Replies

1. 
   MStehelin | Jun 27, 2003 11:58pm | #1

   Not hard.

   just work

   Use a chemical stripper in a well ventilated area. Scrape then sand.

   Cheers

2. 
   forestgirl | Jun 28, 2003 01:00am | #2

   Not hard, just a pain in the a$$ if you have better things to do.  For legs and other vertical or figured parts, I find a heavy-bodied stripper to be helpful, as it doesn't run like the regular liquid stripper does. 

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

3. 
   Gretchen | Jun 28, 2003 01:35am | #3

   It is hard and requires exquisite patience.  You MUST allow the stripper to do the  work.  It MUST lift the paint from the surface. To do this the stripper MUST remain in contact with the surface and MUST remain "wet" to do its job.  You can cover the surface with Saran wrap to allow the surface to remain "wet".  Try to work on surfaces in a horizontal position--turn the piece. 

   You MUST remove all vestiges of the paint stripper from the surface with mineral spirits or it will compromise any finish you try to re-apply.

   Gretchen
1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 28, 2003 02:08am | #4

   Ahhhhh, I think we're getting to the distinction between "simple" vs. "easy" (or "complex" vs. "hard").  IMO, stripping paint is simple (read: straightforward process), but not exactly easy.  It is somewhat hard to do (a PITA), but not complex.  Now, on to my next lesson from Yoda.  Bye.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   BG | Jun 28, 2003 01:25pm | #5

   GJ13,

   The difficulty in stripping paint depends on your beginning point, the desired end point and what facilities you have to support the effort.  It would probably be a lot easier if you could share what it is you thinking of doing.

1. 
   gpasewicz | Jun 30, 2003 05:46pm | #7

   Well...I'm considering committing a crime against all that is good and pure.

   I inherited a mahogany dining room suite from my grandfather.  It's not worth $$ as antique, being a 1930's-era  replica of the Federal style, but we'd never be able to afford a comparable set.   The set includes a table, 5 chairs, sideboard, china cabinet and buffet.  It's in need of considerable surface restoration but is structurally sound.  It's in storage. 

   My wife won't use it as is and says it doesn't match the style of our house (which is sort of a contemporary open floor plan).  She also says that restoring it would take more time and effort than we can invest in it.  She wants to paint it white, and I have to agree that it would look pretty good that way.   But I just can't bring myself to paint an entire suite of mahogany furniture.  

   I wanted to know about stripping paint just in case future generations have more sense and want to restore it to its proper station in life.

   Would such a paint job require a sprayer?

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 30, 2003 06:54pm | #8

   Given mahogany's pore structure, IMO it would be a beech to strip later on down the road.  That paint's going to get into the pores, and even with well-done stripping technique, a great deal of sanding would be required to get down to a proper surface for re-finishing.  Being a veteran of literally hundreds of estate auctions over a period of about 10 years, I tend to think you are dooming the future of that dining set if you paint it.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   Kevin | Jun 30, 2003 08:30pm | #10

   You make a good point about the paint getting in the pores. But, I wonder if applying a coat or two of clear shellac or lacquer first might not help keep the later application of white paint out where it can more easily be removed later on. The downside I suppose would be that the shellac would fill the pores to some degree and it'd be less obvious that there's wood underneath when all's said and done. But... would that really matter all that much with a painted finish?

   Regards,

   Kevin

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 30, 2003 09:52pm | #11

   Kevin, I thought about the shellac idea too [great minds, and all that], and it would probably help but how much is debatable (sp?).  The only thing that would really keep the paint out to the point that refinishing would be relatively easy would be paste filler.  At that point, you might as well skip the paint and go straight to refinishing.  I like the above idea of refinishing a piece at a time, and covering up the rest.  It's not that I'm viewing a 1930's dining set as a priceless antique, it's just that I know from experience what it's like to see a fine piece of furniture that's been fooled around with to the point that nobody wants to mess with it.

   PS:  If I had to make one, shellac would be my choice.

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

   Edited 6/30/2003 2:53:17 PM ET by forestgirl

2. 
   Gretchen | Jun 30, 2003 10:43pm | #12

   No, I think giving it a coat of shellac or lacquer under paint will make it easier to strip if that time should come.  It's when the paint is put on raw wood that it is IMpossible to get out of the pores. And actually if the finish is intact you probably don't need to do anything.On the other hand if it has a clear finish on it now it will not be all that difficult to strip--and the application of a clear finish after stripping using a wipe on varnish is a piece of cake.  Stripping paint is the real pain--stripping varnish, shellac (THE easiest!) or lacquer is quite easy and quick.  You just have to get through it.

   Gretchen

    

   Let me add that you might get some Howard's Restor-a-Finish and give the pieces that are in need a treatment.  It might just be that it is only the top of the dining table (and maybe buffet) that need refinishing and the rest can be "refurbished".  How bad is the finish?

   Edited 6/30/2003 3:46:32 PM ET by GRETCHEN50

3. 
   forestgirl | Jul 01, 2003 07:20am | #13

   Gretchen, you make an excellent point. I was exhibiting serious cognitive dissonance in that earlier post.  Of course!  There's already finish on the wood, so just rough it up and paint, the finish will protect the wood pores.  Oh well, can't be sharp all the time. 

   There's an intermediate process between Howard's and stripping, but it'd be kinda scary to me to try it on an entire dining set.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   Gretchen | Jul 01, 2003 12:54pm | #14

   There's an intermediate process between Howard's and stripping, but it'd be kinda scary to me to try it on an entire dining set.

   What do you mean?Gretchen

5. 
   forestgirl | Jul 01, 2003 08:17pm | #15

   My experience with Howard's, and I've used a fair amount of it, is that it has a very mild effect as far as dissolving the original finish it's being applied to.  The intermediate process between that and stripping would be to "dissolve" the existing finish to a greater extent without actually stripping it down to bare or nearly bare wood, using the appropriate solvent mixed with mineral spirits.  From your earlier posts, I'm pretty sure you've done this, yes?  The trick being to get an overall even, but still stained, appearance to the wood before refinishing.  I've done this with a number of small tables and a couple of chairs, but don't trust my eye or my patience to try it on several big matching pieces.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

6. 
   Gretchen | Jul 01, 2003 08:30pm | #16

   No, I'm an all or nothing refinisher. The technique of re-dissolving the finish I think would only work on shellac finishes.  Howard's is very much a cosmetic application but it can make some things useable, depending on the degree of  damage.  For example, I would assume the sides and front of the breakfront and buffet  would be in fair condition--and maybe even the chairs. Table tops might need more than Howard's and might need a full strip and finish.Gretchen

7. 
   forestgirl | Jul 01, 2003 09:13pm | #17

   Ooops, just noticed I said "mineral spirits" which was incorrect.  The mixture used is a combination of lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol.  It works well on lacquer and shellac finishes, but not on varnish.  I use mineral spirits to clean things up at the end.  I greatly prefer not to do any stripping or "dissolving" these days, so don't indulge in this process, but it's quite handy for fixing up a generally yucky finish that doesn't have bad water rings or such.  An especially useful way to deal with furniture that has turnings or carvings that are hard to sand.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

8. 
   RoyinMD | Jul 02, 2003 07:18am | #18

   Good, very Good!, Great in fact!, the discussion has moved away from PAINT! Don't tell Sarge.

   Like I said before, I'd slap a table cloth on that sucker (or trash it) before I would even think about painting it. And I have'n't even seen it.

   Enjoy, Roy

2. 
   RoyinMD | Jun 30, 2003 07:29pm | #9

   Even though mahogany is not one of my favorite woods, I'm with you, painting it just might be a crime. Think about refinishing in stages. Hutch first. The table and sideboard can be covered with table clothes. I haven't seen the cherry top of my dining room table in months.

   Enjoy, Roy

3. 
   BG | Jul 03, 2003 01:41pm | #19

   GJ13,

   You have a pretty good idea from all here that if you seal the wood up good with some shellac removing the paint in the future is not too hard.

   It sounds like your spouce is not too fond of dark wood...or at least that number of pieces, they would dominate the open floor plan. Back in the fifties my mom switched all our living room furniture from dark mahognay to blond mahognay....no refinishing, bought new...the dark furniture got her down.  The point being your gonna have to change the color if it is to be used in your house....or sell it as is.

   I've worked on many pieces from that era..and latter...some were painted, most not.  Usually when I get down to bare wood there are many surprises. They often stained heart wood to blend in..and some pieces a whole different look evolves.  At any rate, maybe you could strip one piece before you decide anything and check out all our options.  Sealing up the stripped piece with shellac and painting is not problem.  But you might find that once the finish is removed and the piece has been sanded it is much lighter with a strong grain and you may just want to go a different way. 

1. 
   gpasewicz | Jul 03, 2003 04:01pm | #20

   Nope, she's not at all fond of dark wood.  Be that as it may....the damage to the furniture is scratches, bumps, nicks, etc.  There are some places, like the corners of chair legs that have been worn through to rounded. 

   O.k.  I'm a little reassured that the existing finish might make a future paint stripping a little easier.  Or I might go ahead and shellac it first.  Either way it's a big job.

   Thanks for all the input, folks.

2. 
   Gretchen | Jul 04, 2003 05:52am | #21

   ...some were painted, most not.  Usually when I get down to bare wood there are many surprises. They often stained heart wood to blend in..and some pieces a whole different look evolves

   In my opinion, this does not apply to this set. This furniture has a clear finish on it so you see that it is mahogany--or whatever--it is wood that looks the same.  When you strip painted furniture THEN you get "surprises"--whatever was available AND whatever could be stained maybe.

   My final suggestion--if you want a "painted" look, put on some shellac and then  a "glaze" of diluted latex paint.  Might be pretty good looking--not quite white but definitely not Brown, with a capital "B".Gretchen

5. 
   RoyinMD | Jun 29, 2003 07:21am | #6

   Chemical stripping and sanding works good (no fun, but good) for flat surfaces. If your talking about turings and curves-----Throw it away!

   Enjoy, Roy