I’m working with someone who wants to refinish her kitchen cabinets. They appear to be oak, and have been stained with a dark walnut color and protected with shellac or varnish. She wants to lighten the color to more of a natural oak color and refinish them.
Is it possible to lighten the wood since it has already been stained? I was thinking we might need to bleach them, but not sure. Should we strip the finish or try to sand it off, or both?
LMK if you have any other questions. Thanks for your input.
Replies
The first step is to strip off the old finish. If the result is acceptable lightly sand and apply a top coat, if not you will have to bleach to remove the color. Chlorine bleach for dye, two part (A%B) for stain. Be aware the two part bleach will remove all the color including the natural color of the wood. This would not be my choice.
Regards
Jerry
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