Replies

1. 
   SgianDubh | Jul 24, 2004 08:01pm | #1

   Danish oil is essentially an oil varnish formulation. Commercial strippers containing methelyne chloride (sp?) will remove it. Some of these strippers are a thin liquid and some come in a paste formulation, but they all work if you follow the instructions. Some just require more patience than others. Slainte.

   RJFurniture

1. 
   OrchidGuy | Jul 25, 2004 02:14am | #3

   Don't get me wrong here, but didn't the government ban the use of methylene chloride, except for use by licensed professionals!? At least that is what I was told.

   Those daring young men in their flying machines!

1. 
   SgianDubh | Jul 25, 2004 02:36am | #4

   f4, I'm not sure about its availability in the US now, assuming you're asking about US availability.

   Certainly it was available at Home Depot, Lowes and decent paint stores all over Houston up until September '03 at which point I left the US and moved home. Slainte.RJFurniture

1. 
   OrchidGuy | Jul 25, 2004 02:51am | #6

   Hi Sgian,

    I am located in the suburbs north of N.Y.C. I needed some stripper, so that's when I found out that methelyne chloride was no longer available! Professional finisher types with the appropriate licenses are still alowed to posses it. Also heard the same thing a few years ago on This Old House. I've had excellent results with Citra- Strip. It's a citrus based product, strong but pleaseant orange smell, and no mask is needed like with methelyne chloride.

   Those daring young men in their flying machines!

1. 
   nikkiwood | Jul 25, 2004 08:51am | #7

   This is the first I have heard that MC based strippers are apparently unavailable to the general public in at least some parts of the country. You can still get it in MN.

   Parenthetically though, I casually asked my doctor about it some years ago in the pre-internet era. He went to wherever doctors check those things out, and came back to me to say it was the most dangerous chemical (available to the general public) that he had ever encountered.

   That scared me enough to always use a respirator and gloves when I use it.

2. 
   Timagain | Jul 25, 2004 11:11am | #8

   Thanks guys, but I'm in the UK so I'll need to check out the regs -however, whether I can get it or not, I'm not sure I fancy using something like that in a kitchen (or indeed anywhere). Looks like the scraper then!

   Thanks

3. 
   SgianDubh | Jul 25, 2004 01:29pm | #9

   Tim, I wouldn't bother with the scraper method. Too much hard work. Been there, done that, got the T shirt.

   Nip into your local B&Q, Homebase, or similar and buy a can or of Nitomors Original stripper, and a couple of 5 litres of white spirits. Pick up a cheap chuck-away paint brush, some fine grey Scotchbrite pad, 0000 wire wool, some thick rubber gloves, a stiff bristle scrubbing brush, a plastic paint pail, some plastic painters sheeting to cover the stripper to preventr solvent evaporation while the stuff does its job, a scraper, and some safety glasses and you're about set.

   Wear some overalls to prevent skin burn, put plenty of old newspaper on the floor to catch any drips, open all the windows and follow the instructions on the can carefully. Trust me. I've been stripping all sorts of furniture for years, both free-standing and built in, and Nitromors is the business for this work.

   If the stuff is very thick you can also remove the bulk of it using a blowtorch, gas or electric, and a scraper, but you've got to watch you don't burn the wood. Finish the stripping with the Nitromors.

   I can tell you're a bit out of your depth. I hope you aren't charging a customer to learn how to do this kind of work, and it's a free job for friends or family. Slainte.

   RJFurniture

   Edited 7/25/2004 6:39 am ET by Sgian Dubh

4. 
   Timagain | Jul 25, 2004 02:21pm | #10

   As it happens it is a free job for my brother in law and the idea of using Nitromors had crossed my mind already but I think its filthy stuff to use especially in someone's kitchen hence my question. 

   I'm not sure I am actually out of my depth just that I don't tend to learn the chemical names of brand name strippers and am also keen to learn new (and /or the best)  techniques.

   Thanks

   Tim

5. 
   Gretchen | Jul 25, 2004 02:26pm | #11

   Removing this on something flat is not hard at all. And just open the windows or get a fan for some circulating air.  You will be finished in 30 minutes.

   And MC strippers are certainly still available. Citrastrip "may" work on some finishes (shellac or thin varnish) but for difficult jobs it just doesn't do the job.Gretchen

6. 
   OrchidGuy | Jul 26, 2004 04:28am | #14

   Nikkiwood,

    Like in my post to Howie I'm going by what the sales guy told me! Last time I used methylene chloride was back in the early 80's, had 2 fans going and a respirator and rubber gloves when I used it! I soaked some pieces overnight in a tub, the paint was just falling off without any help at all from me. The larger parts I just laid it on thick and waited for the bubbling to begin, and that's all she wrote!

   Those daring young men in their flying machines!

7. 
   Biscardi | Jul 26, 2004 04:42am | #15

   You can still get MC here in Virgina.

   It really is bad stuff though.

   Frank

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Jul 25, 2004 07:56pm | #12

   No, methylene chloride is not in way banned.

   I just purchased a jug a month ago outside NYC.

   Edited 7/25/2004 12:59 pm ET by Howie

1. 
   OrchidGuy | Jul 26, 2004 04:16am | #13

   Howie,

    A few years ago I stopped at a Sherwin Williams distributor in Westchester County, and the sales guy refused to sell me meth chloride because I wasn't a professional finisher! That's what I was told, maybe he was concerned about liability issues, I don't know!? I went to my favorite Woodworkers Warehouse in Yorktown Heights, the guys there told me they did not have methylene chloride. Wound buying Peel Away and CitraStrip. I do know that from watching This Old House it was said that it is banned, but since the show was in Boston, maybe it's only in Massachusetts. Heard they have some stringent regulations there concerning lead paint and MC.

   Those daring young men in their flying machines!

2. 
   HowardAcheson | Jul 24, 2004 09:30pm | #2

   I'm with Richard. A standard methylene chloride paint stripper will make short work of the finish. Just follow directions on the can for safe use.

   Howie.........
3. 
   SawdustSteve | Jul 25, 2004 02:40am | #5

   Tim... grab your card scraper and burnisher and go at it. If you have the luxury of a scraper plane, so much the better. No toxic chemicals, no messy clean-up and the results are quick to see.

   SawdustSteve