Hello All,
I have a number of nice, original two-panel doors that I want to save. They are made of fir or pine and have a shellac finish that has been covered by at least one coat of latex paint. Ideally, I’d like to bring them back to natural, re-stain and finish them.
I’m writing to see if the break-timers have any suggestions for products and techniques to use for this.
Thanks, Rossy
Replies
Heatgun the paint off with a stiff putty knife and then if it's really shellac, take #1 steel wool and denatured alcohol and strip the old shellac off. Keep it wet and keep wiping it off with rags once the finish is loose. It should come right off. Careful with the heatgun as not to burn the wood. Go easy with it till you get a feel for it.
Or you could use paint stripper which should take care of both. Messy stuff and really not good for you, especially the methyl chloride stuff.
Another suggestion would be to take them to a strip shop and have them all striped, let someone else deal with the caustic striper.
Doug
i would tend to agree with going with the pro paint stripper, a good furniture paint stripper should have th proper chemicals to use that won't damage the wood - don't use a radiator shop - caustics will just wreck the wood - however, if you decide to DIY - i'd use caution with the stiff blade since you could end up with some pretty scratches - i use "the silent paint remover" infra-red heat lamp/gun and have had real good results but again, the scrapers may end up scratching
good luck
Good point about the scraper, but with a finish underneath, the paint should slide right off. You might try to just put the alcohol right on the pain and see if it doesn't loosen the shellac underneath enough to cause it to release itself and you gently scrape it off.
I am about to hang five two panel doors that we spent way to many hours stripping multiple layers of paint off. We tried heat guns, burned out two of them as well repaired multiple gouges in the softer parts of the wood. Paint stripper, what a mess. Sanding, slow and dusty. In the end the number of hours spent on these doors exceeded there value several times. it also took time away from other parts of the project. In the future I decided that unless these are very expensive doors and can not be replaced at a reasonable price i would buy new ones and be done with it.
If you do get quotes for sending them out to be stripped, I'm interested in hearing what you find out. I have 7 or 8 that I would like to get done, but the prices I've been quoted start at $175 per door and go up.
Back in Maryland, I sent some to a shop in Baltimore that was about $45 per door. They had to be sanded when they came back, but well worth it.
Hello Folks,<!----><!---->
Thanks for the helpful advice. I wish that I could outsource the job, but I live in <!----><!----><!---->Boston<!----><!----> and there are very few firms that do this kind of work. Since the doors are two panel, dipping is not recommended (panels may crack). Paying to have them stripped by hand would cost between $200 - $300 per door. I'm sure there is someone out there who would do so for less but I can't find him/her. So, I’m going to try it myself. Fortunately, I have a driveway I can work in and all the necessary safety equipment. I'm going straight for the big guns (Jasco Semi-Paste Stripper). Wish me luck.<!---->
Regards, Rossy<!---->
what shops around Boston did you try?
Rossy
If your going to strip the doors yourself, and your perfectly capable, make sure you do it right!
When stripping paint some people often get impatient and start trying to remove the striper before it has done its job, thus creating more work than is necessary. Once you open up the original finish and get paint in the raw wood you have the potential for problems. You don't want paint in raw wood.
Apply the striper, make sure you get the gel(semi paste) stuff, and cover it with plastic, that is so that the striper does not evaporate, it keeps working as long as its wet, once its dry it does not work anymore.
Make sure that the striper has done its job completely before trying to remove. Scrape it all off and do a good wash with some warm water, don't soak the door just clean it off with the water and let it dry out good. You'll raise the grain but you can sand that all out.
Good luck
Doug
Edited 8/9/2005 5:05 pm ET by Doug@es