Laminate Wood Furniture

Laminate wood furniture is popular because of its affordability and sturdiness. At times, it can be difficult to get paint to stick to the surface because of the way laminate is made. Here are a few tips to help you paint your laminate furniture.

Remove Debris
The first step is to clean the furniture with a sponge and warm soapy mixture. This will remove any residue that has been left behind from dust or other cleaning products.

Sand
Using a fine grain sand paper, start sanding down the furniture. It will be much easier to get the paint to stick if the surface is rough. You don’t have to sand until the laminate is removed, just enough to create a rougher texture.

Prime
After you’ve sanded, brush away any dust left behind. Apply a basic primer. This will also help the paint to adhere to the surface, and will allow you to paint with fewer coats.

Paint
Once the primer has dried, you can start painting. Oil based paints are best for pieces of furniture that get a lot of use. They tend to stick better and won’t peel or flake as much and are the easiest to apply. If the furniture is mainly used for decorative purposes a latex based paint will be fine.
Let the paint dry completely before moving the furniture to the desired location.
A Word On Finishes
Finishes range from lacquers, varnishes, and polyurethane to penetrating resins, catalytic sealers, and natural waxes. These come in various degrees of sheen from high gloss and semi-gloss or satin to a matte or dull finish. All have different manufacturer's application and drying instructions to follow.
Your chosen finish should be durable, waterproof, and good looking. One with a slow drying time will give you more control over any buildup or lap marks that could cause problems. These can occur with a quick-drying finish.

A sanding sealer should be applied after a stain. This is a transparent sanding sealer put on the wood to firm up the fuzz of wood fibers which stick up after stripping and sanding. Sanding sealer was invented to solve the problem with shellac and varnish. Because it is relatively quick drying it is also a solution to the long drying times between varnish layers. (Apply a base of one coat of sanding sealer and one coat of varnish instead of two coats of varnish as the base.) Let the sealer dry overnight.

This sanding sealer will make it easier to sand the wood smooth the next day, prior to applying the final finishing coat. Use an orbital sander and the various sanding shapes with a 220-grit sandpaper. The smoother the finish the longer it will last, because of less friction in cleaning and less places where dirt can lodge.

General Tips:

If you are using gel-stain, it is much harder to control the evenness because it dries too fast. Use gel on small projects that are easy to control.

You can also remove a lot of the stain with the thinner that is recommended on the can. Try this in an inconspicuous spot or sample before trying the whole cabinet. You have to let this dry completely before reapplying another coat of stain.

Make sure you stir the can of stain good with the stuff that is on the bottom of the can, and when you leave the stain on too long, it will soak up more in softer spots of the wood

Each coat of stain must be allowed to dry before proceeding. Ordinarily, each coat will dry in eight hours. Refer to the directions on the container for more information. When dry, the stain will not rub off liberally onto a clean soft cloth. For the application of water-based finishes, the oil-based stain must be completely dry. Actually, oil-based products don't dry, they oxidize. Although high humidity will retard drying, it should not take days to dry. Stain is applied; the excess wiped off, and allowed to dry. Puddle stain on the wood will prevent its drying. Stain is intended to be a colorant for the wood, not coating. My guess is that the stain is too thickly applied and has skinned over. The application of the water-based finish over the stain has created a mess that prevents the finish from bonding to the wood and stain.

Try to know what kind of wood you're working with. Different woods take stain differently.
Do not use sanding sealer before using a polyurethane finish. The polyurethane will not adhere to the sealer and will peel off.