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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Removing paint "stains" from old dining table

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Expert: - 5/11/2009


Question
Hi Greg,
I am trying to bring a 100+ year old dining table back to natural wood finish (maple or oak). It was painted with many different colors. Some leaves green, some yellow, some orange. I've stripped the yellow, and orange and they look nice (natural finish shows clean).

The green painted parts (two leaves), have been stripped smooth and all of the surface paint is gone, but now the wood seems to be "stained" green. Almost like it's been pickeled or washed with a green color. The "stain" is down into the grain and further application of the Gel type stripper I've been using doesn't seem to help (there is no real "surface paint" left to remove).

How can I get this green "paint stain" out of these leaves? (short of running them through a plainer ;~D )

Thanks,
Tim

Answer
Hey Tim, are you using a methylene chloride stripper? If you're working on an open pored wood like Oak, it can be very difficult to completely remove colors like this. If it's a solid wood piece,(or veneer, you just have to proceed cautiously), you can use a water washable stripper and fine brass scrub brush to scrub the paint from the grain, but even that may not completely remove it. You apply and remove as per a typical stripper, but as a last step, when the stripper is still wet, you scrub it off with water and the brush, then hand dry and allow to dry fully before sanding. Sanding and then using a pore filler, or a heavy bodied stain like a Gel, will help remove and/or mask it when refinishing.....hope that helps a little- post back if need be- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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