Tuesday's Tip: Using a Stripper

For today's tip we are going to talk about stripping paint or a clear coat off a piece of furniture!

When is stripping a piece a better idea than sanding it?  

1. I use a stripper on a piece when I want it to go all the way down the the wood especially if you have a piece with a veneer on top.  Veneers can be very thin, if you accidentally sand through the veneer there is no fixing it without replacing the top.  
2. I will also use a stripper if the piece has many coats of paint. 
3.  If you are dealing with lead base paint it is a good idea to use a chemical stripper instead of sanding it, to reduce the lead being put into the air.

This is my go to stripper, it works fast! However use caution this stripper is very TOXIC, it will eat anything it touches make sure you follow the labeling on the product. 

 I bought this from Home Depot and it ran me about $25.  

I painted the top of this desk a few years ago and I used bleach on it...BAD idea as I bubbled the paint and ruined the finish.   OOPS...not a great idea...sometimes we have to learn the hard way right?

To strip this desk I painted on the stripper generously, you want it to be on there pretty thick.  After  the stripper has been applied allow it to sit for about 15 minutes, your paint will start to bubble and look like this. Some areas will bubble more than others that is normal.  

After about 15 minutes take your putty knife and start scrapping your paint off, make sure you scrap in the direction of your wood grain as to minimize any scratching to the wood.  I like to scrap my paint on to a paper plate so I can dispose of it all.

After you have scrapped all the loose paint and stripper off you may need to apply another coat of stripper.  Follow the same steps until all your paint is off.  After your paint is off you will still need to sand it as stripper doesn't always strip everything evenly!

TTFN

Brooke