Replies

1. 
   peter28 | Jun 28, 2006 03:28am | #1

   JT,

   I would suggest stripping it chemically first. Do you have a commercial strip shop close by? Sometimes it's a little more economical. They would wash off the finish and power wash it afterwards. After getting it home I would then rewash it with denatured alcohol and dry it as I went

   If you plan on doing it yourself, a chemical stripper would be in order. Follow the directions and be sure and protect your hands and eyes.

   Upon completion wash as above and let dry. Try sanding an area to see if any residual finish clogs your paper. If so, you may want to give it a once over sanding prior to having it put through the wide belt. I would think 120 grit would be fine for this. Even if there was only a little finish showing, I would go ahead and give it this sanding. No sense aggravating the people who are giving you a hand. By the way, urethane's tend to leave more residuals behind than other coatings

   You could also sand and scrape the finish if you'd like. If it were me, chemically would be my first choice in this instance.

1. 
   tomberg | Jun 28, 2006 09:26pm | #2

   Peter,

    

   Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a go. I was worried about putting such toxic chemicals on a table surface used for dining, but it sounds like the sanding will remove any trace of these chemicals.

   jt

1. 
   peter28 | Jun 29, 2006 02:01am | #3

   jt,

   The sanding doesn't remove the chemicals, the washing does. I've also used  soap and water to wash a surface and then sanded it.

   Whatever finish you put on will then give you a clean surface for dining on.

   Good luck and have some fun doing it. After all, you'll be getting accolades from those who are having dinner and admiring your work.

   Peter Gedrys