Expert: Eileen Cronk - 10/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: I just bought a chair and was wondering how to go about re-finishing it?  It says Murphy 220 on the bottom and has a little metal plaque on the back with the Murphy name. Is there any reason not to paint this chair? If not then what are the best products to strip and paint with?

ANSWER: Hi Kaci
Nice to hear from you.
Personally I only paint as an absolute last resort.
And I only refinish if the original finish is ruined and no longer protects the underlying wood.
If your chair finish is ruined, then strip it.
If its not ruined, why not just a wipe down with a rag dipped in mineral spirits if the chair seems dirty then a nice paste waxing?
This way you retain any value the chair has.
Here are the stripping instructions. I will not tell you what paint to use..Don't do it LOL.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STRIPPING FURNITURE
The first thing you must do is assemble the material to do the job.
The stripper is the most important item.  
I am hoping you can get "CIRCA 1850" brand paint and varnish remover in your area.
Here is a link
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=1694&familyN

MATERIAL LIST For the stripping stage.
1 quart stripper
1 boxes of Bull Dog steel wool in medium grade.
One 3 inch oil based paint brush.
Rubber gloves (like you do dishes with), and a pair of cotton gloves inside the rubber ones.
People react differently to stripper. A lot of people feel heat through the rubber gloves, but I feel cold. Have no idea why.
An empty large coffee can. (for the stripper)
A couple of old tooth brushes.
Lots of old rags (I like t-shirts or cotton but for this first stage whatever you have)
Lots of newspaper to protect the garage floor
LOTS OF VENTILATION..A MUST
That's all you need to get started.
HERES WHAT YOU DO...
Work in sections.
Brush on the stripper with the brush. Stripper will quit working if it dries, so keep it wet till the finish softens.
Then take a rag and wipe this mess off.
Then another coat of stripper, rag off again, then while the wood is still wet, take the steel wool and rub with the grain till the wood is nice and clean.
Depending on the material you are removing, another coat of stripper is often needed but you will know this as you progress into the job.
Use the toothbrush in crevices.
Thats all there is to it ...move to another section and continue.
No other prep is necessary...and DO NOT SAND unless there is wood damage.
Please let me know if anything is not 100% clear.



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

QUESTION: Can I do the same process if the chair has some paint on it from a previous owner?  Will it need sealed in some way when clean?

Answer
Hi again Kaci
If the chair has some paint on it now, the ideal thing would be to remove it with the paint stripper as detailed above.
But if the chair has paint which you are not removing but the wood is exposed in some areas, use a rag and mineral spirits to clean of any grime and then a waxing. The wax will keep the bare wood protected and go over the paint fine.
Good Luck
Eileen