Out with the old..
To refinish a piece of furniture, you have to remove the old finish. Removing the old finish can be a trying, messy undertaking. At first, it can feel like you’re ruining the piece. Be patient. When you get down to the final sanding of the wood, you will feel like you are creating a masterwork. In the end, it is very satisfying and beautiful.
You can take away old paint and varnish a couple ways: Mostly, sanding and chemical strippers. For really tough stuff, you can sometimes get away with using a heat gun.
Belt and disk sanders remove finishes quickly, but be careful not to remove too much too quick. Continually pick up your tool to see what you’ve taken away and how much is still there for removal. This way you learn to gauge your work and know your tool. These tools are not for working on lathed legs, obviously.
Chemical strippers, or paint strippers, are useful to remove paint and varnish from wood furniture or projects. These chemicals are often the fastest, easiest way. Despite what you may read on the back of a can, if you want to do a really good job, you should still do some sanding after using these chemicals.
Use adequate ventilation, rubber gloves and eye protection when using these strippers. They are designed to soften, peel and blister paint and varnish. Don’t do the same to your skin, lungs or eyes. Follow the safety recommendations on the container.
Use strippers which require "no cleanup" or that will "wash away with water." "No cleanup" strippers leave a residue that can be sanded later. Water cleanup could raise the grain of the wood. It just means a little light hand sanding afterwards.
Strippers come as liquids, or in thicker formulations referred to as gels, semi-pastes or pastes. Liquid strippers are only good for horizontal surfaces. For vertical surfaces, the thicker strippers are able to hang on better.
The rules for using chemical strippers are as follows. Add to this any additional information on the back of your can…
--Apply stripper to a manageable area. Put on a thick coat, and do not disturb it once it is applied.
--Let the stripper sit recommended time. Test the finish with a putty knife. If it is soft, move on to the next step. Don’t let the stripper dry.
--Remove as much paint or vanish as you can with a scraper or putty knife. Round the edges of scraper to prevent gouging the wood. Follow-up with medium grade steel wool. Soaking the steel wool in the stripper may help remove stubborn spots. Some finishes, like enamels, require more applications of stripper.
--After removing as much finish as possible with the stripper, scrapers, and steel wool, follow directions for cleaning the stripper off the wood. Often, turpentine or paint remover, or water. Let the wood dry.