So on the first door I stripped, I’ve really mangled the detail on the rails and stiles. The doors are four panel, with what looks a pretty standard raised panel design. The paint appears to be milk paint or something, and is really thick, as if they were intentionally trying to hide the detail. We are able to get it off with heat, and by the second door I got the technique down reasonably well, but the first one, I really gouged. Mostly on the detail, but some also on the cross grain of the tops of the raised panels. I think the doors are yellow pine, as the trim is, but I’m not positive.
So anyway, I was sanding with non-wooven pads, but I need something more agressive in some places. Is a detail sander the best option? If so, which one? I have a multi-master, so I was thinking of getting the detail attachment for it, but the catalog says the attachment is for the variable speed multi-master and I have the single speed. Would it work anyway, or is a dedicated detail sander a better choice?
Thanks!
Replies
What is the goal; paint grade, stain grade.
If paint grade there's nothing that can't be fixed. Stain grade it's "character."
For the raised panels I use sanding blocks sized to the job covered with self adhesive sandpaper. Woven pads scour the sapwood and leave a surface that isn't flat, which I softens detail.
Yellow pine will look best hand sanded or machine sanded with a hard backup pad.
You can cut the Fein heads to fit the panels. Remember to cut them shy of the width leaving room for the head to oscillate.
If the wood is bare the multi speed is unnecessary, mine is usually cranked up to max.
Hold a vac pickup next to the Fein head.
Tadpole sanding shapes (Lee Valley?) or the heads from the PC detail sander are great for the molding details. Both are used with SA paper.
The Peel Away Stuff does work, good for the details.
Edited 9/26/2005 11:36 am ET by cynwyd
Peel-Away don't work on this. I think it is a protein based substance. Heat has been the only solution so far, but you have to get it just right.Making scrapers that fit the profile is a darn good idea. I'll have to see if I'm that talented.
If yer interested in the scrapers , I'll expound a bit.
Say yer sticking ( or moulded stile) has a 5/16th cove and bead or an ogee profile. Make 2 scrapers from a wore out sawzall blade, one rouded, one coved. A standard bench grinder will get ya close enough, then dress it up with a chainsaw file. ( for the cove scraper)..file at about a 30 degree angle, and DO NOT lap the flat side, you want the small hook you just made.
take a 1x1 pc o' sumptin woodlike and handsaw a slot...5 min epoxy and duct tape is your handle.
I have made a gazillion of these simple things, lost almost as many.
To refurbish the edge, clean off the gunk and hone the back on a brick or a block, and use a screwdriver shank to roll a new edge.
I often use regular 3 corner scrapers and do the profileing on them, a 6'' flat bastard file is all ya need to touch them up..they are not as hard as some sawblade steel is. Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Oh, and we were hoping for stain grade. That one is the bathroom door. It might get painted.
Save time and $..make some scrapers from any old scrap blades of HSS..wide bandsaw blades are sweet, sawzall blades, banding straps from lumber loads..Idea being, dampen the wood after stripping, and scrape a layer off.
I use a varied asst of grinders or file to replicate the profile, and scrape the crud off with a sharpened tool...sanding and scotchbrite is so slow..you can watch yer hair turn grey.
You will have to sand with about 180 grt to cover up or blend yer grain tears, by hand.
I can do a 6 panel door like you describe, in about 2 hours..from old paint to new paint..stainable is double that.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
detail sanders are a joke, they are one item that the designer needs to be tar and feather. mine is laying in the backyard, its a target for the riding lawnmower. I never felt so good the day I flung it out there.
Edited 9/29/2005 7:12 am ET by brownbagg
Brownbagg,I'll bet your detail sander is not a Fein.Bill
I burned out a Capsman and my Porter Cable sits around while I use strips of sandpaper rolled up and sanding sponges.
There are strippers available for milk paint (caustic stuff). You can get it by googling milk paint. There are a few milk paint web sites related to old furniture....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
I'm not positive that it is milk paint - it was just suggested that it might be. I've never run into a substance like this before, though it isn't as though I'm all that experienced. This is really thick, and kinda creamy colored though some of it has a streak of brown in it. It's the bottom layer in one bedroom and the bathroom.I think really strong paint strippers will remove it eventually, but it takes 4 or 5 applications. And heat works, I just have to be careful.
Milk paint is like iron. If you were going for stain grade, it is easy enough to feather out since as you can guess, it is not going anywhere.
...that's not a mistake, it's rustic