Expert: Eileen Cronk - 7/16/2008

Question
Hello,
I have an old dresser that was my grandmother's and then my mom's, and now it's mine. It's very special to me. I want to strip it to get all the old varnish off of it. But the top middle drawer has a decorative carving on it. It's not a deep carving at all and it has a few colors stained into the design. I do not want to mess up this decorative carving in anyway. I want it to remain on the drawer. Is there someway I can still strip the rest of the drawer and leave the carving untouched? Something I can do to cover it up until I am through stripping the rest of the drawer? I tried using some masking tape. I put a small piece over the carving for a second then took it off just to see how it would work. It seemed to pull off some of the decorative varnish. So I decided against the masking tape. I would really appreciate any advice you could possibly give me. I am at a loss as to how to keep this carving in good condition while stripping the rest of the drawer. Thanks!

Answer
Hi Kelly
Nice to hear from you.
You almost had it right LOL.
Use the masking tape but don't attempt to get it in the carving.
Carefully tape around the edge of the carving.
Leave a good 1/4 inch around the carving and cover over the carving holes too. After stripping, remove the tape and gently sand that last 1/4 inch of finish that will be around the carved holes.
Use 220 sandpaper and work with the grain. Don't over sand as you want the wood the same tone as the stripped area. Really won't take much.
You can do this.
Kind Regards
Eileen