refinishing frustrations

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

At 06:15 4/27/2005, you wrote:

>Greg, relative newcomer to refinishing, so my comments should be taken as 
>such.
>
>What I have been shown to do involves the following process:
>
>Stripper..get as much off as you can in no more than 2 applications - 
>acetone wash/w rags and a small brush/purple ScotchBrite - wood filler for 
>any parts that need it - orbital sander using 100grit - paste wood 
>filler..let it flash, and then wipe with a rubber squeegy - sand very 
>lightly by hand, especially around the edges with 220, and you're ready.
>
>When I was shown this process, I was/am preparing parts to be finished in 
>black...but...the person showing me this process also said he would 
>prepare the wood in this fashion if he was going to keep the original 
>color also. It is his 30 year experience that this process best prepares 
>the wood for its next step. It is also his opinion that anything less than 
>this process beings into play a compromise of what the final outcome will be.
>
>Like I said, I'm a relative newcomer to this process, but I am being shown 
>the ropes by someone with eons of experience.
>-Phil

>Hi Terry -
>I have used many different brands over the past 25 years, and frankly I 
>really don't see a dime's worth of difference in the premium strippers.  I 
>buy semi-paste strippers in the $20-25/gal range.
>
>Mark Potter
>
>Mark, what kind of stripper are you using?
>
>Terry Farrell
>In my experience, if you just let the stripper remove the finish to the 
>point where a putty knife will easily scrape it off,
>
>Mark Potter




I happened to be sifting through my basement yesterday and came across an 
electric paint stripper which I had used on a former house and a pso.   I 
haven't used it in at least 15 years, but I know it quickly paid for itself 
vs:stripper when I was doing baseboards and things. I do recall you need a 
very steady hand to keep from touching any part of the stripper to any part 
of the wood as it would immediately scorch, but with that thing in one hand 
and scraper in the other, it sure got through multiple layers fast!

A follow-up light application of chemical stripper would finish nooks and 
crannies and other missed areas.

Anybody else use heat source stripping?

Successfully?





Conrad Hoffsommer - Keyboard Technician
Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
1-(563)-387-1204 // Fax 1-(563)-387-1076

- Right now, I'm hoping to live until my age matches my golf score,
- Until then, I'll have to be content to have my IQ match my handicap.