Hey Woodworkers/refinishers....OK, Video of my Mom getting her present is up on pg. 6

[David Bailey]

Ok, so I stopped by my parents house this morning, and while I was in the shred looking for something, I noticed an old trunk that I remember having as a child. I asked my mom about it, and she said it belonged to her mom. She also mentioned that she always wanted to have it refinished, but it has been in the shed for damn near 25 years now. Well, that gave me a great idea for Christmas. Well, my mom is 70, so that trunk could be about 100 years old. She said it is made of cedar. It has been painted over God knows how many times, and not it is white and kinda beat up a bit. So, my question.. What is the proper way to get the old paint off? Does it need to be sanded, or is there a chemical I can use first? Also, what grit should I start with, and should I do this by hand, or use my electric sander. I have about 2 months to get on this, and I only have weekends off (sometimes). Any help, links or basic knowledge would be appreciated. I can't imagine the look on my mom's face if I can pull this off without her knowing for Christmas morning.

[Eroc3k]

Good deal hope all works out for you man. I worked on modern furniture for 8 years but as for an antique, I am not 100%. I know that you should take extra precautions when working on antiques. Ceder cleans up nice too. IMO I would spend the time sanding starting with either a 120 or 240 grit sanding paper and use a wood block for all your flat surfaces. It'll take you forever no doubt but I think its more controlled. If you add thinners or something of that nature you could make it even worse off. I wish you the best though. Post some picture so we can see the progress. I'll speak to my father and ask what he recommends as he's worked in furniture over 40 years now.

[David Bailey]

Thanks man. I am searching youtube, and it looks like a heat gun is the best way to start getting the paint off. Then it is gonna be a lot of sanding. Should be a fun project. lol. But well worth it in the end.

[rockFord_Expedition]

Be careful bro, something that old has a good chance that there is lead in some of the older layers of paint. Make sure you use proper ventilation and respiration.

Edit: Spelling

[Neckbeard]

before and after pics!!!!

[rockFord_Expedition]

Found this info here. Seems credible, and explains a lot.

FIX It First

When restoring furniture, it helps to break things down to smaller, more manageable steps. First, remove hardware, such as pulls, knobs, and hinges. Maxwell suggests writing numbers on the parts or even taking a few "before" pictures to help with reassembly when you're done.

If the piece is damaged, fix it before removing the paint. For this project, Maxwell started by removing the split tabletop. "This table had been exposed to the elements for at least a decade," he says, "but it only takes a year or two for furniture to begin checking and warping — even if it's under cover in an unheated garage or on a back porch."

The fastest way to correct splits like these is to recut and reglue the joint. Maxwell ran the top through his tablesaw, cleaned up the cut on his jointer and installed a few wood biscuits to reinforce the joint and straighten any minor warping. Next, he brushed on a thin coat of carpenter's glue and clamped the boards together. Once the glue dried, the table was shipped to the stripping room.

Successful Stripping

Some pros dunk pieces in a vat of chemicals. "This method is the least expensive," Maxwell says, "but too much chemical exposure isn't good for the wood, and can damage the veneers and glued joints." Because of environmental regulations, many dip strippers have switched to flow-over systems, in which the chemicals are circulated through a pump and hosed onto the piece. "Flow-over systems expose the worker to less chemicals, but the furniture is still getting saturated with more stripper than it needs," Maxwell says.

According to Maxwell, stripping furniture is best done by hand. "It does take longer, but it's easier on the furniture, and on the person doing the work," he says. So if you do decide to have a pro do the work, look for a shop that does the work by hand.

Tools you'll need. Before you begin stripping, you'll need the proper safety equipment and a few tools. To protect yourself when using any stripper, use an organic solvent respirator with new filters, splashproof goggles, chemical-resistant gloves, and an apron. To lather the stripper, Maxwell cuts down natural-bristle paintbrushes. "They make good scrubbers," he says. Less expensive synthetic brushes work with some water-based strippers but, says Maxwell, "they turn to pulp the second they touch solvent." You'll also need a collection of scraping and scrubbing tools to remove the paint/stripper sludge. Maxwell uses metal scrapers and steel wool, but if you're using a water-based chemical, use plastic knives and abrasive pads; otherwise, metal particles will leave rust stains on the wood.

The work area. Choose a well-ventilated spot when you work. Because many chemicals in strippers are heavier than air, they will sink to the floor and can be difficult to get rid of, so basements are not a good choice. Some of the vapors can also corrode the metal parts of your furnace or water heater. For maximum ventilation, Maxwell recommends working in the garage or, better yet, outside.

Maxwell does his work on a lipped metal tray that collects the extra stripper into a paint can; he reuses the stripper until it evaporates. You can cover a worktable with several thick layers of newspaper, removing the top sheet as it gets caked up to expose a fresh working surface.

Taking it off.

The speed of the stripping process depends upon the strength of the stripper and the stubbornness of the finish. On this table, the paint began to bubble and blister almost as soon as Maxwell brushed on a coat of the liquid-type stripper. "Methylene chloride strippers work fast and eat through almost anything," he says. The chemical breaks the bond between the wood and paint; most finishes will come off in sheets. For tough paints, Maxwell carefully scratches the surface of the finish to help the stripper get down to the wood. If you find yourself prying or scraping off the finish though, put on more stripper or you'll damage the wood.

To strip the flat top, Maxwell used a putty knife to remove the thick sludge, scrubbed the surface with coarse steel wool and finished up with a second dose of stripper. Carvings and turnings require special attention. Maxwell prefers using a scrub brush to work the paint out of all the nooks and crannies on the legs, but coarse twine and wood shavings also work well.

For some vertical surfaces and difficult finishes, Maxwell will use a paste-type stripper. "These chemicals work when wet," he says. "Pastes have chemical retarders built in to block evaporation, helping them stay wet longer." To further limit evaporation, as well as your exposure to the chemicals, consider wrapping the piece in newspaper, waxpaper or polyethylene sheeting and letting the chemical work overnight. If the stripper dries, you can reactivate it by brushing on a little more, and then scraping it all off.

"The only trick to stripping," says Maxwell, "is to treat every element making up a piece of furniture in exactly the same manner." Because the chemicals and scrubbings affect the ability of the wood to absorb stain and finish, he gives every leg the same degree of attention.

Once the paint is off, you'll need to rinse off any remaining stripper; otherwise, the chemical residue will react with the new finish. Commercial stripper rinses are available, but Maxwell recommends denatured alcohol or mineral spirits. Water-based strippers can be rinsed off with water but, he says, "the water will wind up raising the grain, which will mean more sanding later on."

After it had thoroughly dried, Maxwell gave the table a finish sanding. After starting with a power sander, he switched to a small cork-padded block. "Power sanders do tend to leave swirl marks that will show when you apply the stain," he says. Maxwell also advises against too much sanding. "If a piece is getting a surface finish, using 100-grit sandpaper is sufficient," he explains.

Finishing Up

Once you've reached this point, you can decide how to finish the piece. The maple used on this table didn't quite match. To darken the light boards without overdarkening the adjoining wood, Maxwell made two blends of stain — one taken at full strength straight from the can and a second that he thinned with a splash of mineral spirits. He brushed the full-strength stain on the lighter wood, then switched to the thinned stain to finish the top. "The key to blending the two areas is to always brush from a wet edge," he says. Once the stain dries, any additional stain will make the wood look like a darker second coat.

Maxwell stained the edges after blending the top. "The end grain is very absorbent, and will take more stain than the top," he says. To control the color, Maxwell uses a very dry brush and lightly touches the side of the bristles against the wood.

The final step is to apply a protective topcoat. Maxwell prefers the speed of a spray finish, but "choosing a finish is a balance between form and function," he says. In the case of an everyday piece, such as a kitchen table, a brush-on polyurethane would be an equally practical choice.

With its new showroom finish, the table looks might look too good to eat off of, but there's no need to cover up the wood with a tablecloth. "Good furniture is built to take years of everyday abuse," says Maxwell. "And it can always come in for a face-lift."

Shopping for Stripper

Most paint stores and home centers stock dozens of liquid- and paste-type chemical strippers. Basically, the three things you need to know are:

• All of them will eat through almost any finish.
• The safer the stripper is, the slower it works.
• Pastes don't generally work as fast as liquids, but because they stay wet longer, you have more time to scrape off the sludge.

With that in mind, here's a rundown of the four basic categories.

Fastest
Most of the strippers in this category contain methylene chloride, which is also called dichloromethane, or DCM. This chemical will soften almost any paint and finish instantly. These strippers work from the bottom up so that the finish comes off in sheets.

The downside to DCM is that it's nasty stuff. In addition to being a possible carcinogen, methylene chloride can cause skin and lung irritation and exacerbate the symptoms of heart disease. Inhaling it reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, which can also mean a trip to the ER. In addition, it's difficult to detect when a respirator becomes ineffective.

Examples: BIX Quick Strip, Cabot Paint and Varnish Remover, Formby's Paint and Poly Remover, Klean-Strip Stripper, UGL Paint Remover

Medium-Fast
These strippers contain smaller amounts of methylene chloride or other chemicals, such as methyl-2-pyrrolidone and gamma butyrolactone. These strippers aren't as toxic as the fastest strippers, but you'll still need to wear gloves and goggles, and most require additional ventilation. Because these strippers work from the top down, you may need to apply a second coat when stripping furniture that's caked under several layers of paint.

Examples: Citristrip, Olympic

Slowest
This type can be used indoors without special ventilation, a respirator or gloves. The downside is that these strippers take as long as 24 hours to work and, because they're water-based, they will raise the grain and loosen veneers.

Example: Safest Stripper

Refinishers
Despite what some labels suggest, refinishers, or removers, are strippers, although they only work on shellac or lacquer. Refinishers liquefy these finishes on contact. Most refinishers contain either acetone or tolulene, so be sure to use gloves, goggles, and a respirator, and provide plenty of ventilation.

Examples: Formby's Furniture Refinisher, Gillespie Antique Restorer, Minwax Antique Furniture Refinisher

Where to Find It:

W.M. Barr & Co. Inc.
Box 1879
Memphis, TN 38101
www.citristrip.com
www.kleanstrip.com
901-775-0100

3M, Customer Service
3M Center, Bldg. 515-3N-02
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000
800-842-4946
Safest Stripper

[Lbox88]

Maybe I'm retarded, but I would want to find out how many layers you're looking at going though first thing. I would start on the back or an end towards the bottom of the trunk and strip it down until you're to the wood to find out.

I agree, no thinners to make sure you try to keep the wood in decent condition. Also wear a mask while your sanding to help also prevent against possible lead based paints.

[Lbox88]

Shopping for Stripper

heh, heh, heh

[David Bailey]

Thanks for the info guys.. I think i';m going to try a heat gun instead of strippers, err, chemicals

[Soccerballzs]

Hey Journeyman Cabinet Maker here. Be extra careful sanding Cedar the dust is caustic. Remove any ornamentals such as the straps locks lather straps if it has them. Use a marine paint remover you can get this from Sherwin Williams' etc. On the final sand use around 150 grit you do not want to go above or you will polish the wood and it will not accept stain or top coat. I wood use Danish Oil or Watco Oil for the top coat. It is what a lot of antiques have on them. Varnish will turn orange over time. Watch leaving the rags bundle up in trash can cause flash fire. The rags will get hot when drying hang outside to dry before throwing away. Sand with 220 between coats of the top coat. If you want to use a sealer get Vinyl Sanding sealer from SW also. This is a lacquer based product. Then top coat. The oils will take a couple days to dry or you can use lacquer base top coat also from SW. Ant question let me know. been doing woodworking since I was 16 years old. 34 years now.

Watch when you use heat that you don't gouge the chest, with scrapers.

Do not use Forbys or Min wax they are toys from Home Depot etc. Go to SW for supplies.