Replies

1. 
   sschefer | Jul 06, 2002 02:29am | #1

   Tell me about the wood. You elude to cabinets but are they solid or veneer.

   Steve - in Northern California

1. 
   Irishpapa | Jul 06, 2002 02:54am | #3

   Steve

   They are solid oak.

   Dan Jackson

1. 
   alexlisa | Jul 06, 2002 03:33am | #4

   The brass-bristle brush technique is the only way I know of to get the crud out of open grain. Just keep recoating with stripper and scrub the stuff out. Buy a bag of the brushes. You will need to replace them often. Good luck.

2. 
   sschefer | Jul 06, 2002 05:53am | #5

   Does the surface appear to be smooth and glassy or is it porous feeling?Steve - in Northern California

2. 
   Paul_Snyder | Jul 06, 2002 02:53am | #2

   Removing paint from oak pores is a chore. Here's your choices;

   Apply a semi-paste or paste stripper and let it sit for a while. Then use brass bristle brushes (you'll need more than one) to scrub the paint from the pores (without removing the stripper first).

   Same stripper - use round tooth picks to get the pores one at a time.

   Same stripper - use full body protection - after the stripper softens the paint in the pores, use compressed air to blow it out. I know this sounds insane, and I guess it is a little, but if you have the space (flying stripper) it works.

   After stripping - do an after strip wash with lacquer thinner and let the wood dry for a day. Apply a good coat of shellac. Let it dry a day. Use the stripper again to remove the shellac and the paint that bonded to it. If this does pretty well, a second go will do better. Sometimes the paint and shellac don't bond.

   Take the cabinets to a strip shop with a flow over system and let them scrub the paint from the pores. This should probably be the first option!

   Bruce Johnson's book "The Weekend Refinisher" is a good reference for refinishing and may offer some additional tips.

   Paul

   F'burg, VA