Replies

1. 
   Clay | Mar 24, 2003 10:20pm | #1

   strip it

1. 
   evetss | Mar 24, 2003 10:52pm | #2

   Its veneer.  Would that be difficult to strip?  What would be a good product to use?

2. 
   RW | Mar 25, 2003 01:26am | #3

   Well you're not far off the mark with the concern since it's veneer. Anything you try could conceivably damage or soften it. If there's inconspicuous places to start with experimentation, just maybe alcohol could work. I'm not looking at it obviously, but if the varnish is so shot that the alcohol would penetrate, you might soften the shellac under it enough to wipe it all off with a rag. Best of luck, more ideas to follow, I'm sure. (And I hope)

   " If you kill a man, it is a tragedy. If you kill a million, it is a statistic." - Josepf Stalin, attributed.

3. 
   forestgirl | Mar 25, 2003 02:18am | #4

   Before assuming it's varnish, take a Q-tip wetted with lacquer thinner and rub a spot,  If the Q-Tip gets gunky/sticky, then it's lacquer, not varnish.

   If that is the case, you can dissolve the finish by using denatured alcohol and lacquer thinner mixed together.  [ Or, you could try just laquer thinner and try to leave the shellac relatively untouched ]  Since you're working with veneer, you can't let it get too wet, but you should be able to dissolve the finish by wiping with a dampened cloth, continually changing the cloth until you get the bad finish off (on solid wood, you use steel wool and more of a flooding method).  Then wipe down with mineral spirits to get any residue off.  After it sits overnight or so, you can refinish.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   Gretchen | Mar 25, 2003 02:15pm | #5

   I think if it is alligatored it is probably just shellac without any varnish.  Try Forest Girl's test with the denatured alcohol. Even if it is veneer if you do not get it soaking wet it will not lift the veneer.  And I think you could judiciously use steel wool to strip it--open out the steel wool pad to make use of the most surface area of the pad.Gretchen

1. 
   evetss | Mar 25, 2003 04:36pm | #6

   Thanks for all the help.  It does not get sticky with laquer thinner.  Last night I rubbed it lightly with 600 grit sand paper and some mineral spirits. Some Color came off on to the paper...the part which was hidden is shellac with the denature alchol test.   Below that is where someone put something on top of the shellac.  Maybe a 32nd of and inch thick...but like I said, color did come off when I rub it with mineral spirits and sand paper.  Maybe this will help alittle more.  Thanks.  ps. I will try with napha tonight.

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 25, 2003 06:29pm | #7

   Question:  What are you going to Naptha??  Nasty stuff, and overkill.  Your easiest approach with the fewest bad consequences is to use steel wool and either lacquer thinner alone, or LT mixed with denatured alcohol.  IMO, you don't want to get down to bare wood, you just want to get the flawed finish off.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   evetss | Mar 25, 2003 06:38pm | #8

   Thanks, I'll give it a try.

2. 
   evetss | Mar 25, 2003 07:25pm | #9

   One other question here.  I need to replace a 2" x 3" piece of veneer.  What is the right glue to use. Thanks