Expert: Eileen Cronk - 10/18/2007

Question
Hi:  I have an old (not antique) step stool made from solid wood that has a dark stain.  The orginal finish is in pretty bad shape and I would like to restain it.  I bought a water based stain remover and applied it as directed, that is I brushed it on, waited ten minutes and then scraped it off.  I repeated this process about four times, but the stain is still there.  It's definitely lighter, but there are some spots that are almost bare while others places look almost unchanged.  I have two questions.  1. Is it possible to put a dark stain on it as it is and get an even finish?  2.  If I give up and decide to paint it, what type of paint would be best to hold up to the wear and tear of being stepped on?  I'm willing to put a little more effort into this, but this is not a valuable piece of furniture and I'm most interested in having a stool that is functional without being an eyesore.  Can you help me?  Thank you.  Jill

Answer
Hi Jill
Nice to hear from you.
Jill this "water based stain remover" is something I have never heard of, but living up in Canada, theres lots of products that never make it here LOL.
In any event, I think the finish we are dealing with here is laquer, and I have experienced what you have with it.
This can be miserable stuff to get off, especially if the stool is not old.
Would you try something different before you decide to paint?
Get a small can of laquer thinner. Dip some medium steel into it and start rubbing. This should take the finish off if its laquer.
A word of caution here...work only outside with the thinner as its vile stuff to use. The smell is intense, and I have gotten sick from the fumes. I try to avoid it whenever possible.
To get to your exact questions, first, its not possible to simply put a dark stain over the stool as it is. The finish must be entirely removed first.
Second, Melamine paint would be a good choice if you decide to paint.
Also keep in mind that you may get all the finish off the wood only to find that the wood will not take a dark stain.
It just depends what type of wood the stools made from.
So perhaps at this point, before you attempy more finish removal, try a bit of dark stain on an area that you feel sure is down to bare wood.
Could save you a lot of time and effort.
Get back to me if needed.
Kindest Regards
Eileen