How to strip wood furniture and refinish it?

Question

I bought an old hutch and want to strip it and refinish it to make it look new.Where can I learn how to do this,I'm very interrested in taking old wood furniture and working to make them look new again.Do I use sandpaper to take off the old stain or do I use a chemical?

Answer 1

Argh.... Not another one of these. Why must everyone think that making an old piece of furniture look new, will somehow increase its' value? If it is truly old, then leave it alone. Enjoy its' beauty.
If it is a 1970sh kind of old, then strip it, scrape it, (not sand), then refinish with a natural oil. Sanding just tears the grain of the wood, and embeds small scratches.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

ILSTHE BEST WAY IS USING A STRIPIER. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS . TO SCRAP OFF THE STRIPIER I WOULD USE A BAR BA Q GRILL BRUSH. THE KIND THAT CLEANS THE RACK WITH THE STEEL BRUSH. IT IS BETER THAN USING STEEL WOOL BECAUSE IT COULD RUST THE WOOD

Answer 4

well 1st w you want to strip with a good stripper . i like stripez from Sherwin Williams. then you will need to sand . use steel wool to get in the nooks and cranny's . the you will need some wood bleach with asilic acid . follow directions on bottle . be care full this will burn the skin . let dry and now you may refinish. stain seal sand 2 coats of finish use a good poly finis to hold up to water stains . i am a painter of 23 years

Answer 5

You only sand when absolutely necessary. Trust me on this, I've been restoring antique furniture for over 15 years.
I use a stripper called "Superstrip." Hardly any odor, and it works fast. If your hutch is painted, use a putty knife to gently scrape off the bubbled up paint and stripper, then clean up using OOO steel wool and Acetone. It will take all the residue right off. Caution, the Acetone does have a smell to it, and will evaporate rapidly if left with the lid off. (I use cleaned out tin cans for the work, then toss them afterward.) Good luck.

Answer 6

So many ways to go depending on type of finish & wood.
Also age, value & condition of piece.
Used to have a repair/ refinishing shop & did a lot of work trying to correct DIY projects.
I used to dip furniture in commercial stripper.
Great for some pieces , not for everything though.
No one answer, so here are some basic things to consider for DIY that will not require special equipment.
The newer heavy paste strippers are actually very good & non toxic.
Do repairs & regluing before stripping on DIY projects.
Avoid sanding & metal tools.
Rags,bronze wool, plastic scrapers ,old toothbrushes & , wooden toothpicks for detailing crevices.
Once completely stripped & clean decide on your finish.
Staining is in my mind, the most difficult for DIY & most over the counter stains leave a muddy appearance.
Hate to cop put , but books from a specialty woodworking site would help select type of stain best for a given project.
They can also supply you with materials & tips.
The most forgiving finishes for DIY are shellac, & oil finishes
A high finish such as laquer is usually sprayed on .
The old fashioned way requires expensive brushes, skill, lots fo time.
Polyurethane finishes are a bear to touch up if you make a mistake, esp. the tinted ones.
Aboove all patience.
Lots of drying time & in - between work required if you want good results.
Hope this helps .
Good luck

Answer 7

With all due respect I agree with both the first two answers, for a few reasons.

Not knowing at all what the piece is made of, or if it's veneer or solid, and its REAL value, you should do the stripper first; probably outdoors, with a hose handy,and rubber gloves.

One example I offer of "Knowing" a piece of furniture would be connecting with This Old House, or Antiques Road Show. If for instance you found an OLD piece, you definitely could damage it and reduce it's value and validity, by trying to refinish it.

Also without knowing how you define "OLD", I'd suggest having some piece of it (Drawer maybe?) checked by someone familiar with furniture, stains, finishing coatings, etc.

AND too if you have such an interest it might be wise to know ages of pieces, and their finishes and techniques used in creating the piece. OLD might define a piece merely glued together with Mortise/Tendon joints?

I very much enjoy and have worked with wood and fine OLD furniture for a long time, and educating yourself as to what the substance and construction of a piece is, IS pretty important.

Sanding would would be one of the final steps, changing to fine, finer, finest in the process, and then having TAC cloths etc. to remove residue before ever applying any finish coatings.

Beyond all that, there are books and online sites that can help, as well as talking to people who do this for a living, such as an organization that DIP STRIPS pieces of furniture, and finally you might check out workshops offered at even BIG box Home stores.

Steven Wolf

Answer 8

first you need plenty of room with good ventilation . use a good stripper (stripeeze) they make other brands apply with
paint brush let it stand do not hurry , use putty knife you will see it come off .. you will need lots of old rags or paper towels.
use tooh brush for hard to get areas, once all is removed let dry good . yes you will need to sand ,stripper raises the grain
in the wood use 180 grit.. blow all the dust off use a good OIL base stain apply with rag ,wipe off with clean rag real good ,
let dry overnight use a good clear coat let dry ,sand lightly with
220 grit sandpaper, apply 2nd coat if needed, 3rd coat .no sanding after 1st coat take your time do not hurry it will look nice