Stripping
Before describing the methods of paint removal it is necessary:
To take into account that stripping involves rather toxic and/or flammable products.
It is consequently better to work outdoors or, at least, in ventilated environments, using masks for chemical fumes (not to be confused with dust masks), gloves and goggles. There should be no smoking in the immediate area.
That premise made clear, various procedures of paint removal follow.
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- Heat Gun at high temperature: it is used only in special cases. In the past some furniture such as sideboards and dressers, were finished with several coats of synthetic coloured enamel, which was hard to remove, and could only be done by using chemical paint removers. With the heat guns the enamel is heated being careful not to burn the wood underneath, allowing the glaze to soften (a question of a few seconds), then the paint which is still hot is removed with a spatula. This process is then repeated for the entire piece. With this method it is not possible to remove the paint completely, as some traces are usually left behind. This can be eliminated by applying a chemical paint stripper to those remaining areas. The product is applied and left for several minutes until it begins to take effect. Then, rubbing with an average steel wool along the residual paint the remaining traces of paint are removed. After this operation, everything must be cleaned well with alcohol at 90 degrees.
It is recommended to use gradually the paint remover in small areas of the cabinet, because it tends to dry out rather quickly.
WARNING! The heat gun works at high temperature (between 300 to 800 degrees), also after using, it takes time to cool off, so close attention must be paid to how and where it is placed, handled with care, keeping it away from children.
- Chemical stripper (paint stripper): yields good results both on thin synthetic finishes and on shellac. The procedure is similar to that described above. The product is applied and left for several minutes until it begins to take effect then, a spatula is used to eliminate the paint. If necessary the process may be repeated. As previously stated,it is advisable not to work on very large areas at one time. A double-zero steel wool pad soaked in paint remover is then wiped along the grain on the cleaned part to remove any remaining traces of paint. Once this has been done the piece should be cleaned with 90° alcohol.
- Turpentine: wax thinner (flammable), it is used in its pure form to remove wax finish. With a double-zero steel wool pad soaked in turpentine rub along the grain until the complete removal of the old wax. Wipe with a cloth soaked in turpentine. Do not forget to wear gloves and mask for chemical fumes. Work should always be carried out in a ventilated place.
- Alcohol at 94°/99°: it is used when only part of the old shellac finish is to be removed. With the usual double-zero steel wool soaked in alcohol rub along the grain to remove the desired amount of finish. Wipe with a cloth moistened with alcohol.
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