<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>"And I wonder: If I warm them, can I get the solvents to evaporate back out from the activated charcoal, and extend their life ???"</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Terry Farrell</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV>>     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 > <A href="http://mail.yahoo.com">http://mail.yahoo.com</A></DIV></BODY></HTML>