![]() If the new finish dries, hardens and adheres to the old one, it's safe to topcoat the rest of the piece. One other piece of advice: Before applying a fresh coat of finish over an existing one, test their compatibility on a small, hidden spot, such as the inside of a cabinet door. If neither solvent affects the finish, it is polyurethane. If lacquer thinner softens the finish, it is lacquer. If a cotton ball dipped in denatured alcohol softens the finish, it is shellac. The three finishes you are most likely to encounter–shellac, lacquer and polyurethane–can be identified by simple tests on an inconspicuous spot on the piece. If you suspect a piece you are about to restore has been waxed, remove the wax with a soft cloth dipped in mineral spirits. For example, no finish will adhere to paste wax. They have different chemical components that aren't always compatible with one another. Fortunately, all it takes is a few minutes–plus the right Minwax® products–to both roll back time and protect your wood for years to comeīefore starting, keep in mind that not all clear protective finishes are alike. ![]() Each day the wood around us, from floors and woodwork to furniture and fine antiques, is subjected to sunlight, grit, dust, moisture and dry air. The original finish on any antique should not be stripped, so be sure to have any antique evaluated by a professional before you begin working on it.We all wish that every piece of wood in our home could stay as fresh and beautiful as the day it was first finished, but that simply isn't possible. Note: These instructions pertain only to paint and any non-original coats of tinted varnish. This is much better than water, which causes the wood fibers to swell and get fuzzy.Ī final pass with a fine grade of synthetic pad and some more Remover Wash reveals the clean, beautiful oak grain.Īfter just a light sanding to clean up any remnants of old finish, my Arts and Crafts armchair will be ready for a fresh coat of Minwax® stain and finish. I then used Formby’s® Paint & Poly Remover Wash and a synthetic pad to scrub off the remaining loose finish. What a pretty sight! The old finish is practically sliding off the wood, making my job much easier.Īfter about 20 minutes the old finish had softened, so I carefully scraped off the worst of it, taking care not to scratch the wood. As you can see, it begins to loosen the old finish almost immediately. I start by brushing on a thick layer of Paint & Poly Remover. This is no small project, so I am working outdoors, protecting everything the Paint & Poly Remover might touch - including me! As the label indicates, the chemicals that soften the old finish require protection: glasses, gloves, dropcloths, and old clothes. Heavy sanding would destroy the character of the wood, so I reached for Formby’s® Paint & Poly Remover, which I have relied on for several years. ![]() I could see on the arm where the dark tinted varnish (almost like a paint) had worn away, revealing the beautiful oak grain, so I knew this would be worth the effort. If you would like to see how I tackled this stripping job, just read on. When I found this Arts and Crafts style armchair, it had a heavy coat of a 1960s “antiquing kit” all over it. As messy as it is, sometimes stripping off an old, unwanted finish is unavoidable, especially if we want to appreciate the beauty of the grain hidden beneath a layer of paint or dark tinted varnish.
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