Expert: Eileen Cronk - 6/11/2005

Question
A neighbor was going through her grandmother's old home and came across some old pieces of furniture that she did not want so I took them.  The pieces are a small table, a piano, a kitchen hutch and an armoire.  Due to the fact that they are old there are some repairs that need to be made.  I want to know how do I refinish them?

Answer
Hi Eunice
Nice to hear from you
Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. A terrible storm here knocked out my internet.
Refinishing is fairly straight forward though time consuming.
Here is some help..
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
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.
In most cases, two applications of stripper is all thats needed, but a stubborn finish may require three.
Thats all there is to it...move to another section and continue.
No other prep is necessary using either of the above mentioned strippers, but some need to be neutralised.
When the stripping is complete, stain and put your finish on.
Please get back to me if clarification is needed.
Kindest Regards
Eileen