Varnish, lacquer, shellac and other clear coats are applied to protect wood furniture and flooring from scratches, scuff marks, and stains. Applied properly, these products do their job well—but what if you want to re-expose the wood grain for refinishing, repair, or restoration? Though labor-intensive, sandpaper is capable of removing nearly any wood finish. Shellac and lacquer are alcohol-based finishes, which can be removed with a variety of solvents that are available from your neighborhood hardware store. Shellac can be removed with denatured alcohol. If your piece was manufactured by a quality furniture maker after , a thinning product is the best place to start, since your furniture is likely finished with shellac or lacquer.
The Quickest Way to Remove Varnish & Stain Without Sanding
How to Strip Wood Finishes: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow
Removing old varnish and stain can give wood a fresh start. Sanding is one of the most common methods, as it cuts through varnish and stain, and reveals a fresh layer of wood. Although sanding is fast, it produces a great deal of fine-particle dust, which is easy to inhale, and it can remove more wood than you desire. If sanding is out of the question, you need to strip the wood instead. Stripping also is quick, it removes almost no wood, and there are a few methods from which to choose. Liquid and gel strippers soak into the finish to loosen it, and heat guns work by softening it; both methods require scraping. Most liquid chemical and citrus-based gel paint strippers remove varnish and stain.
How to Strip Furniture and Stain Wood: A Complete Guide
You shouldn't throw away a piece of furniture or a nice piece of wood just because it has layers of old paint or old worn-out varnish on it. Instead, think about refinishing it. There could be a beautiful piece of wood under all that paint or varnish.
I tossed around the idea of completely stripping the wood, but it made me tired just thinking about it. I know, that might sound silly, because I love to refinish and paint furniture. Just when I was about to give up on the idea of refinishing the desk, I got a tip from a friend on Instagram on how to strip furniture the easy way with minimal sanding.