On 11 Jun 2006 09:51:42 -0700, wrote:

It was Jasco's product that produced the results. When a product
claims it will do something -- like remove finishes in one application
(it didn't say that multiple appications might be needed) -- it should
that.

So now you know for next time- chemical strippers never (and I mean
that in the most literal sense of the word) live up to the claims on
the packages. They might have in the good ol' days, but they sure
don't any more.

If you want to use them, get them on the surface as thick as possible,
keep them moist however you can, and give them 4-5x the amount of time
it suggests on the package to work, then clean it off with a stiff
scraper- a spatula won't do the trick.

I'd put money on the card scraper by itself being the best way to go
on almost any project that has flat surfaces. Chemical strippers
really only shine when you are stripping detailed millwork where a
scraper won't reach into the various nooks and crannies. Even in that
case, it helps to scrape as much as you can first, to allow the
stripper to get under the edges of the paint or finish.