I need to strip the finish from some old furniture.
Someone suggested using Minwax Furniture Refinisher which supposedly
contains (among other things) alcohol, mineral spirits, and lacquer
thinner.

However, would I be better off just testing alcohol, mineral spirts, and
lacquer separately to see which ones best remove the old finish. The
theory being that it is better (and cheaper) to use the full-strength
version of the right solvent.

Or is there an advantage to using Minwax's magical formulation?

On 3/3/2010 11:18 PM blueman spake thus:

I need to strip the finish from some old furniture.
Someone suggested using Minwax Furniture Refinisher which supposedly
contains (among other things) alcohol, mineral spirits, and lacquer
thinner.

that doesn't even make sense if you think about it: that's like saying
"I have no frigging idea what that finish is, but if I just throw any
and all solvents at it, maybe it'll come off". (Assuming that that is
really what is in it; I have no idea.)

Alcohol will dissolve shellac, but nothing else. Lacquer thinner
(acetone + other stuff) will dissolve lacquer, but probably nothing
else, though it may damage paint or varnish. Mineral spirits, well,
won't dissolve anything really.

However, would I be better off just testing alcohol, mineral spirts, and
lacquer separately to see which ones best remove the old finish. The
theory being that it is better (and cheaper) to use the full-strength
version of the right solvent.

You could try alcohol and lacquer thinner to see whether the finish is
shellac (dissolved by alcohol) or lacquer, but if it's neither, you're
not even going to make a dent in it.

Sorry, you need to use some kind of real stripper here. Maybe that
Minwax stuff is it, but in that case, it has a lot more in it than the
ingrediments you mentioned.


--
You were wrong, and I'm man enough to admit it.

- a Usenet "apology"

I used to strip a lot of old stuff and love it back to life. Still have
several pieces of furniture in the house that were rescuees including my
(appx) 100 year old walnut dining room table that was painted blue and white
and a sideboard that I found to go with it that was pretty rough.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m.../buffetb-4.jpg

Not the best "after" pic. Had to paint parts of it to hide the repairs from
a dog using it as a chew toy.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...uffetafter.jpg

After trying several "miracle products" with limited results I went back to
good old Jasco paint stripper.
Be sure to wear gloves (HF, blue, $9 a box, change often) cause it will burn
your skin.

Paint it on, gently scrape it off and then give it scrub bath with mineral
spirits and a scotch brite. Then a wash with something like cheese cloth or
a terry cloth towel soaked in mineral spirits or lacquer thinner.

A small soft brass brush works well in nooks and crannies. Just be gentle so
you don't scar the wood.

K.


"David Nebenzahl" wrote in message
.com...
On 3/3/2010 11:18 PM blueman spake thus:

I need to strip the finish from some old furniture.
Someone suggested using Minwax Furniture Refinisher which supposedly
contains (among other things) alcohol, mineral spirits, and lacquer
thinner.

that doesn't even make sense if you think about it: that's like saying
"I have no frigging idea what that finish is, but if I just throw any
and all solvents at it, maybe it'll come off". (Assuming that that is
really what is in it; I have no idea.)

Alcohol will dissolve shellac, but nothing else. Lacquer thinner
(acetone + other stuff) will dissolve lacquer, but probably nothing
else, though it may damage paint or varnish. Mineral spirits, well,
won't dissolve anything really.

However, would I be better off just testing alcohol, mineral spirts, and
lacquer separately to see which ones best remove the old finish. The
theory being that it is better (and cheaper) to use the full-strength
version of the right solvent.

You could try alcohol and lacquer thinner to see whether the finish is
shellac (dissolved by alcohol) or lacquer, but if it's neither, you're
not even going to make a dent in it.

Sorry, you need to use some kind of real stripper here. Maybe that
Minwax stuff is it, but in that case, it has a lot more in it than the
ingrediments you mentioned.


--
You were wrong, and I'm man enough to admit it.

- a Usenet "apology"

On 3/4/2010 2:28 AM, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 3/3/2010 11:18 PM blueman spake thus:

I need to strip the finish from some old furniture.
Someone suggested using Minwax Furniture Refinisher which supposedly
contains (among other things) alcohol, mineral spirits, and lacquer
thinner.

that doesn't even make sense if you think about it: that's like saying
"I have no frigging idea what that finish is, but if I just throw any
and all solvents at it, maybe it'll come off". (Assuming that that is
really what is in it; I have no idea.)

Alcohol will dissolve shellac, but nothing else. Lacquer thinner
(acetone + other stuff) will dissolve lacquer, but probably nothing
else, though it may damage paint or varnish. Mineral spirits, well,
won't dissolve anything really.

However, would I be better off just testing alcohol, mineral spirts, and
lacquer separately to see which ones best remove the old finish. The
theory being that it is better (and cheaper) to use the full-strength
version of the right solvent.

You could try alcohol and lacquer thinner to see whether the finish is
shellac (dissolved by alcohol) or lacquer, but if it's neither, you're
not even going to make a dent in it.

Sorry, you need to use some kind of real stripper here. Maybe that
Minwax stuff is it, but in that case, it has a lot more in it than the
ingrediments you mentioned.

Perhaps, but not necessarily true. I've found the best thing to strip shellac
is simply denatured alcohol. Because it's natural organic resin, there are at
least some stripper products out there that won't work worth a damn on shellac.
Not saying such products don't exist, but alcohol works perfectly so I
haven't bothered looking any further.

--
If it ain't perfect, improve it...
But don't break it while you're fixin' it!
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/

On Mar 4, 2:28*am, David Nebenzahl wrote:

SNIP

Sorry, you need to use some kind of real stripper here. Maybe that
Minwax stuff is it, but in that case, it has a lot more in it than the
ingrediments you mentioned.

Good post, David. And all true.

I rarely test a surface before stripping because I only do it with my
company. That means that someone calls me (well, they used to when
they had money!) when they want exterior doors refinished, or some
interior work.

By the time I am called, it may have multiple coats of who knows what,
or when it was applied, or how. I see oil based over water based
products, polys over varnishes, lacquer primed doors with poly on
them, etc.

I use the strippers that have a lot of sodium hydroxide. It is
dangerous, but the high concentration stuff will take the hid off a
rhino. On supplier I use has a forumla that will burn through several
coats of finish at once. And you should see what it does to
unprotected skin!

When I strip I try to use the least caustic solution possible. With
that in mind, I like the BIX brand stuff for routine stripping. I
think it is called K5 or something like that - it's the orange can. I
found the Minwax a little ineffective when I used it. BIX is
available at Big Box stores too, so I am not tasked paying shipping to
get a couple of gallons.

Robert

On 3/4/2010 5:36 AM Steve Turner spake thus:

On 3/4/2010 2:28 AM, David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 3/3/2010 11:18 PM blueman spake thus:

I need to strip the finish from some old furniture.
Someone suggested using Minwax Furniture Refinisher which supposedly
contains (among other things) alcohol, mineral spirits, and lacquer
thinner.

Sorry, you need to use some kind of real stripper here. Maybe that
Minwax stuff is it, but in that case, it has a lot more in it than the
ingrediments you mentioned.

Perhaps, but not necessarily true. I've found the best thing to strip
shellac is simply denatured alcohol. Because it's natural organic
resin, there are at least some stripper products out there that won't
work worth a damn on shellac. Not saying such products don't exist,
but alcohol works perfectly so I haven't bothered looking any
further.

Well, that was kinda my point. If you *know* the finish you want to take
off is all shellac or all lacquer, then you can just the respective
solvent (alcohol or acetone) to remove it, instead of a paint stripper.


--
You were wrong, and I'm man enough to admit it.

- a Usenet "apology"

On Mar 4, 2:18*am, blueman wrote:
I need to strip the finish from some old furniture.
Someone suggested using Minwax Furniture Refinisher which supposedly
contains (among other things) alcohol, mineral spirits, and lacquer
thinner.

However, would I be better off just testing alcohol, mineral spirts, and
lacquer separately to see which ones best remove the old finish. The
theory being that it is better (and cheaper) to use the full-strength
version of the right solvent.

Or is there an advantage to using Minwax's magical formulation?

Methylene chloride-free product, perceived by unknowing
buyers as being safer. Unless you can't stand the odor,
you'd be better off using a methylene chloride based stripper
such as Bix or Zipstrip, since it works a lot faster than a slow
ATM formula. For lacquer or shellac, use the appropriate solvent.

The mineral spirits in your can of Furniture Refinisher do
nothing but bulk the product with a cheap, inert filler,
increasing profits for Minwax.

On Mar 4, 2:22 pm, "Lew Hodgett" wrote:

VERY NASTY STUFF.

Wear protective clothing INCLUDING face shield when working with it..

Amen. I have a couple of scars on my arms to prove what just a small
slip can do.

It takes about 5 minutes to go from an irritating burn to feeling like
you have molten lava on your skin.

But is sure does remove old finish and gunk well!

When I refinish a door I set up to work where I know where an easily
accessed water source is for emergency use. I make sure I have my box
of nitrile gloves with me and change them often. I use a marker to
write on my mask filters to make sure they are fresh, not expired, and
buy new as needed. I wear goggles ( a must! ) , and work outside if
possible. I set up a waste and debris catcher so that used
applicators, gloves, brushes, and all the crap that come off the door
goes directly inside.

Before I got serious about it, I thought that when you stripped you
just put the stripper on, drank a cup of coffee and knocked the
stripper and finish off. A few nasty chemical burns later, and some
burning sensations in my throat that lasted a few days after stripping
gave me a great deal of respect for stripping products.

I would use the less dangerous stuff (some of it actually doesn't work
at all) but it is too slow, costs more in the long run, and runs out
my time on the job to an unacceptable length.

I need to be able to strip/wash/sand/repair in one day. Then go back
to finish the next. Those products that take a couple of hours to
work just don't cut it. The stuff I get from one of my suppliers will
raise the first layer of finish on almost all surfaces in less than a
minute, and sometimes in seconds. Kinda scary to think about how
strong that stuff is when I am typing this...

Robert

On Thu, 4 Mar 2010 07:14:30 -0600, the infamous "Kate"
scrawled the following:

I used to strip a lot of old stuff and love it back to life. Still have
several pieces of furniture in the house that were rescuees including my
(appx) 100 year old walnut dining room table that was painted blue and white
and a sideboard that I found to go with it that was pretty rough.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m.../buffetb-4.jpg

Not the best "after" pic. Had to paint parts of it to hide the repairs from
a dog using it as a chew toy.

Uh, oh! So, Kate, are you going to show us the footstool you made
from the hide? How'd you tan it? (Condolences.)


http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...uffetafter.jpg

No a bad recovery.


After trying several "miracle products" with limited results I went back to
good old Jasco paint stripper.
Be sure to wear gloves (HF, blue, $9 a box, change often) cause it will burn
your skin.

Even those deteriorate quickly with stripper. I doubled them up the
last time. It also removes veneer glue occasionally, so be careful.

--
An author spends months writing a book, and maybe puts his
heart's blood into it, and then it lies about unread till
the reader has nothing else in the world to do.
-- W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge, 1943