How to Strip Furniture
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the latest trend of natural furniture that has been stripped down to its raw wood state? It’s extremely popular currently and why shouldn’t it be? I mean, what’s not to love about it? It neutral, warm and goes with any decor and compliments any style home.
While it does take a little hard work and elbow grease, it can be done by the most amateur of refinishers or DIY enthusiasts. Here, you’ll find the products that we find work the best to remove the most stubborn of antique finishes and give you the best results.
Products:
Klean Strip Premium Stripper
Putty Knife
Lacquer Thinner
Steel Wool
Old Metal Bowls/Containers
Old Towels/Rags
Cheap Paint Brush
Protective Gear (eye protection, thick rubber gloves, apron).
First, pour your Klean Strip stripper into an old metal container (coffee tin, dog bowl, etc) so you don’t contaminate your product container. Apply the stripper to your furniture using an old, cheap brush. Brush on a thick coat in one direction. Allow to sit on finish for 10-15 mins. You will see the finish start to bubble and lift. For deep crevices, you can use a scrubbing tool with steel wool on the end to assist in application and removal of finish.
Next, use your putty knife to scrape away the old finish. Try to scrape in the direction of the wood grain. Discard this into another metal bowl. Repeat application for areas that are stubborn and do not come clean on the first brushing.
Once you are satisfied with the removal, pour some Lacquer Thinner into another bowl (or reuse your first bowl if done with stripper). The lacquer thinner will remove any residue from the stripper and leave you with a clean finish. Use steel wool to dip into the thinner and apply to furniture.
Lastly, use a clean cloth soaked in lacquer thinner to wipe the furniture clean.
Once done, you can sand to smooth. You can choose to leave the furniture raw, seal it with a polyurethane or polyacrylic to protect it, or restain it if you’d like.
Drop any questions you have in the comments.
As always, thanks so much for reading. If you’d like to purchase any of the products through my amazon storefront, we will earn a small commission and would greatly appreciated it.
