How do you remove old paint from wood surface?
Kathleen from West Hartford, CT
Go to a home center and buy a paint remover. There are several types all liquid. Some water soluable some not and follow direction on can. Be careful as some old paints may have lead in them although no lead has been put in paint manufactured in this country since 1978. Or you could just sand the wood wearing a dust mask so you don't breath in the dust.
For paint, I prefer to use the nonliquid gummy type that doesn't run and you just scrape it off after so many minutes. If there's a lot of paint thickness, you may have to repeat procedure.
I like the liquid remover for varnished finishes. Place a leg or part of the furniture piece in a large pan and you can reuse until all varnish is gone; then add new remover over the piece to clean it up good before wiping down.
The difference in the two types is shaking the can and you can tell the liquid is splashing while the gummy type doesn't.
WalMart also sells these two types. Use a steelwool pad after wood is wiped down and this will smooth the surface from where the wood raised a bit and helps to clean out any left over paint in wood grain. Then wipe down again with old tee shirt or flannel cloth to remove dust.
A fine grain sandpaper will help smooth, but stay with the grain; don't rub in opposite directions. Wipe with cloth before applying new finish.
Try a product called "Circa 1850" works great, will take off all layers of paint, then just wipe with mild soap and water to clean the surface
There are generally two types of paint strippers, fast and flammable or slow and safe. This article will show you how to use both.
www.how2instructions.com/
You can also scrape the paint off the surface if you don't have to worry about damaging the wood. You can always patch and paint if you do any damage scraping, good luck.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How should I remove layers of old paint from wood before I repaint it?
By June W.
Stores have all kinds of products to strip paint off. No matter what you use, there is a certain amount of hard work involved.
Two choices. Use a paint stripper or sand old paint off with power tool. Either way use safety protection.
First you have to be careful if the painting was done when it still had lead in it. Especially be careful of sanding and especially if there are small children in your family. You can use paint stripper but it is best to do that outside. I know from experience. I tried to strip a piano in the house and even though I had a fan going, it was not enough. I started feeling kind of woozy and broke out in giant hives all over my body.
If using paint stripper cover in cling wrap after applying. Leave for about 20 minutes then peel away. This helped me remove 12 layers of paint. Know this because each one was a different color.
I just picked up an old wood table which has some sort of shiny finish and a bunch of scratches. I plan to sand it down so I can paint it. I'd like to paint the top in some sort of pattern or design. Does anyone have any good ideas? I was thinking about using painters tape - but haven't gotten farther than that thought. Any suggestions or ideas are much appreciated.
How about stenciling? Really easy. Look over the many great ones at a craft store. How about flowers, animals, geometric, etc.? Paint background in plain color; let dry thoroughly, and then paint stencil in contrasting color(s). Scattered flowers, border geometric, or many others.
When I was a kid my grandmother had an old table that she sanded down and then painted yellow. She then found a stencil that she copied on to the table and then painted with bright colors. The stencil was a pattern used by the Penn. Dutch. It was the most beautiful table that I'd ever seen, especially being that my grandmother was legally blind.
My mother in law found my coffee table at the local dump. The only thing wrong with it was the finish was coming off. I am going to decoupage brown craft paper on it and then take an old book apart and use the pages to decoupage of it.
How about deviding the top into 1/4th and painting different colors in the areas or two colors on opposite sides of the table and switching the colors when you paint the other 2 areas?? Or a checker board around the edge after painting the top a solid color?? Have fun!! Another idea would be ivy leaves /vine all around the outside edge......
How do you get paint off a wooden table without damaging the wood?
Lorna
It depends on how much paint you're talking about. If it's just a little, you can try gently scraping it, but it still could leave scratches. If it's a lot, you may have to use paint thinner or stripper and then you're refinishing the wood.
Try a product called Circa 1850.
It's a gel like stripper, works great on one layer of paint or many layers. Just brush it on, let sit @2minutes and use a scraper to remove the paint. The paint will come off with ease. Then wash the wood with a little soapy water. This stuff works awesome, but put in a metal tray and if possible do it outdoors. It will not harm the wood.
Several years ago I painted my teenage daughter's dresser black. She never forgave me because underneath that black was a dresser full of "writing"and "doodles" by her and her friends.
Now, she is turning 21 and I want to surprise her with the original dresser with the "writing" and "doodles" intact. I'm pretty sure the dresser is just a natural oak... maybe pine. Any suggestions before I get out a razor and start trying to lift the paint off?
By Lisa P.
I would think that using a razor will ruin the dresser. I don't have a lot of experience with paint removal, but I know that people who do remove paint use the proper products that you get at a hardware store. They do not use a razor. Sanding also removes paint, but you don't do that on furniture that you are refinishing unless you don't care about the surface underneath.
I am looking for a recipe for paint remover/ stripper to remove enamel paint and varnish from wood and metal.
Vikas
I just read that white vinegar took layers of paint off metal hinges. I wouldn't use it on wood.
Soak 24 hours and scrub with a wire brush. Then repeated a second time. Writer said it worked great. It was a Heloise Hint.
Good Luck,GG Vi
