Hello all,
I normally hang out over at Breaktime but I have a slight refinishing dilema.
This is in my own house so time/ cost is not really that much of an issue.
About 10-12 years ago I redid my master bedroom with oak trim. Stained it w/ minwax colonial maple and coated it with Varathane water based poly.
Everything is still looking great except for 2 window stools. They are both on the same wall (facing west) and both get alot more sun than the other exposures. On the stools the poly is flaking off. It has gotten to the point where I need to redo it and was wondering if I should sand/scrape it off or use a chemical stripper?
I will probably use the same poly again since I want to match the rest of the trim which is still fine. I will have to restain the wood and don’t know if a chemical stripper will make that harder to do.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.
Replies
Chemical stripper will make it easier, not harder to restain. I recommend you look for a quiality waterborne finish that includes UV inhibitors. The difference in appearance will be minor, but you will get extra years of life.
The chemical stripper helps remove the bulk of the poly, but you will still need to scrap/sand to get the remainder off. After scraping I use a Bosch detail sander since it is one of the few small orbitals. It still does not get into all of the crevices, but it sure helps if the windows are sizable.
Good luck.
I have used some of the 3M safer stripper in the past but was not thrilled with it. If I use a chemical stripper does it need to be neutralized before staining. The stool is still attached to the window.
I don't know if the Varathane had UV protection. I will check. Any brands you can suggest? I don't need a large amount so price is not really an issue.
I am actually one of the few who has and likes the Porter Cable detail sander. It is perfect for this type of stuff.
Thanks.
FWIW,
Varathane (Diamond)brand has always had UV inhibitors in it. Very "thin" stuff requires a few coats to avoid wear.
Oil based UV - well, not so much.
BB
If the finish is already flaking off, then it shouldn't be difficult to scrape off the remainder and you will be done before you even get started with the mess created by using a stripper, especially if you are going to do the work with the stools in place. I would certainly try scraping before going the chemical route.
John White
Shop Manager for FWW, 1998-2007
Since it is woodwork and not furniture, I would agree. Stripper will be pretty messy for this job, I'd think.Gretchen
If this were natural finish trim, I'd agree in a heart beat. But because of staining before the refinishing, scraping leaves the wood unevenly "open" to stain, unless you scrape or sand quite a lot. A relatively new waterborne should strip easily. He could use the paste like "safer" strippers instead of runnier methylene chloride strippers.
Ah, yes, forgot about the stain. Always better for a couple of people to weigh in. ;o)Gretchen
I agree that stripper is the way to go considering the product was stained the first time. gel stripper in this case should prove to make less mess then the extra sanding that would be required if you where to scrap off the top coat.wiping the piece with a cloth dampened with lacquer thinner after stripping will help even more,then sanding will be minimal. :)
Dan
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