RIFINISHING THE FURNITURE

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES


Refinishing also doesn't require a lot of tools, however, you do need safety equipment and you must follow safety rules. Strippers, even the “user-friendly” types, are still caustic. Make sure you wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, enclosed shoes, protective eye goggles and rubber gloves. The latter should be fairly heavy-duty and easy to slip off and on. You'll also need plastic drop cloths and cardboard or newspaper to protect floors in the stripping area from drips and debris. Recycled plastic food containers can be used to hold the stripper and for the debris removed.

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

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

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

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

And, of course, you'll need stripper. A wide variety of strippers are available including water-based and solvent-based. Solvent-based strippers don't raise the wood grain, and less final sanding is required. But, they do require more attention to safety, the materials are harder to dispose of and they require lacquer or paint thinner for the final wash. This means more of a problem with fumes. For the most part, water-based strippers are easier to use and more environmentally friendly. Strippers are also available in either gel or liquid form. Liquid strippers work somewhat faster, but the mess is harder to contain, and they're harder to use on vertical surfaces. Gel strippers are a bit slower, but are best for vertical surfaces. They can also be forced into cracks and crevices. Because they adhere to the surface better, gel strippers also tend to have a longer working time. This means they won't dry out as quickly or require additional coats as often.

Place cardboard or newspapers over a drop cloth that covers the floor, table or bench holding the furniture piece. Apply the stripper according 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, because this tends to dry out the stripper before it 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 full stripping and refinishing. Sometimes only a thorough cleaning is needed. Murphy's Oil Soap can be used to clean a dirty, heavily waxed surface. Or a bit of TSP added to water can be used, but be careful with this as you can damage some finishes.

A finish that is cracked, crazed or simply dull can often be made beautiful again with a little effort and a number of rejuvenation products. The following products are available from Klingspor's. Kramer Antique Improver has 14 all-natural ingredients. It restores natural finishes, such as lacquer, varnish and shellac. Qualarenu renovates old 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 finish that restores original color and blends out minor scratches and blemishes. It's available in “neutral” as well as a variety of stains. To use, simply wipe on with a soft cloth or #0000 steel wool and then wipe off.
The original BriWax products are extremely simple to use. Used as a cleaner, apply 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, dark or otherwise unwanted finish, stripping is in order. The chair shown as an example was stained a very dark red. Stripping the finish off allowed the beautiful red-oak grain to be revealed. It is important to carefully examine the piece and attempt to determine the wood species. A wood you think is expensive walnut may turn out to be a cheaper substitute, such as gum, stained dark. After the finish is removed, the piece may not be as beautiful as you hoped. On the other hand, like an unwrapped gift, you often find a real hidden beauty. It's a good idea to first test a small section in an inconspicuous area