All,

Am attempting to refinish the exterior face of a mahogany entry door.

Thanks to the expert advice of several group members regarding technique and materials, my
Z Spar varnish and thinner is ready to go!

The flat surfaces are sanded - they were easy - problem is the areas bordering the trim
and recessed areas i.e., small interior corners and convex molding surfaces, of which
there are many - cannot get the sandpaper in the small areas without sanding down the
edges.

I prefer to sand, however cannot see how that is possible without significantly
deteriorating the corners and trim profiles.

Reading several refinishing books - appears a chemical stripper is the most efficient way
to remove the old finish.

Any comments / recommendations on specific brands / types to either use or avoid are
greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Regards,

Doug

Doug,

Any comments / recommendations on specific brands / types to either use or avoid are
greatly appreciated.


I've got some recycled mahogany that I need to strip. I bought the Soy
stripper that
Woodcraft sells. Supposedly, it's great, just takes extra time, and
it's very earth
friendly.

I plan to start stripping the wood this weekend for a project, so if I
start before
you get going, will let you know.

MJ

Doug Hortvet wrote in news:s8h4v7t1d4rn659ukgflso72mf9jahlqbk@
4ax.com:

All,

Am attempting to refinish the exterior face of a mahogany entry door.
[...]
Reading several refinishing books - appears a chemical stripper is the most efficient way
to remove the old finish.

Any comments / recommendations on specific brands / types to either use or avoid are
greatly appreciated.

In my experience, the ones that don't contain methylene chloride don't work worth a hoot.
My personal preference is ZipStrip -- but, at least here (Indianapolis), it's hard to find. Ace
Hardware sells it, but I don't think anyone else does. Make sure to wear old clothes (long
pants and long sleeves), eye protection, and chemical-resistant gloves. Playtex rubber
gloves from the grocery store will do fine.

I strip furniture, fairly often, using KleanStrip in the spray can.
Cheap at WalMart. There is the orange flavored KleanStrip that some
folks prefer. For me, KleanStrip stays liquid longer than other
sprays, which allowing you to scrub the piece for a little longer
time.

Spray it on, allow it to work for about 10 minutes, scrub the area
with a fairly stiff plastic bristle brush and stiff/hard tooth brush
for nooks and crannies. Wipe off excess goo with paper towel, rinse
with mineral spirits wet rag, then scrub-rinse with your brushes
dripping wet with mineral spirits. If you scrub rinse with your
brushes, you clean the remaining goo off your brushes at the same
time. Wipe dry with a mineral spirits dampened cloth.

I don't use the spray KleanStrip for heavy paint layers or the like,
but it works great for the not so thickly layered furniture
finishes.

Don't spray up wind of your car/truck or any other painted surface or
those surfaces may get damaged by wind blown stripper. Take care the
wind doesn't blow it into your eyes, either, even when you're wearing
safety glasses. KleanStrip sprays on as a foam, but there will often
be some fine airborne droplets.

Sonny

Thanks for the comments - most appreicated!

Do the chemical strippers damage bare wood i.e., discoloration, softeneing, etc?

The finish I am removing is likely natural varnish or polyurethane.

Regards,

Doug


Sonny wrote:

I strip furniture, fairly often, using KleanStrip in the spray can.
Cheap at WalMart. There is the orange flavored KleanStrip that some
folks prefer. For me, KleanStrip stays liquid longer than other
sprays, which allowing you to scrub the piece for a little longer
time.

Spray it on, allow it to work for about 10 minutes, scrub the area
with a fairly stiff plastic bristle brush and stiff/hard tooth brush
for nooks and crannies. Wipe off excess goo with paper towel, rinse
with mineral spirits wet rag, then scrub-rinse with your brushes
dripping wet with mineral spirits. If you scrub rinse with your
brushes, you clean the remaining goo off your brushes at the same
time. Wipe dry with a mineral spirits dampened cloth.

I don't use the spray KleanStrip for heavy paint layers or the like,
but it works great for the not so thickly layered furniture
finishes.

Don't spray up wind of your car/truck or any other painted surface or
those surfaces may get damaged by wind blown stripper. Take care the
wind doesn't blow it into your eyes, either, even when you're wearing
safety glasses. KleanStrip sprays on as a foam, but there will often
be some fine airborne droplets.

Sonny

On 7/2/2012 8:19 PM, Doug Hortvet wrote:
All,

Am attempting to refinish the exterior face of a mahogany entry door.

Thanks to the expert advice of several group members regarding technique and materials, my
Z Spar varnish and thinner is ready to go!

The flat surfaces are sanded - they were easy - problem is the areas bordering the trim
and recessed areas i.e., small interior corners and convex molding surfaces, of which
there are many - cannot get the sandpaper in the small areas without sanding down the
edges.

I prefer to sand, however cannot see how that is possible without significantly
deteriorating the corners and trim profiles.

Reading several refinishing books - appears a chemical stripper is the most efficient way
to remove the old finish.

Any comments / recommendations on specific brands / types to either use or avoid are
greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Regards,

Doug



Did some one actually suggest a "spar" varnish??? This stuff never
really hardens and some remain tacky to the touch for quite some time.
I am wondering if your door is going to stick when you close it and if
so how many months it will do so.

Doug Hortvet wrote in news:iov4v75phv96i0vbccmfl0da8pl8b6dbq2@
4ax.com:

Thanks for the comments - most appreicated!

Do the chemical strippers damage bare wood i.e., discoloration, softeneing, etc?

All I've ever noticed is a slight temporary softening that disappears when the wood dries.

The finish I am removing is likely natural varnish or polyurethane.

You shouldn't have any problem. I'd wait overnight before applying a new finish.

Leon,

Thanks for the feedback.

The manufacturer is Z Spar - although this is not a 'spar' varnish, as advised by a much
more experienced and knowledgeable poster to this NG.

I selected their Flagship varnish for the enhanced UV protection.

Have everything I need except the stripper - lots of choices out there.

Zinsser has a range of products with different strengths - I want to remove the finish,
although not necessarily the stain - as sanding the recessed areas and trim to bare wood
without removing significant surface detail does not seem possible.

Thanks again!

Regards,

Doug


Leon lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote:

On 7/2/2012 8:19 PM, Doug Hortvet wrote:
All,

Am attempting to refinish the exterior face of a mahogany entry door.

Thanks to the expert advice of several group members regarding technique and materials, my
Z Spar varnish and thinner is ready to go!

The flat surfaces are sanded - they were easy - problem is the areas bordering the trim
and recessed areas i.e., small interior corners and convex molding surfaces, of which
there are many - cannot get the sandpaper in the small areas without sanding down the
edges.

I prefer to sand, however cannot see how that is possible without significantly
deteriorating the corners and trim profiles.

Reading several refinishing books - appears a chemical stripper is the most efficient way
to remove the old finish.

Any comments / recommendations on specific brands / types to either use or avoid are
greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Regards,

Doug



Did some one actually suggest a "spar" varnish??? This stuff never
really hardens and some remain tacky to the touch for quite some time.
I am wondering if your door is going to stick when you close it and if
so how many months it will do so.

Doug Hortvet wrote:
Thanks for the comments - most appreicated!

Do the chemical strippers damage bare wood i.e., discoloration,
softeneing, etc?

No. Other than softening from being wet and that disappears when it dries.
You *DO* need to wash off the stripper though, follow the directions on its
container. You will also need to resand to remove the fuzz from being wet.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

Thanks for the continued great advice!

Product I will use requires a final wipe down with denatured alcohol - so back to the
store.

Regards,

Doug


"dadiOH" wrote:

Doug Hortvet wrote:
Thanks for the comments - most appreicated!

Do the chemical strippers damage bare wood i.e., discoloration,
softeneing, etc?

No. Other than softening from being wet and that disappears when it dries.
You *DO* need to wash off the stripper though, follow the directions on its
container. You will also need to resand to remove the fuzz from being wet.

On Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:01:53 -0500, Doug Hortvet
wrote:

Thanks for the continued great advice!

Product I will use requires a final wipe down with denatured alcohol - so back to the
store.

Use whatever neutralizer or cleaner the mfgr recommends, Doug.
DNA is usually safe, but check.

--
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight
very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.
It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.
-- John Wayne

Thanks Larry.

I purchased the Zinsser Paint and Varnish Stripper.

After checking the MSDS for their stipper wash, also purchased that as it is mostly
ethanol (85%), where other DNA products I checked were mostly methanol - Crown 75% and
Kleen-Strip 50%.

Regards,

Doug



Larry Jaques wrote:

On Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:01:53 -0500, Doug Hortvet
wrote:

Thanks for the continued great advice!

Product I will use requires a final wipe down with denatured alcohol - so back to the
store.

Use whatever neutralizer or cleaner the mfgr recommends, Doug.
DNA is usually safe, but check.

On 7/2/2012 9:47 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
Doug wrote in news:s8h4v7t1d4rn659ukgflso72mf9jahlqbk@
4ax.com:

All,

Am attempting to refinish the exterior face of a mahogany entry door.
[...]
Reading several refinishing books - appears a chemical stripper is the most efficient way
to remove the old finish.

Any comments / recommendations on specific brands / types to either use or avoid are
greatly appreciated.

In my experience, the ones that don't contain methylene chloride don't work worth a hoot.
My personal preference is ZipStrip -- but, at least here (Indianapolis), it's hard to find. Ace
Hardware sells it, but I don't think anyone else does. Make sure to wear old clothes (long
pants and long sleeves), eye protection, and chemical-resistant gloves. Playtex rubber
gloves from the grocery store will do fine.

Definitely eye protection. I got that crap in my eye once, it really,
really, really sucked.

--
Jack
Add Life to your Days not Days to your Life.
http://jbstein.com