I have a dresser that has decorative plastic scrollwork. I brought it to my local woodworking store and was told that I could strip the scrollwork and then stain it a different color. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case because the stain does not penetrate the plastic and can be wiped off. I also cannot remove the scrollwork – it has to remain on the piece.
Attached is a before and after photo – pre and post stripping.
Does anyone have any suggestions for me? It’s a beautiful piece and I’m afraid that I’ve ruined it!
Replies
Stain will, as you discovered, wipe off. If you can get the stain to the proper color, you can then seal it with a finish such as shellac or polyurethane. Be careful that they are compatible, or the topcoat could dissolve the stain.
You can also make a glaze, sort of a stain mixed with a toocoat. Or just paint -- mix paint colors to match the finish on the rest of the dresser. That's probably what I would do.
Paint is the way to go for plastic. Clean all the gunk off the best that you can. If you plan on using a chemical stripper or some such thing, make sure it won't eat the plastic, too.
Then mask around all the scroll work, and hit it with some flat spray primer (from a rattle can is fine) in a color close to the grain color on the bare wood. Then paint it with nice, high pigment paint. Scenic kasein paints work great for this, but they are quite spendy and have a short shelf life (they actually begin to rot).
Figure out your dark, medium, and light colors (three colors), then lay a solid base of the dark and let it dry. Then build it up with the medium and then light colors with some dry brushing. Work slow and careful on the dry brushing as it's easy to over do.
You might have to use a different finish on the scrollwork than the rest of the piece (another benefit of kasein paint, no plastics), so keep chemistry in mind when picking your specific paints and finishes.
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