Re: Need a sanding trick . . .PLEASE !
Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI
>Whenever I strip paint I brush on a heavy layer of stripper and let it set for a little while then remove whatever I can with a putty knife. At this point I assess whether it needs another coat of stripper to get the paint or finish off. A shellac or laquer finish does not normally need more stripper, but several coats of oil based paint will need two coats of stripper. If it needs another coat of stripper I put on another heavy coat and let it set then remove what I can with a putty knife. If there are areas left where the paint wasn't lifted I just hit thos areas again. At this point I take a pad of coarse steel wool and chemical resistant gloves and put some of the stripper on the steel woold and scrub the whole piece. It is at this point, with the steel wool, that I try to remove everything from the crevasses as well. Tight areas may need several spot doses of stripper to remove all the paint. The trick is to remove all of the old finish without marring the wood. After all the paint or finish is removed I go over the whole piece with a rag soaked with whatever is recommended for removing the stripper; either laquer thinnner or water. I use a medium steel wool soaked in the water or laquer thinner to remove all the stripper from the crevasses. At this point with all of the finish and stripper removed the piece should need only a light sanding before refinishing.