Third bit from the right

OK, so it’s another story about paint stripping. If you can’t be bothered reading it, at least enjoy the slideshow at the end.

I seem to have picked the simplest job ever for demonstrating how to strip paint off furniture. This old stool had just 1 coat of red paint. That’s it. Not even an undercoat.

I bought it from Bay Country Antiques in Waipawa, New Zealand (and got it home in my suitcase). The wood is probably rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum), according to the guy in the shop. Don’t ask me, I only know kauri.

Getting ready

These are the things you need:

• a can of methylene chloride-based paint stripper
• a sturdy container (to pour stripper into)
• an old paint brush
• various paint scrapers
• methylated spirits
• steelwool (00 grade will do)
• mineral turpentine
• old newspapers and a dropsheet
• lots of rags (I cut up a pile about 10 cm x 10 cm in size. Easy to use and toss away)
• a bucket or cardboard box lined with layers of newspaper (for scraping all the muck into)
• good rubber gloves, ones that won’t dissolve if they get stripper on them (I also wear an extra pair of disposable gloves under them but that’s because metho has a really weird cooling effect on my hands)
• protective clothing and goggles – paint stripper is nasty stuff; don’t get it on your skin or anywhere near your eyes
• good ventilation – the paint stripper fumes are pretty strong

Applying the stripper

Tip: Don’t attempt to apply stripper to the whole piece in one hit. Work methodically in sections, cleaning up as you go.

• Pour some stripper into your container and apply it with the paint brush in a thick coat, ideally with the surface in a horizontal position (I don’t necessarily practise what I preach, as the photo below proves)
• Don’t keep painting over the stripper; let it sit and do its work

Scraping off the paint

• Wait for the bubbling action to stop. I said ‘Wait’! Don’t start scraping too soon, even though it’s so tempting. Get the most out of the chemical action while it lasts, especially if you have several layers of paint to remove. Conversely, don’t leave the stripper on too long or it will harden
• Use a flat-blade paint scraper to remove paint from flat surfaces and scoop it all into the newspaper-lined container
• On curved or odd-shaped surfaces use steelwool and metho to scrub it off
• If there are still layers of paint remaining, apply another lot of stripper, wait and then scrape again

Cleaning up the bare timber

It’s really important to get rid of the stripper completely.

• Pour some methylated spirits onto a piece of steelwool and wash down the timber
• Scrub quite firmly to remove any remaining small patches of paint
• Follow up by wiping over the timber with a clean cloth
• If you need to (and you probably will) repeat the scrubbing and wiping using a new piece of steelwool and new rags
• Finally, when all the stripping is done and cleaned-up, wipe over the timber with a rag soaked with mineral turps. This final clean is important; it will remove all stripper wax as well as other dirt, including sweaty palm prints

The bottom half is stripped and pretty clean, and the top is now cooking

Scrub the timber with steelwool and metho

Then wipe over with a clean rag to make sure all the muck is gone

Packing up

To tidy up, I wipe out the paint stripper container with rags and squeeze all excess stripper out of the brush before cleaning them and the paint scrapers in warm, soapy water. And I bundle up the newspaper lining the rubbish container, put it into a plastic bag and throw the bag in the bin.

So, how did this particular job turn out?

The work doesn’t end with the stripping of course. Next comes sanding, a bit of filling and 5 coats of Danish oil.

Here’s the slideshow:

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