How Do I Clean Wood After Stopping The Finish With Klean Strip?

Refinishing is fun. With a little refinishing, a slice of "junk" purchased at a flea market might turn into a beautiful piece of furniture. Anything from furniture and interior trim to doors and windows can exist stripped and refinished. Stripping off former paint for refinishing, however, takes a great deal of patience and time. The hardest stripping chore nosotros've done was on a brick fireplace in our start home. The bricks had been painted a horrible mint light-green color. A week, and about 2 gallons of stripper later, nosotros finally got down to the natural bricks. Nearly furniture projects won't be every bit involved, but stripping the trim, doors and windows of i or more than rooms takes commitment.

Tools and Supplies

Refinishing besides doesn't require a lot of tools, however, you practise need safe equipment and y'all must follow condom rules. Strippers, even the "user-friendly" types, are still caustic. Brand certain you wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, enclosed shoes, protective eye goggles and safety gloves. The latter should exist adequately heavy-duty and easy to slip off and on. You lot'll likewise need plastic drop cloths and paper-thin or newspaper to protect floors in the stripping area from drips and debris. Recycled plastic nutrient containers can be used to agree the stripper and for the debris removed.

A simple cleaning with furniture-restorer products may be all that'south needed to burnish and rejuvenate some old finishes.

Scrapers and "putty knives" are needed to scrape off the droppings. Specialty scrapers with a variety of shapes, such every bit the Pro-Prep scrapers from Klingspor's Woodworking Shop, are also bachelor for scraping concave and convex shapes and grooves. Plastic stripping tools as well as stripping brushes are besides available, and they don't scratch or dig into the surface every bit practise metal blades.

In many cases, old finishes and/or paint must exist removed using stripper. You will also need other equipment, including scrapers, gloves and heart protection.

Annoying cleaning pads are required for washing off stain and paint residue. Don't apply steel wool on fine furniture pieces, equally the tiny pieces can become embedded in the wood grain and cause rust spots. In most instances you volition need to sand the wood subsequently it has been stripped, especially if using water-based strippers because the water raises the grain of the wood. A diversity of hand-sanding products are available, including foam sanding blocks that will fit contours, likewise every bit abrasive cords and tapes – sort of a dental floss for wood. Power sanders can as well be used for terminal sanding. The Craftsman three-D Sander utilizes 3 spinning disks to fit around whatsoever contour, concave or convex. Use a pigment brush with natural bristles to apply the stripper. Strippers volition destroy many synthetic brushes.

And, of class, yous'll need stripper. A wide variety of strippers are bachelor including h2o-based and solvent-based. Solvent-based strippers don't heighten the wood grain, and less terminal sanding is required. Simply, they do require more attending to safety, the materials are harder to dispose of and they require lacquer or paint thinner for the final launder. This ways more of a trouble with fumes. For the most role, water-based strippers are easier to use and more than environmentally friendly. Strippers are likewise available in either gel or liquid form. Liquid strippers work somewhat faster, but the mess is harder to contain, and they're harder to employ on vertical surfaces. Gel strippers are a bit slower, just are best for vertical surfaces. They can also be forced into cracks and crevices. Considering they adhere to the surface better, gel strippers as well tend to have a longer working time. This means they won't dry as quickly or crave additional coats as oft.

Identify paper-thin or newspapers over a drib fabric that covers the floor, table or demote holding the furniture piece. Apply the stripper co-ordinate to the manufacturer's directions.

Regardless of what you're stripping, or the type of stripper used, make sure you have adequate ventilation. If possible, don't work in direct sunlight, considering this tends to dry the stripper earlier information technology can work properly.

Before you slap on the stripper, carefully examine the piece. Many old furniture pieces may only need proper cleaning and finish rejuvenation, rather than a total stripping and refinishing. Sometimes only a thorough cleaning is needed. Murphy's Oil Soap tin can be used to clean a dirty, heavily waxed surface. Or a bit of TSP added to water can be used, but exist careful with this as you can impairment some finishes.

In many instances you'll accept to reapply the stripper to remove all pigment and/or finish.

A finish that is cracked, crazed or simply irksome can oft be made beautiful once more with a petty effort and a number of rejuvenation products. The following products are available from Klingspor'south. Kramer Antique Addition has xiv all-natural ingredients. It restores natural finishes, such as lacquer, varnish and shellac. Qualarenu renovates former cracked or alligatored finishes. It may be brushed on sprayed on or padded over an old surface. Howard Products Restor-A-Finish is a unique penetrating terminate that restores original color and blends out pocket-size scratches and blemishes. It's available in "neutral" besides as a diversity of stains. To use, simply wipe on with a soft fabric or #0000 steel wool and then wipe off.

The original BriWax products are extremely simple to use. Used as a cleaner, use with #0000 steel wool, going with the grain until the area is clean. Allow to dry for one minute, then buff with a soft cloth.

If the wood surface is heavily laden with old paint, a dulled, nighttime or otherwise unwanted cease, stripping is in order. The chair shown as an case was stained a very dark blood-red. Stripping the cease off allowed the beautiful red-oak grain to be revealed. Information technology is important to carefully examine the piece and try to determine the wood species. A wood you lot think is expensive walnut may turn out to be a cheaper substitute, such every bit mucilage, stained dark. After the finish is removed, the piece may not be as beautiful every bit you hoped. On the other hand, similar an unwrapped gift, y'all often discover a real subconscious dazzler. It's a proficient idea to first examination a small section in an inconspicuous area.

Stripping

Earlier yous begin stripping, advisedly read the manufacturer'due south instructions and follow them explicitly. The type of application and time the stripper is practical and left to piece of work is important. Stripper should usually non be allowed to dry, until it thoroughly loosens the finish. If stripping a piece with multiple pigment coats, you lot may accept to strip off a coat or two and wait until the next day to remove the residue.

If using a solvent-based stripper, make certain you follow all safety rules. It'south best to use these outdoors in the shade. If yous must apply information technology indoors, provide plenty of ventilation. Open all windows and outside doors to provide cross-ventilation in the work expanse. Use a fan in a window to assistance draw out the fumes. Keep a respirator on mitt and use information technology if the fumes get too strong. The fumes can flow low along the floors and ignite explosively, therefore, these products should not be used in basements or unventilated areas. Make sure to extinguish all flames, pilot lights and electrical igniters, and close off all electricity.

Employ the stripper just to horizontal surfaces, turning the piece to present each surface as horizontal. Apply in one direction just. Allow the stripper to work for about 15 minutes and then scrape an area. If the finish is non softened, reapply stripper or wait a fleck longer. Remove the sludge with scrapers, followed by a coarse material such as burlap. Then wash with the solvent suggested by the stripper manufacturer. In near instances lacquer thinner may exist used. As the thinner fumes are also highly explosive, go on to use but with proper ventilation and with all flames and ignition sources shut off.

Allow the stripper to loosen the stop for the amount of time specified by the manufacturer. And then remove the erstwhile finish and stripper using scrapers.

You may take to reapply and rescrape the olf terminate a few times, specially with stained wood.

Stipping brushes can exist used to get finish and sludge out of cracks, grooves and crevices.

Allow the stripper to piece of work, and and then wash information technology off using an annoying pad dipped in warm, soapy h2o.

Afterwards the water rinse, dry out the end thoroughly with a soft cloth.

The fumes from water-based strippers are also unsafe, and the same bones safety rules should be followed. Following are typical suggested directions for water-based strippers, such as the gel-stripper shown. Shake the container well and pour a bit of the solution into a split container. Close the original container to prevent the stripper from drying out. Apply the stripper in a thick coat. Do non brush it out as you would paint or terminate. Wait near 30 minutes and test a small area to determine if the stop has loosened. If not, wait longer, even several hours if needed. You lot may need to reapply a coat if the stripper dries out before the cease has softened.

Once the finish has softened, remove with the scrapers. An abrasive pad dipped in stripper will too assist on stubborn areas. Stripping brushes assist remove material from crevices. About clear finishes can be removed with 1 stripping. The Citri-Strip product shown suggests using their Citri-Strip Stripping Projection After Launder every bit a final wash. This is used with an abrasive pad. Make sure the surface is completely clean and dry earlier refinishing.

Pigmented wood stains often require a second stripping. In the instance of the Citri-Strip shown, a 2d coat of stripper is applied, immune to soak in and work, and and then scrubbed away. Utilise a clean, plastic stripping or abrasive pad dipped in soapy water to scrub away the stain. Then use a clean, soft, dry textile to thoroughly wipe down and dry out the woods surface. Again, make sure the surface is thoroughly dry out before refinishing. This tactic, nevertheless, should not be used with veneers considering the water may crusade the veneer glue to soften and loosen the veneer.

General Stripping Tips

• If possible, pause down the furniture into divide pieces, such every bit removing drawers and doors.

• Plan the stripping task for 1 day. If you have to reapply stripper, it has to resoften the end that may have go even harder.

• Strippers work all-time in temperatures betwixt 60 and 70 degrees.

• Cover hardware and remove mirrors from their frames. Or in the case of painted hardware, remove and place in a tub of stripper to allow them to soak. Keep the bucket covered with plastic to forestall the stripper from drying out.

• Make sure yous await long enough for the stripper to work. If you attempt to remove unsoftened terminate, y'all're not but doubling your work, but may scratch or damage the wood below the cease.

• Identify the piece to be stripped at a comfortable working height.

• Proceed an old paper-thin box to identify the removed terminate sludge, as well as to identify the debris-covered newspapers after you lot've finished.

• Have plenty of low-cal so y'all tin see into crevices and also to audit for any stubborn spots.

• Remove all pigment, terminate and stain. Do not leave it with the idea of sanding information technology off. Sanding is much more than trouble than stripping.

• To prevent stripper from drying out, encompass with plastic food wrap.

Circumspection: Pigment that has been applied prior to the 70's may contain toxic lead. Booklets on testing and handling lead-based paint are available from the Environmental Protection Agency, 1-800-424-LEAD, or world wide web.epa.gov/lead.

Strippers and the rest must be disposed of in accordance with local, state and federal regulations.

After the wood surface has dried thoroughly, a piece of furniture scraper is used to scrape dried sludge from corners and to smooth raised grain.

The Pro-Prep scraper comes with different blade shapes that can be used for dissimilar contours. Also, a Dremel tool fitted with a pocket-sized sanding bit can finish off grooves and carvings.

Sanding and Refinishing

In the case of water based strippers, the surface must be sanded to remove the raised grain. Whatever number of manus or powered sanders may be used for this job. Make sure the surface is thoroughly dry before sanding.

The pick of finish depends on the slice. Antique furniture should exist refinished using older, traditional finishes, more compatible with the mode of furniture. Do non simply slap on polyurethane. Shellacs and padding lacquer may exist the best choice in this example. For piece of furniture pieces that are non "antiques," interior firm trim, doors and windows, a brushed on coat of polyurethane may be the best choice. Or you may prefer to apply a sprayed lacquer cease to larger piece of furniture pieces. On woods such every bit oak, yous may also need to employ a wood-filler coat and/or stain earlier applying the terminal finish.

After several days of hard work, information technology's at present time to stand up back and admire your handiwork. So it's fourth dimension to commencement on the other 3 chairs and build a table to complete the set.

You will accept to sand lightly to smooth down the residuum of the grain. Craftsman's 3-D Sander makes quick work of sanding convex and concave contours.

Finally, employ the appropriate finish.

Stripping piece of furniture tin can be a fun hobby, and you may be able to turn a slice of flea-market "junk" into cute furniture. The oak chairs shown are an instance.