View Full Version : Refinishing furniture.
Andre Harris
01-08-2001, 02:39 PM
I have an all Pine Wood bedroom set that has a high gloss stain finish. I would like to refinish this set with a white semi-glossy paint. I really would like for it to look nice when I'm done. Could someone share some advice on how I should start this process. Procedures and material recomendations would also be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!!
Andre'
You can use a chemical stripper of which there are several on the market. Generally the quicker they work the more toxic they are and the more fumes they have. They range from about 15 minutes to work to several hours. I've tried a couple of kinds (whatever the hardware store had in stock) and all have worked for me. In all cases you should have good ventilation. Also get good rubber gloves, not the thin latex surgical kind which the stripper and steel wool will eat though quickly. The thing with strippers is that you must give them ample time to work. If you rush it, you will just spend more time sanding. If it starts to dry on, just reapply stripper. The stripper container will tell you what to wash it off with, probably lacquer thinner and use steel wool to get the stubborn stuff. Once you have the stripper washed off, let it dry. Then make any minor repairs such filling nail holes and regluing loose joints. Next sand the piece. I'd probably start with 100 grit, then go to 150, and finally 220. I have a random orbit sander, but my fingers worked just as well even if more effort was required. Clean off the dust. Some people like tack cloths. I generally use my shop vac with a soft brush attachment. Now you're ready to paint. You might want to check out your library which probably has a couple of books on the subject, maybe even a video. Good luck and I'm sure your project will turn out terrific!
On second thought, if you want, you can also simply sand the surfaces, clean off the dust, and paint. There is probably no need to strip, but you do need to sand in order to give the new paint a chance of bonding to the old surface.