Hi, First time here at The Knots and would love some advice from you knowledgeable types. Couldn’t find much searching past threads.
My family has a drug store that is over 100 years old (been in the family most of that time also) and it has the original soda fountain that has built in ice boxes, etc. About 12 feet long, brass hardware, marble tops. They say that the whole thing was shipped from Europe in the early 1900s. Am not sure what kind of wood, except that it has a cherry? look and is very hard. I’d post a picture if I had a digital camera. Anyway, very neat piece.
Now the bad news, it has been painted (even the brass hardware) several times years ago with some hard paint that can be chipped off with some effort, to reveal a neat looking hardwood underneath. We have talked about stripping this and refinishing for a long time and last night I started. I bought some paint stripper at the Ace Hardware and 4 hours later I had about a 1 foot by 2 foot piece down to the wood. The stripper would only touch one layer of paint at a time and also took off the finish originally on the wood. The paint is brittle enough that it about comes of with just a scraper, but I don’t want to risk gouging the wood.
I was very happy with the looks of the wood underneath and am comfortable with sanding and refinishing, but are the any tips to make this stripping go faster? At this rate, I might be done by next year…(Dismantling to dip the whole thing outside is not feasible)
Would a heat gun work? or maybe change brands of stripper? Any advice is appreciated.
Replies
This is probably not helpful, but I'd go looking for some local expertise! There are lots of bodgers in the refinishing business, here and in your country, but amongst the dross there are some gems! Find one. Follow his or her advice without variation!
Malcolm
Are you using the stripper best maited to the finish/paint you're trying to take off?
The older paints are going to contain lead. Heat guns and trying to sand it off releases it to be aspirated. Sanding dust and stripped paint may be considered hazardous waste in your local. Take the appropriate precautions.
I would give the heat gun a go- certainly a lot cleaner than chemical strippers and probably less unsafe too.In fact a serious heat gun is a most versatile item.(Beware of scorching the wood though).
People go on about lead paints/noxious fumes etc etc-but the mere act of living in a city -ah fooooey just wear a respirator, make a will re-write and have the national guard on standby and you will be fine.
What type of stripper are you using? I would avoid heat and sanding. You need a heavy paste stripper, not a furniture refinisher. I'd recommend cutting your teeth on something less valuable. It sounds like you have never stripped a piece before and this may not be the one to start with. It would be a shame to ruin it. Go pay some dues and get some experience on something small and worthless.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Thanks for the advice to everyone!
I have done projcts like this before, well paint stripping & refinishing things, but not on this size before. I was just wondering if there are any tips for dealing with "old" paint and finish other than commnly known. Any idea what finish might have been used in Europe 1899 that has been painted over?
The wood and mouldings seem to be in remarkable shape once all the paint is removed. Wish I had a dig. camera!
(And have already asked around locally for advice, but see above reference to foreign and age)
Edited 2/15/2006 12:08 pm by CRF
My Jr. High through High School years were spent refinishing a turn of the century Victorian house. There were six mantle pieces in it that needed stripping, along with everything else. They had so many types and coats of paint that it was really tricky to get down to the wood. What we used was a product called Plyson, or Plysen. It was thin and quickly penetrated the paint, but would go down only a layer or two at a time. So I wet a large area, gave it a few minutes, pealed the paint off, and recoated.
In more recent years I've been working with a product called Kutzit. It's a little thicker, but penerates well. The trick is to let it soften, peel off, then reapply - keeping it moist.
Don't try to set any speed records. This is going to be a labor of love. Keep telling yourself that the vulnereable prize you're seeking is just the other side of the next layer of paint. And the best part is going to be watching the wood appear. It'll be like rinsing the silt off of Titanic objects, only this is older. You'll thank yourself for not rushing and damaging the wood or fittings.
Good Luck
CRF: In large cities there are stripping companys that have large tanks of warm stripper. It will remove most any finish, if you can dismantle the item and get it to them. My experience with this was that it was a bit on the expensive side but well worth avoiding the mess, exposure to chemicals and elbow grease.
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