Expert: Greg Scholl - 1/5/2010

Question
Hello,

I am hoping someone can help me.  I am learning by the seat of my pants as a single woman on how to remodel my own house!  It's fun, but hard to know I am receiving good advice.  Anyway, I can't afford to replace the cabinetry in my kitchen, so I have decided to strip the paint off of them.  I am using a chemical stripper called Jasco I believe.  It seems to be getting almost all 5 layers of paint off, however, it's leaving a chalky greenish-grayish color at the very last.  I can see some actual wood when I sand it away, but only grains here and there...the gray is staying in the grains of the wood I think.  Oh, and yes, the doors tested positive for lead based paint as I suspected since the house was built in 1954, so this puts a kink in things I am sure.  Anyway, so here are the steps I have been advised to do for the cabinet doors:

1. Remove door from cabinetry, remove all hardware.
2. Strip paint layers with the Jasco chemical stripper.
3. Sand with a ?(what kind of sander and what grit is needed to effectively get down to the bare wood...) One sander I saw was a SKIL 5" Random Orbit Sander that has a dust management feature...is this what I need considering the lead?
4. Wash using a special cleanser to get rid of the chemicals and prepare wood for (a wood conditioner so that the stain will disperse more evenly?)
5. Wash with sponge and water, let dry.
6. Apply wood conditioner (I figured I would go with the one made by Minwax since that is the stain I will be using)
7. Stain...I would like to use Minwax's Ebony (oil-based?) stain.  I want a country chic look where maybe some of the edges show a little color of the wood underneath...a little aging effect somewhat. Let dry.
8. Apply the first coat of the polyeurathane (sp?) (see step 10 for more info on this)
9. Sand with at least 320 grit sandpaper between coats.  Be patient and allow plenty of drying time between coats and before sanding.
10. Apply the second coat of the 'poly however you spell it'...and the lady at Lowe's suggested a 'poly however you spell it' that she raved about, it's called "Cabot" I think and I like the idea of a satin finish...it was expensive, so I haven't bought it yet since I am still in the stripping stage.  

Whew!  There you go, as best as I can go off of memory, those are the compiled steps from a little taken from everyone...thoughts, concerns?  My hard questions are where I have parentheses...

Thank you for your time!  I appreciate any and all advice or suggestions you can give me...

Oh, and P.S. How do you suggest I go about removing the lead based paint from the cabinetry on the walls (vertical surfaces)?  I have seen some web advice on putting the chemical stipper on the vertical surface and then putting a plastic sheet over it and taping it.  Then strip it off and sand?...How can I cut down (or hopefully eliminate) dust particles from getting everywhere?

Answer
Hi Amanda, wow, you're undertaking a HUGE job here, and it may not turn out the way you envision after all that work....one reason why it's not often done. Lead is a concern for sure, and a reason that you shouldn't sand at ALL, until you're down to bare wood, IF you can get there. The first thing is to let the stripper work thoroughly before taking it off again. Hopefully your applying it with a brush in one direction only, laying it on as thick as you can, (trying to maintain an 1/8"- 1/4" layer of stripper on the surface), and then leaving it for 1/2 hour or more before testing with the edge of a putty knife to see if the paint is loosening...if it isn't apply more stripper over what's there and leave it another 1/4 - 1/2 hour. You want the stripper to do the work, not you. Methylene Chloride is toxic, and will burn skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, so protect yourself and allow for ventilation. Always turn off ANY sources of flame, (pilot lights, etc.) as this can turn the fumes into Phosgene gas which is deadly.....this is serious stuff, treat it with respect. I do NOT recommend Minwax stains, especially on previously finished surfaces...find another stain like General Gel stain, Varathane, Benjamin Moore Interior stain, etc. They are MUCH better choices for several reasons. You'll need to know what type of wood you're dealing with, a soft wood or a hard wood, as that will make a big difference on how it takes any stain, and will help determine whether to use a conditioner to retard Blotching. Washing sanded wood down with water will raise the grain and require another sanding, depending on the wood and the final grit you've used. Once stained, and you start the application of the clear coats, you should not have to sand between coats if you've done your prep right. The wood should be smooth as a babys bottom before any clear coating or staining, so if, after the clear coat has dried sufficiently, you run your hand over it and it's "sandy" or rough to the touch, you can use some 400 or 600 lightly on those areas only. By the second and third coats, they should be drying smooth, but it depends on your skill level and method of application, product used, etc. Vertical surfaces are a big challenge as well, the proper way is to remove the cabinets to strip and refinish, and then reinstall them....as there's NO easy way to do this in place, especially if you're having trouble removing all the old finish. Many times, if your faceframes have a small overhang (many do), it's far easier to apply veneer over the vertical surface, or an 1/8" plywood piece, then match that to the new finish...but this is skilled work, if you've never done it...the way to cut down on toxic dust is not to create it, especially in a living area, another reason to remove the cabinets for such a major renovation....and do them in a garage or other workspace.While I commend you on the braveness to undertake such a HUGE project, you should be aware of the reasons that this is not usually done, and they include the exposure to toxic chemicals and toxic dust, the amount of labor involved in proper stripping and prep, then the skill level, experience, and knowledge needed to produce a furniture grade finish on old, previously finished, cabinetry, and the disruption of not having a workable kitchen, etc., etc., etc. Please feel free to post back if need be- regards- Greg