I’ve got a cherry table that I need to refinish. It was finished with seal a cell. Is there an easy way to take it off or should I dig out the sandpaper? I’m hoping I don’t have to sand it down because it’s actually taken on a nice vintage cherry look.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for all the helpful hints. I ended up choosing the stripping route. I went with the less toxic orange stuff. I don’t have enough brain cells to kill them off with MC. Sounds like some dangerous stuff.
Edited 1/13/2009 10:37 am ET by whaleplane
Replies
It seems to be a poly so a good quality stripper should remove. Don't sand it off. It will take the patina out of your wood.
I agree with Gretchen, Seal-a-Cell appears to be a wipe on Poly that is thinned with linseed or some other oil and mineral spirits and is meant as a wipe on sealer. General Finishes recommends topcoating that product with Arm-R-Seal which is a wipe on Poly topcoat. That might be part of the problem, no top coat was applied. If you only have a sealer, it should be pretty easy to strip with a quality stripper. Don't be too aggressive with cherry or you can make the patina variegated and look blotchy.
Sanding off an existing finish is rarely the best thing to do. It takes a long time, removes wood that is not necessary and, more important, almost always leaves residual finish which causes problems for re-staining and/or clear coating.
The best way to remove finish is with a chemical paint stripper containing methylene chloride. It is fastest and does a complete removal job.
Sandpaper is almost never the way to remove a finish. A chemical stripper is the way to proceed. But, Seal a Cell is an oil/varnish mix, and you shouldn't really have a film of it on the surface. What aspect of the finish is calling for refinishing.
Hi
I have used Citra strip. like orange hand cleaner on seroids , not as toxic as Metheln chloride and works sort of slow so you can scrape it with a plastic scraprer and not harm the wood. Neutralizes with water.
I used some on some old brass hinges cover in many layers of paint and when washed off it had a nice glow so I laquered immediatley so save the color and 5 years later they still look nice and old.
Absolutely use a less toxic stripper if it will work. That methylene chloride is some seriously bad stuff, will cause nerve and brain damage. Thing is though, polyurethane sometimes is like teflon for anything less aggressive, the stuff just lays there and doesn't budge at all.
Try the less toxic stuff first. If that doesn't work, get the methylene cloride stuff and use it with plenty, and I do mean plenty, of ventilation. Outdoors is best. Also, get one that says it's good for marine use. Should say somewhere on the label. That's the really good, er... I mean bad, stuff.
Less Toxic: I use Peel-Away with good success. Citrus Strip is good, and so is Safest Strip.
Methylene Chloride: Stripeze is junk, don't waste your money on it. Zip Strip and Marine Strip work pretty well. See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net
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While I agree that MC stripper deserves due respect of using it well ventilated (I usually do my stripping outside), it works quickly (relatively) and the job gets done without having to continually re-wet the surface. There is no problem with scraping the softened paint/finish off with a dull scraper. STripping is a tedious job to begin with and not using the best stripper from the start just makes it moreso. Just my opinion.Gretchen
To say it works relatively quickly is and understatement. There sure is something satisfying in watching the layers of paint and/or varnish bubble away before your very eyes, within a few minutes. On a nice spring or autumn day I'll always opt for taking it outside and using the MC stuff.
Inside is a different story. A few years ago I was using MC stripper on a built-in hutch, and started noticing a sort of wavy, or vibrating, vision from the left side of my left eye. I was using fans and windows open, but I guess that wasn't quite enough. I stopped right then and there, put everything away and got out to the fresh air. The wierd thing with my vision lasted for a couple of hours. I have never used that stuff indoors again. Even outdoors, I make sure I'm in a good breeze.
The thing about MC is that it attacks the nervous system. That's something to be taken very seriously. I'm not surprised if I'm a little less allert today because of the stuff I breathed over the years. But I am surprised I don't have a nne, nne, nnervous t, t, twitch. View Image
I agree. I used to have a dealer friend at our flea market I bought a lot of furniture from in the rough. He said he stopped doing the refinishing because of all you say. If I were doing much (not much at all any more) I'd get a repirator for inside. Another "baddie" is the original Briwax. It has a lot of toluene and I got a world class headache working on some furniture inside before I realized what was doing it.Gretchen
"I was using fans and windows open, but I guess that wasn't quite enough." Do they not sell respirators in your neck of the woods? I don't care how much "ventilation" that's provided, a respirator is mandatory, IMHO, when using MC.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Ya got me, I wasn't wearing one.
And yes, they do have them in my neck of the woods. I have no excuse. =)
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I can remember the day when I could use mineral spirits and stronger solvents and not be bothered one whit by the fumes. Silly me, should have used a respirator. Guess it went with the territory of being a crazy young person. Now, it only takes a whiff or two to trigger the near-nausea and headache routine.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
"Guess it went with the territory of being a crazy young person..."
Okay, so I do have an excuse. >g<
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I agree entirely with Steve S. that you should first try to apply another coat of Seal-a-Cell to the existing finish before you consider stripping options.
You do, however, need to clean the surfaces of accumulated dirt and grime. This can be done easily by scrubbing with steel wool (I would choose one in the 00 range) and enough mineral spirits to lubricate the surface. Depending on the amount of grime, you will want to rub it down, then wipe it off (paper towels or rags) about 2-3 times to remove the dirt.
After it sits for a day to dry, simply apply a coat of the Seal-a-Cell -- or any other varnish/oil wiping product.
If you are not satisfied with the result, it will probably be because the table was originally stained, and the abrasion from wear went through to the bare wood. If that is the case, then you are probably best off stripping the existing finish and starting from scratch.
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"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
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