AboutStuart Mawle Expertise Now been a carpenter & joiner for the past ten years in the UK. I can give avice / help on carpentry & joinery, health & safety, woodworking machinery, power tools and suppliers. I have served an indentured carpentry apprenticeship with a medium sized building contractor doing a wide range of domestic and commercial work. This has included office buildings, barn conversions, building extensions and renovations. During my career, I spent over three years as a wood trades technician at a college. My job involved joinery work, wood maching and helping CITB carpentry & joinery students` pratical projects. I am a member of Institute of Carpenters
Question I have a 1912 Craftsman home. The banister needs to be stripped of paint. I would like to take out the spindles and possibly rail as a unit and send it to a stripping firm so I don't have to expose myself to the fumes in the house. Is this possible? What are the dangers of this approach. The banister is currently very sturdy -- not wobbly at all.
I've been told that the only way to dissemble the banister is to remove each spindle one at a time by taking out the small piece of wood separating the spindles. I don't want to do this because it is made of American Chestnut and I am sure I'll break some of this spindle separators. Well actually, I'd have to do this on part of the banister because it covers part of a Chestnut paneled wall that also needs stripping and refinishing itself.
Answer I wouldnt take the banister part because it could be damage and for another reason as well. I think you will find that if you sent the spindles/parts of to be dipped stripped that they wouldnt go back together...the wood would be prone to warping. I think stripping with chemicals in the home is a dangerous affair and would be quite expensive. There is no easy way to do this task but one thing you may consider is using hot air gun, proffessional painters will use a blow torch. It is a possibility but i have to warn you that it done with care as there is a potential fire risk with this method. I hope this helps you. stuart
