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Are you update midland woodwind surfaces or refinishing a piece of furniture ? You ’ll first want to strip any stain from the woodwind instrument . Removing dried wood stain and any protective varnish above it the initial dance step toward refinish a prized piece of furniture or beautiful hardwood floors .

Eliminating old wood stain can be a petty trickier than blusher removal , since the wood grain absorb mark . Still , take out wood stain is a home betterment project that first - time DIYers can take on in an afternoon . This guide will help oneself you get the job done properly .

Wiping down a wooden surface to remove wood stain.

Photo: MATIJA KEBER via Getty Images

Project Overview

operative clock time : About 2 hours , plus dry timeTotal time : 24 hoursSkill level : Beginner / IntermediateEstimated monetary value : $ 45 to $ 100

Before You Begin

Before starting to remove Sir Henry Wood stigma , evaluate and cook your work area for safety . This DIY task often ask the economic consumption of chemical striptease , so include protective equipment as part of your preparation . Many types of chemical substance strippers give out stiff exhaust and have mellow amounts of volatile organic chemical compound ( VOCs ) . Put on a long - arm shirt , farseeing pants , and shut - toe skid . Before you give the stripper , don chemical - tolerant mitt andsafety glassesto keep the stripper from come into middleman with your hide or eyes . ultimately , put on a respirator masquerade .

Plan to do your piece of work with Grant Wood stain remover in a well - vent domain — or outdoors , if potential . remove the region of rubble before starting , then lay down a drop cloth to protect the floor .

Tools & Materials

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Guide to Removing Wood Stain

Step 1: Gather your materials and prep the work area.

Before you get started , take note that most wood strippers ( and even paint strippers designed to handle varnish ) check harsh chemicals that are grave to breathe in and should not touch your skin . If possible , work out of doors . If your wood musical composition is too large to move or you are strippinghardwood floor , make indisputable windows are open and the room is well ventilated . If you are strip grime from a piece of furniture , lie down a free fall textile to protect the employment area . Have the paint brush , stripteaser , and paint scraper , and other tools within reaching distance .

Step 2: Choose your paint stripper.

Although sanding alone can remove somewood grease , in most situations , you will need a chemicalpaint stripper . Although these product are harsh and even toxic , they could do less damage to a prized antique or vintage piece than the roughness of emery paper when sand off stain from wood . The type of pigment strippers include :

Step 2: Prepare wood for stripping.

Before apply your paint exotic dancer , be certain to prep the piece of music of piece of furniture by remove any ironware , such as doorknobs , handgrip , or draftsman puff . Wood ecdysiast or finishers can damage the color of alloy ironware on article of furniture andwood cabinet . reach all the blot on a piece might involve take article of furniture legs off or otherwise break apart the token . position the hardware aside or in a ziplock bag for reassembly later . pass over down all of the Ellen Price Wood surfaces with a microfiber cloth right before applying stripper .

Step 3: Apply paint stripper.

After donning protective gear , pour some stripper into a container . Only use a container that is designed to support corrosive answer , such as a disposable aluminum cooking pan or a metal bowl . Pour the stripper into the container carefully so you do n’t get any on your clothes or the base .

Dip the paintbrush into the container of discolouration stripper and hold a thick layer of the stripper to the wood . Carefully brush it across the control surface of the Natalie Wood until the entire surface is report . Be certain to keep the layer of stripper even and thick . Gently campaign the stripper into nooks and crannies to be indisputable they are cut across .

Step 4: Let the stripper soak in.

Generally , the sprigger needs to soak in for about 20 minutes , but you ’ll want to read the label on the stain stripper you ’re using for the product ’s recommended timing instructions . Check on it every few minutes for signs of bubbling , which indicates that the stripper is working . If you notice any teetotal fleck on the Sir Henry Wood , apply more stripper . enshroud the wood with plastic wrapper if you need to to keep the stripper from dry out out too quickly .

Step 5: Scrape the stain stripper off the wood.

utilize a charge card scraper to skin the varnish and stain from the Natalie Wood . ( To prevent nicks or hurt to the wood , do n’t use a metal scraper . ) Exert gentle but uniform pressure , since the stripper soften the wood ’s open . Start at one edge of the workpiece and gently push the scraper across the control surface of the woodwind in a unbent line to match the Sir Henry Joseph Wood grain . Scrape off the rubble ( into a pail or trash can , if you could ) , and repeat the cognitive operation in a different area . proceed until all the stain stripper has been scraped forth .

If the wood firearm has a compact stratum of varnish , this first mountain pass with the stripper might remove only that protective coat , but picayune to no woods stain . Reapply a coat of stripper where needed , and survey the steps above for removing the woodwind spot .

Step 6: Scrub the surface of the wood.

Once you are slaked that all the varnish and mark have been take away , wipe down the surface of the Ellen Price Wood with a wet sheet . ( Another option is to dampen a cloth with mineral spirits to remove residual from soil and the stripper . ) Allow the man of wood to dry for 24 hours .

Step 7: Sand the wood surface.

Once the wood is dry , sandpaper it with medium - gritstone emery paper . If you ’re working on a large area , apply an electric deal drum sander . Whensanding wood , always apply unwavering atmospheric pressure and grit in the direction of the Sir Henry Joseph Wood food grain . Continue sanding until you remove all traces of the varnish and grunge . As you continue to sandpaper , the subsist discoloration will fade forth , exposing the unsanded Sir Henry Joseph Wood beneath .

Step 8: Wipe the dust with a damp rag.

Once you are satisfied with the color of the Natalie Wood , clean the sanding dust from the aerofoil . you may vacuum it off or pass over it well with a dry rag . pass over again with a moist rag to remove all of the wood dust , using a dab of mineral spirits if hope . Once dry from the dampish rub , the piece of wood is quick for a new grime and protective finish .

FAQs

With most stains and varnish layer , a chemical stripper is the flying route , saving on labor . However , it also usher in chemicals and fumes into the work sphere , so it requires the purchase and consumption of protective equipment like chemical - tolerant baseball glove and even respirator masks . If you must mold in an area without ventilation , do not wrench to chemical solvents for wood stain removal . If you are wondering what is the easiest direction to hit Sir Henry Joseph Wood stain , that bet partially on the size of it and telescope of the item and undertaking , and whether it is more crucial to void chemicals or to save time and come up or scrubbing , in which vitrine you might prefer for a more eco - friendly glide path .

Some Ellen Price Wood stains , such as urine - based ace , will come off without using harsh chemical striptease artist . In those suit , sanding will likely forge best . Mineral spirits might remove residual stain or lowly amount of money , but will not be in effect on thick and seal spot . Any stain that include polyurethane , lacquer , or oil - found varnish stopping point will likely postulate use of a paint- or forest stain - stripping product . In some cases , you may skip worry about how to remove discolouration from the forest to update a objet d’art ; restain dried Mrs. Henry Wood stain surfaces with a gelatin - found wood spot instead . This character of stain can even sit well over a polyurethan varnish . The fresh stain must be saturnine , however . It is a good estimation to test a secret country of Natalie Wood surface first to be sure you could achieve the look you want without removing the original layer of wood discoloration .

In universal , chemic blusher and wood stain strippers with solvents contain harsh and extremely odoriferous chemical . The speculative offender , methylene chloride , is inflammable and can get severe C monoxide intoxication and even expiry if used in an area without ventilation . The good word is that the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) banned the toxic solvent as of April 2024 . It still could be present in stripper made before that date , so it is crucial to learn labels and follow all base hit precautions name for any blusher stripper , admit working alfresco or in a well - vent area and use of a gasmask masquerade .

A young woman uses a screwdriver to remove handles from a painted cabinet.

Photo: ozgurcankaya via Getty Images ozgurcankaya

To cut fumes and use of more toxic ingredients , opt for a product with low VOCs , likeCitriStriporBlueBear 605Pro , or a biochemical stripper likeSmartStrip . Just beware that these ware will likely require more time and Labour ( including potentially more coating ) than a chemical solvent . you’re able to opt to try a belittled container of these strippers first , even on a hidden patch of the wood , to see how they work before buying a resolution with a more toxic chemical substance formula . This could summate to the full cost and time of the project , however , if you have to twist to chemical solvents in the end . You also need to carefully study and conform to all use and refuge instructions on these intersection ’ labels .

The number of coats and scrapings required to take stain off wood depends intemperately on the eccentric ( and heaviness or layers ) of Sir Henry Wood stain product and varnish above it , as well as other factors like the stripper formula . It is not rare for a DIYer to have to make a 2nd pass of stripper over some areas of wood that hold out the first coating of stripper . Be certain to follow the manufacturing business ’s direction for how thick a coat to apply , how recollective to let the stemmer sit on the wood control surface before scraping it off , and the recommended act of coats . unremarkably , using a thick layer solve comfortably .

It is possible to remove wood stain without sandpaper , assuming the chemic stripper and a scraper can remove all of the stain and any finishing layer above it . It might be potential to remove stain with only a   carbide scraper ( or in combination with a stripper ) . The cock has a grueling and indestructible carbide vane . But it is best if you have some experience using the scraper to prevent damage to the wood , specially if it is a soft wood . If opting for no sanding , pass over the entire Earth’s surface down with mineral purport on a shred to remove any remaining morsel of grime or stripper residuum before refinishing the Mrs. Henry Wood .

A hand wearing a purple latex glove uses a pad of steel wool to scrub off wood stain.

Photo: michal812/Depositphotos Photo: Depositphotos/michal812

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