What all do I need to strip an old piece of furniture?
Question:I found a really nice arm-whaaaa (not sure of spelling) on the street being sold for $50 bucks. I picked it up (for $40) in the hopes to restore it. How do I go about this and what supplies do I need? I'm assuming sand paper, turpentine, maybe a few brillo pads, etc... I'm kinda in the dark on this, I'm pretty good with working around the house, this is just a rather new project for me. Any help would be appreciated!
Answers:
The things you listed are correct, but i would get a good stripper (liquid, not exotic dancer) (well, that's up to you) and make sure you have some fine sandpaper, perhaps 120 grit or greater, Homer Formsby makes good refinishing and removal products, also, if you haveany grooves or ornamentation, its definitely worth the money to purchase a couple sanding pencils for the hard-to-reach areas. a good quantity of rags is indispensable, and a lot of elbow grease is a necessity. you also should decide if you are going to paint,stain, or oil it in the long run, as this will determine the base of the solutions you use to remove the older layers, (remember water and oil don't mix unless you ensure the piece is totally dry)
If you dont want to do it yourself (it can be hard to do, my dad did it once and we nearly ruined the chair) you can get it profesionally done. They typically "dip" the furniture in stripper and remove the finish. Doing yourself can be very expensive and time consumming. You may want to search for a furniture refinisher in your are.
Good luck!
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