Stripping and Refinishing Furniture

If you want to apply a new wood finish to furniture it has to be stripped to bare wood.  If all you want to do is repaint the piece it only needs to be properly scraped, cleaned and sanded before application. Stripping and refinishing furniture is a messy process however, it’s necessary for a professional result. Although stripping wood furniture is an arduous process it’s well worth it to recapture the original beauty of the wood.

The strippers used in stripping and refinishing furniture comes in a paste or liquid form. Paste strippers are thick and gooey and cling to vertical surfaces as well as nooks and crannies of furniture. They're great for stripping thick layers of finish equally. Liquid strippers are more difficult to work with but they work well to remove thin finishes. Usually I use a paste stripper to remove most of the finish then a liquid stripper to remove remaining finish in hard to reach spots.
 
Be aware that many furniture-stripping products contain caustic chemicals. Use them with caution in a well-ventilated space, outdoors if possible, or in a well vented area.

How to do it:

Step 1:

Apply the stripper starting with a paste stripper. Read the label carefully so you understand the manufacturer’s directions and safety instructions. Place the furniture on newspapers or a drop cloth. Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses. Brush on the stripper working from the top to bottom.   Brush it on carefully and if gets on your skin rinse it off immediately with clean water.

Step 2:  

Allow the stripper to do its work, do no rush the process. Wait as long as directed on the label before scraping off the old finish and stripper. Use a wide-bladed putty knife for scraping.  Take care to not gouge the wood. Plastic putty knives are a good and inexpensive alternative if you don't want to alter a metal knife.

Step 3:

Use steel wool on irregular surfaces of legs or carved moldings.
Start with a coarse grade of steel wool (#00, double aught) to remove most of the stripper and finish. Repeat the process using a very fine steel wool #000 (triple aught) or #0000 (four aught).  Synthetic steel wool is a good substitute for regular steel wool as it does not break up like regular steel wool.

Step 4:

Use a small wire brush or toothbrush for carved surfaces.
Legs and bedposts often have recessed details that need special work. After the surrounding areas have been stripped, brush fresh stripper into the recessed areas and let the stripper work again. Remove the stripper and old finish with a soft wire brush or toothbrush.

Step 5:

Wash off all the residue material with mineral spirits to ensure that the new finish will adhere. Wipe the piece with a rag and plenty of mineral spirits or paint thinner. If there are areas where some of the old finish is still intact reapply stripper to the areas, remove it after the recommended time, and rinse again with mineral spirits.

Now you are ready to apply your desired finish. I recommend using a water base stain. It is much easier to work than oil stain and you can get the shade you desire by adding more stain powder to the mixture. After staining let dry thoroughly apply two or three coasts of varnish, and two applications of a hard furniture paste wax. Although it was a lot of work you now have a marvelous piece of refinished furniture that you can be proud of.