Expert: Eileen Cronk - 4/15/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
My house was built in the 1920's and I have a large built-in hutch (14
cabinets and 14 drawers) taking up one of my walls. Unfortunately, the
previous owner put more than one coat of white paint on it ( hinges, pulls  
and all). Would it be possible to strip this, or do you think this is an
unrealistic task that would take me the rest of my life? :) If it is possible, do
you have any recommendation on how to go about it? Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Cindy
Nice to hear from you.
Yes this is a big job but certainly one you could do if you are determined.
It will take you a while but not a lifetime LOL.
A very rough estimate is 40 hours..(no thought went into the estimate its a guess LOL).
But seriously Cindy my main concern is what you will find under the paint. What it the final hoped for outcome. To repaint or have the natural wood?
There is no problem stripping hinges and knobs so don't worry about that part.
But if you will let me know what you hope to achieve I will guide you through the process.
And do you know what the wood is? Is it hardwood or softwood?
Get back to me.
Regards
Eileen

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

QUESTION: Hi Eileen.
It's cherry wood underneath.  My main concern is making it look clean, as it is
a focal point of my tiny house, and I think it could look really neat. I'm sure
there is lead paint  somewhere in there also. Is it more realistic to strip it and
then repaint it to hide the tiny little paint specs in tiny little cracks that won't
come off?  I have no clue! Thank you for getting back to me - I can't tell you
how much I appreciate the advice.

Answer
Hi again Cindy
Thanks for getting back to me.
This additional info really helps.
If you have solid cherry cabinets built in the 20's you are very lucky indeed.
Cherry is a hardwood and stripping paint from it will be much easier than from softwood.
With proper stripping, there will be no specks of paint left.
I imagine these cabinets were not originally painted which is another bonus if I'm correct.
So the first thing you must do is a test. Its important that you take one door and strip it fully and apply some stain and clear coat.
This is the only way you will know what the result will be.
If its awful, there is no need to continue with the stripping.
At that point you will be in "paint mode".
This will only require a good sanding as prep.
You are concerned about lead paint and its possible. Do you know you can purchase a little kit at the hardware store which allows you to test for lead paint?
I suggest you get one. Very inexpensive.
I also want you to understand that lead is dangerous when ingested (children chewing), and when the dust is inhaled.
When you strip old paint there is no dust during the first phase of the process but there is some created at the end (I will explain in the stripping info I am including).
When you sand to prep for painting, there is always dust.
As you said "I'm sure there is lead paint in there somewhere", and there could well be. The lead will not be in the top most layers but you could still sand through to them.
In order to test for lead you will have to test by scraping through the various layers to sample.
I want to be sure I cover everything here for you Cindy so next I will talk about the hardware and hinges which are covered in paint at present.
If you strip or just paint the process will be the same. All the hardware and hinges must be removed. They will need to be put into a can of paint stripper. The paint will simply fall off them.
A tooth brush will brush the mess out of the grooves etc.
So you see all the doors have to come off. This will make working on them easier so thats great.
OK..next are the full stripping instructions.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR STRIPPING CINDY'S CABINETS
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
Cindy if you cannot get this stripper ask for a "MC stripper".

MATERIAL LIST For the stripping stage.
1 gallon stripper
3 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...
Working outdoors in the shade is the best place.
Work in sections. Start with a door.
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. Cindy this is where the dust will be and it could be lead residue dust.
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 ...turn the door over and do the other side.
Once the doors and drawers have been stripped outdoors or in an open garage, you are left with the cabinet case to strip. This cannot be moved so you need lots of open windows and a couple of fans blowing out. Tape off any areas that are not being stripped and make sure everything is covered for protection. The stripper will ruin the floor so be careful. The stripper I recommend clings to verticle surfaces so the process is no different than the doors and drawers.
No other prep is necessary...and DO NOT SAND if you want to keep the lovely patina of the aged cherry cabinet.
When the stripping is complete, stain with Minwax stain applied with a rag.
Cindy its impossible to tell you a stain color until after the stripping. It could well be that no color will be needed if the wood has aged nicely. In that case a coat of Minwax stain in "Natural" Color is applied then your clear coats.
Natural color stain actually has no color but it will help seal the wood and enhance the color.
Please let me know if anything is not 100% clear.
And please do the test door before anything.
Regards
Eileen