Expert: Eileen Cronk - 8/5/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have the bottom half of a Hoosier cabinet,which I'm stripping.  I have two questions:
1) I'm down (after staining) to finding and removing the teeny-weeny flecks of white paint still embedded in the wood.  Is there something more effective than a magnifying glass, a needle and bright sunshine?
2) Once I've removed all the tiny bits of paint, what would be a good finish?  I don't want glossy glop, but something that looks 1920s-ish and can take the hard life of a kitchen cabinet.

ANSWER: Hi Valentine
Nice to hear from you.
You will need an MC stripper to do this and possibly a metal stripping brush or a heavy bristle brush of sorts.
A hard toothbrush is good too.
Here is the stripper to use.
http://www.swingpaints.com/1806.htm
After applying the stain I would use a poly finish if you want this to stand up in the kitchens hard life.
I suggest Minwax fast drying poly in a satin sheen as a finish.
It doesn't scream "plastic" at all.
Its a lovely mellow finish.
Good Luck with this.
Kind Regards
Eileen


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The first of the two answers wasn't very helpful.  I'm way past the stripper-and-brush stage.  You can never get all the paint out with stripper because each time you use it you dissolve the paint and it sinks into the wood's pores once more. Stripper at this point would make the problem worse, not better.  I've got tiny bits of paint several inches apart at this point.  I was hoping there was a "next thing after stripper" technique.  Maybe there isn't.
Thank you, though, for your very quick response and for the helpful Minwax suggestion.

Valentine

Answer
Hi again Valentine
What you are stripping will be a paint grade Hossier.
That means a piece that came from the factory painted.
The stripper I recommended is the only one I know of that has a hope of at least removing more of this white.
The stripper along with the wire brush as I suggested.
The brush will get into the pores of the wood after the stripper has softened the paint.
There is nothing else to try.  No after stripper LOL.
Good luck
Regards
Eileen