Expert: Eileen Cronk - 6/23/2007

Question
Hi Eileen!  This is a great site for all us do-it-yourselfers!!  We just bought an 18
year old home with honey coloured solid oak kitchen cabinets and I would like
to strip and restain them dark.  I have done some refinishing projects before,
but not of this size.  What are the necessary steps to take?  The cabines are not
flat panelled and the varnish has come off on some areas.  Also, the people were
smokers, so any advice on how to get rid of the smoke smell from the wood?

Answer
Hi Nedra
Nice to hear from you.
A big job but certainly worth the effort for oak cabinets.
Here are my standard directions for stripping furniture.
No different than cupboards

The first thing you must do is assemble the material to do the job.
The stripper is the most important item.
The stripper I use is my Home Hardware house brand, but I think that you would not have Home Hardware if you are in the states.
I am hoping you could have CIRCA brand paint and varnish remover there.

MATERIAL LIST For the stripping stage.
1 gallon stripper
6 boxes of Bull Dog steel wool in medium grade.
One 3 inch oil based paint brush.
Rubber gloves (like you do dishes with)
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
That's all you need to get started…not much is it?
The stripper will be the most expensive item on the list..In Canada it runs around $25.00 a gallon. The stain and finish will only be around $20.00
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.
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
When the stripping is complete, stain with Minwax stain applied with a rag, then a couple coats of poly for durability.
This will remove the smoke smell too.
Please let me know if anything is not 100% clear.
Good Luck
Eileen