What is the best paint stripper to use on antique furniture?

[dianne]

I have a very generous friend who, years ago, noticed how I gushed over an old hoosier cabinet his mom had stored in an unused upstairs bedroom. His family was fond of antiques and her house was filled with them. His mom passed away last year and since DH and I have been friends for so long with him guess what I got for Christmas? He said he wanted it to go to someone who would really cherish it. It still makes me feel teary just thinking about it.

Well, the weather is steadily warm now and I''m ready to refinish the cabinet, which is painted, but I don''t know the best paint stripper to use. It''s from the 1930s but may have been repainted most recently sometime in the 1980s. Since I don''t know how many layers are on there, and if any of the paint contains lead, I will not be sanding--I have no choice but to use a stripper. Any DIYers out there have a tried and true brand to buy? I want one that really does the work for me without much elbow grease, like you see on TV, but I never trust those infomercials. I may repaint it depending on what it looks like underneath but, either way, I need to remove the old paint.

I want to do this tomorrow morning so no time to order anything online. I know, I should have thought to ask earlier. We have the usual Lowes, Home Depot and True Value stores here. Any suggestions for what I can get from a local store?

 

[somethingshiny]

Hi,

I refinish lots of old furniture myself. My favorite stripper is available almost everywhere. It''s called EZ Strip. It''s a really thick "gel". Works very well, but you do need to use some steel wool with it. Wear gloves and eye protection because it burns if it gets on your skin. I''ve used more agressive strippers when I''m not afraid of damaging the wood, but for such a great piece, I''d stick with something less harsh.

Apply the stripper according to the instructions. And, if you can do it carefully (keeping the blade parallel to the surface), run a putty knife along to scoop up layers of paint. Then, apply more stripper and use the steel wool to get the paint out of the wood. Depending on what was used originally, you may need to do some sanding after the stripping.

Good Luck!!

 

[dianne]

somethingshiny--Thank you so much! I''ll look for it! I''m curious...do you have some before and after pics of furniture you have refinished. The only piece I ever attempted to refinish was a chair. It wasnt'' painted...it had some kind of varnish on it...and it took all day to strip that one chair. The chemicals were harsh and for everything I bought, plus the cost of the chair which was only about $10, and all the time involved, I would have rather just bought a chair already the color I wanted. I guess you have to love doing it. I never did refinish it...just stripped it.

This will be different because the piece means something to me and I have the perfect spot just waiting for it, too. I hope paint is easier to remove than that sticky varnish...yuk!

Thanks again, and please post before and after pics if you have them...perhaps you can inspire me to have a new hobby!

 

[somethingshiny]

Dianne~ Yes, you really have to love DOING it! Most of my pieces take several days to strip, sand, and refinish.

I don''t do before and after photos. I guess the only person who would think it''s cool is my mom because she taught me, but she''s usually with me when I find the pieces!! I give most of them away, too.

This pic is the first piece I refinished. I found it in the basement of a house we bought. It''s from the turn of the century and was that really old black/brown from how long it sat. I had to reconstruct part of it and ended up doing the paint/laquer scheme because of how bad some of the wood was (I had to fill it in with wood putty). It has all the original hardware, too. I''ve refinished other buffets, hutches, sewing cabinets, chairs, chests, tables. I''ve made a couple things too, but I love having a piece of furniture that has been loved for decades. My next project is another old buffet/sideboard. It even has velvet lined drawers.

PLEASE post your before and after pics! Maybe I''ll start keeping a record of mine!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Hi, Dianne,

Just wanted to mention to you that Tacori and I hope to arrange a Charlotte area get-together sometime this summer. Are you free for a long lunch on weekdays? I can''t remember exactly where you live. Which general area are you in? There are a couple more people from the area, too, so it''ll be great if we can get a group together!

 

[dianne]

Somethingshiny: That is absolutely beautiful! I love the wood and paint combination. I forgot to take a before pic...well, I may have one from my phone I took at Christmas--won''t be great quality but you may get the idea.

We took the cabinet apart today and I have literally spent hours just to strip two doors....I am so embarrassed it is going so slow--this can''t be normal...I don''t have a clue what I am doing but the second door is coming along better, and neater, than the first one. I can''t help but feel it is going to cost a fortune just buying the paint stripper. I couldn''t find the brand you recommended and DH found some that sounded like it would super corrosive, and dangerous, and made me scared to use it...but that''s what we got, of course--the name of it escapes me now--but the fumes aren''t so bad. I am working in the garage, which has a ceiling fan and a window and, of course, I have the garage door up. I put down a plastic tarp (recommended on container) and then cardboard, then newspapers...ridiculous, I know...just trying to be careful. I have the chemical resistant gloves--and I find it difficult to do anything with gloves, anyway, so I look like I have a new set of hands and can''t figure out how to make them work. The paint begins to bubble up in about 6 seconds after application...no kidding...it''s like a science fiction movie...but it''s still taking two applications.

 

[dianne]

Date: 5/31/2008 2:45:44 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Hi, Dianne,

Just wanted to mention to you that Tacori and I hope to arrange a Charlotte area get-together sometime this summer. Are you free for a long lunch on weekdays? I can''t remember exactly where you live. Which general area are you in? There are a couple more people from the area, too, so it''ll be great if we can get a group together!

Yes,Yes,Yes....I would love to get together! I live in the Concord Mills mall area. Coming to Charlotte isn''t a problem at all for me. I do work during the day but could arrange some time off with some notice. Thank you so much for thinking of me. Count me in!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Great! We''ll post it here in Hangout once we get a date, so keep an eye out for it!

 

[somethingshiny]

Dianne~

That super fast stuff sounds like what I''ve used on other pieces of furniture. I''ve never used it on anything that was really old, but if it hasn''t caused a problem yet, I''m sure it won''t.

btw-I do the tarp, cardboard, newspapers too. You didn''t mention safety glasses...I''m a stickler for those!!

 

[dianne]

Date: 5/31/2008 7:52:35 PM
Author: somethingshiny
Dianne~

That super fast stuff sounds like what I''ve used on other pieces of furniture. I''ve never used it on anything that was really old, but if it hasn''t caused a problem yet, I''m sure it won''t.

btw-I do the tarp, cardboard, newspapers too. You didn''t mention safety glasses...I''m a stickler for those!!

I know...I have them but did not use them. I really should be safer. I didn''t finish the work in any sense of the word....so next time: safety glasses!

 

[dianne]

Date: 5/31/2008 5:44:22 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Great! We''ll post it here in Hangout once we get a date, so keep an eye out for it!

I will be watching! Looking forward to it!

 

[GemView]

This topic is a wee bid dated, but thought I''d add my 2¢.

Watching Antiques Roadshow, often those who have refinished their vintage furnishings are surprised to find that they are worth less in non-original condition. There are people who specialize in restoration using original techniques/materials, but they are far and few between and tend to charge handsomely for their services.

I refinished a couple of antique items and enjoyed doing it -- until I started watching Antiques Roadshow. (Now I''m a bit more careful.)

On the other hand, the word "antique" is used very loosely. It all depends on the item, to which this consideration may or may not apply.

Enjoy your project, and do post pics!