Refinishing furniture

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

I have a small table I picked up off someone's lawn on garbage day. It's a nice coffee table with what I think is real wood and it has intricate wood carved detailing.
Problem is, it's covered in horrible brown paint.

Any tips on stripping this down? Heat gun or chemical stripper?
I can borrow a heat gun, but I've never used chemical strippers before. How effective are they?

[Dinsdale]

Sandblaster with fine media.

[Bucmonkey]

I am imagining that would be too abrasive for the application Dins, regardless of how fine the media is.

[Dinsdale]

I am imagining that would be too abrasive for the application Dins, regardless of how fine the media is.

You imagine wrong. Blasting requires using the right pressure, nozzle, and media for the application at hand. Done properly, blasting can leave an extremely smooth surface in less time than other means.

Takes a sandblaster and a big air compressor, though.

[Bucmonkey]

Yes, I understand that, I have done a fair amount of it re-painting water tanks. I should have clarified my point. Assuming shlomie has next to no experience in paint removal, let alone sandblasting, unless he subs the work out I seriously doubt the talent is there to perform what you are recommending.

[Dinsdale]

Yes, I understand that, I have done a fair amount of it re-painting water tanks.

We have something in common. I've worked on a bunch of tank repaints, large and small, concrete and steel(corten, stainless, etc).

You ain't blasted until you've blasted the inside of a tank (although I've been told the same thing about blasting in submarines).

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

How the fuck do you sandblast wood? Are you kidding me?

[Dinsdale]

How the fuck do you sandblast wood?

1) Attach sandblaster to air compressor (again, takes a bunch of volume)

2) Fill pot with media that's rated for wood, along the lines of 200/240 (or whatever the fine screen is), or even soda (sodium bicarbonate). Steel shot isn't good for wood.

3) Select smallest blast nozzle available

4) Start slowly, and start on the least visible underside to get the feel for it.

[smackaholic]

As buc said, if you are in this shithole asking how to do this for a garbage find, blasting ain't the answer.

Get a chemical stripper. And don't use that greenie wheenie shit. Buy the most toxic badass shit there is. Don't look for green leaves. Look for skulls and crossbones. And get a package of nitrile gloves. That shit is nasty. And don't even think about doing it inside, this time of year. This is a project best left for a warm spring day. Teh fumes from that shit are worse than shutyomouth's.

[Atomic Punk]

Buy the most toxic badass shit there is. Don't look for green leaves. Look for skulls and crossbones. And get a package of nitrile gloves.

You want to use nitrile gloves while using harsh chemicals??? Really? Nitrile gloves are what we use as "exam gloves" in hospitals and they aren't durable at all. That 12/13/14 calendar thread must still be messing with you.

[mvscal]

You ain't blasted until you've blasted the inside of a tank (although I've been told the same thing about blasting in submarines).

....and cue Imus troll.




"Sir, I have AP bearing 115 degrees mark 7."





"Steady on mark. One 'drunken failure' ping only."





....sir?.....ah, one drunken failure ping only, aye.

[Wolfman]

Hunt for Red October refs are never not fresh. Chemical warfare is the way to go, and outside. Then again maybe square head deck screws and a lot of elbow grease could do the job.

[smackaholic]

Buy the most toxic badass shit there is. Don't look for green leaves. Look for skulls and crossbones. And get a package of nitrile gloves.

You want to use nitrile gloves while using harsh chemicals??? Really? Nitrile gloves are what we use as "exam gloves" in hospitals and they aren't durable at all. That 12/13/14 calendar thread must still be messing with you.

What type of glove would you recommend? Vinyl, latex, nitrile will all be chewed up by stripper, but, they will provide protection long enough to get the yob done. I just happen to prefer nitrile for a decent fit.

[Atomic Punk]

If those gloves work for you then fine. Out of all of those 3 you've mentioned, the vinyl would be most durable. Nitrile is expensive, yet I go through dozens of those a day as they are provided for us. The problem with nitrile is they rip and tear easily. They are very comfortable and easy to put on and take off. However, if you want protection from harsh chemicals then those types are also sold at your local Lowes and Home Depots but in the cleaning aisle.

[smackaholic]

I like nitrile for the same two reasons you do. Somebody else is buying them and they go on, come off easy.

[Imus]

Buy the most toxic badass shit there is. Don't look for green leaves. Look for skulls and crossbones. And get a package of nitrile gloves.

You want to use nitrile gloves while using harsh chemicals??? Really? Nitrile gloves are what we use as "exam gloves" in hospitals and they aren't durable at all. That 12/13/14 calendar thread must still be messing with you.

Hello friend. Gee I sure hope you haven't started drinking again. As part of my own 12 step program, I need to help another with his problem. I know we are cool with that as I have heard you assert that you are an alcoholic. None of us should be ashamed of what we are.

We can get through this friend. Carry on with the nitrile goves discussion, but please, for us keep on the wagon.

Peace, out for now. I'm always here for you.

[Atomic Punk]

I'm always here for you.

Hello Cuda. Now kindly fuck off and go back to .net

[Screw_Michigan]

That's not Cuda. How many times do I have to tell you?

[Atomic Punk]

Screwball, don't fuck this up. BTW, the shit troll in question was asking me how he could attack Dinsdale. I haven't seen any effort put forth yet by said shit troll. Of course, it's interesting you have me in your sig(s) and then quickly respond after the shit troll isn't it?

[Dinsdale]

A pair of cheap cotton work gloves over nitrile holds back nasty solvents for a while.

[BSmack]

Screwball, don't fuck this up. BTW, the shit troll in question was asking me how he could attack Dinsdale. I haven't seen any effort put forth yet by said shit troll. Of course, it's interesting you have me in your sig(s) and then quickly respond after the shit troll isn't it?

No, not paranoid at all. Obviously it is all part of a massive shitnami put together by the shit troll collective just to make you shit your panties.

[Goober McTuber]

No shit. I was shocked he was smart enough to run a troll like Cuda.

[mvscal]

Obviously it is all part of a massive shitnami put together by the shit troll collective just to make you shit your panties.

[Derron]

A pair of cheap cotton work gloves over nitrile holds back nasty solvents for a while.

Nice...you just want to see him with stumps and no hands and fingers.

[smackaholic]

yeah, think I would skip the cotton. it would hold the chemicals against the nitrile and make it difficult to tell when the chemicals were about to eat through it. with just the nitrile, you can wipe it off before it does any harm and you have a better idea of the condition of the glove.

[Goober McTuber]

I would just go out and buy new shit. That's the American Way.

[smackaholic]

well, we're talking canadian bolshevik/fred sanford type here.

[Carson]

Obviously it is all part of a massive shitnami put together by the shit troll collective just to make you shit your panties.

Damn, beat me to it.

Fuck off, Lahey.

[Dinsdale]

yeah, think I would skip the cotton. it would hold the chemicals against the nitrile

Not so much. Might have to change them along the way, but while the chemicals take a toll, it's when you put any sort of abrasion on them is when they rip. Better yet, put Atlas work gloves or the like over them, and your hands will be fine. Thick latex underneath really works, just sucks to work in, since the comfort rating is in the negative range.

But I'm just guessing.


And if you're getting much solvent/chems on you in the process, you're doing it wrong. Take your time and be smart.

And don't get it in your eye, unless you're down with special. Character builder, for sure.

Ain't rocket science, it's firewood you're having fun with.

But I'd still recommend a sandblaster... go big or go back to the dumpater and scrounge up something you can actually work with -- like some used pipe-cleaners or something.



A really big sandblaster.

[smackaholic]

yeah, think I would skip the cotton. it would hold the chemicals against the nitrile

Not so much. Might have to change them along the way, but while the chemicals take a toll, it's when you put any sort of abrasion on them is when they rip. Better yet, put Atlas work gloves or the like over them, and your hands will be fine. Thick latex underneath really works, just sucks to work in, since the comfort rating is in the negative range.

But I'm just guessing.


And if you're getting much solvent/chems on you in the process, you're doing it wrong. Take your time and be smart.

And don't get it in your eye, unless you're down with special. Character builder, for sure.

Ain't rocket science, it's firewood you're having fun with.

But I'd still recommend a sandblaster... go big or go back to the dumpater and scrounge up something you can actually work with -- like some used pipe-cleaners or something.



A really big sandblaster.

I've never tried it, but stripper in the eye is probably way down the list of fun things to do. I am one to temp fate when it comes to sensible eye-pro wear, but, not with that shit.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

well, we're talking canadian bolshevik/fred sanford type here.

Thrift is a virtue, you son-of-a-bitch!

:x

[smackaholic]

Yes it is. I am a white FS myself. You should work on the bolshevik part though.