>Or, you can simply use Dyna 2 paint stripper and skip the whole procedure. One application, wait overnight, scrape it off, done. It's biodegradeable and doesn't have any of the nasty solvents. Arthur Grudko www.pianolac.com >"And I wonder: If I warm them, can I get the solvents to evaporate back >out from the activated charcoal, and extend their life ???" > >Yes. That was part of my master's thesis project where I had to desorb >volatile organic compounds from activated charcoal air (actually, soil >gas) sampling devices and then run the sample through a gas >chromatograph. Standard procedure in the science world! > >Terry Farrell > > >----- Original Message ----- >> As you all know, stripping old finishes is one of >> the most disgusting aspects of restoration and, after >> 30 years, I stumbled across a procedure that is ALMOST >> non-totally-disgusting, and didn't even rot my brain >> or wreck my hands !!!! This may seem dumb and >> elementary, but I'm gonna describe it, directly. >> >> Get: Get at least 2 gas masks from auto-paint supply >> stores. I get 3M ones for about $20 each, here, and >> they work great! Disposable, and a lot cheaper than >> at Home Depot or Lowe's ( And I wonder: If I warm >> them, can I get the solvents to evaporate back out >> from the activated charcoal, and extend their life ??? >> ) Get several pairs of stripping gloves, gallons of >> denatured alcohol, quarts of >> "Citra-Strip", stripping pads ( the D-handle with the >> rough blue pads, and the finer green ones ) and a >> brass-bristle pot scrubbing brush, like grocery stores >> sell. Also get a bunch of large sheets of cardboard, >> and a plasic tarp. I get boxes from the local futon >> shop, which are like >> 6' long, 4'wide cardboard trays, with 2 halves. >> Put the plastic down on the ground, outside, put >> the cardboard down on top of it, put wooden blocks or >> plastic bottles with flat sides down ( like small >> isopropyl alcohol bottles ) to keep the piece up off >> the cardboard a bit, and put down the piece to be >> stripped. Blooge some stripper into a glass or metal >> bowl, and dunk the handled-pad into it. Wipe it on >> quickly, without a lot of brushing, and wait a >> half-hour. Come back, scrub the piece with the grain, >> with the pad, creating a sludge, then scape off the >> resulting gloop with a plastic putty knife ( round the >> corners to prevent scratching. ) Then dunk the brass >> brush into some alcohol in another no-spill container >> and scrub with the grain. This will get old filler, >> finish and varnish remover out of the pores of the >> wood better than anything, yet leave no visible >> scratches. Wipe up the residue with paper towells, and >> wipe and scrub some more until it is clrean enough. >> Advantages: The Citra-Strip doesn't go through the >> gas mask and poison you like "regular" strippers do. >> Neither does it penetrate/eat the gloves, like other >> strippers do. So, although it's twice as expensive, >> initially, it will FAR MORE than make up for this, >> both in savings on gas masks and gloves, AND in saving >> your brain from destruction, and the destruction of >> the nerves in your hands !!!!! Similarly, the >> denatured alcohol does not eat the mask, your brain, >> the gloves or your hands like "hotter" solvents do, >> like lacquer thinner, for example, yet cleans away the >> residue beautifully. The cardboard soaks up spillage, >> and the plastic keeps it from going into the ground. >> And if I DID spill a little ( though I'm careful not >> to ) I'd MUCH rather it were alcohol, a wood >> distillate, that evaporates quickly, than lacquer >> thinner. And no water is used, so the system is safer >> for veneer. >> Put the soiled cardboard under a roof somewhere, >> if it is going to rain, until the solvents evaporate >> away. Then re-use it, or throw it in a dumpster when >> it is thoroughlky dry. ( An EPA-acceptable way to get >> rid of the stuff. ) >> Thump >> >> >> >> __________________________________________________ >> Do You Yahoo!? >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >> http://mail.yahoo.com > > >
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