We have three "factory" cherry tables with the "factory" finish. We also
used to have two cats that would love to chase each other around the living
room jumping from table to table. Well, the cats are gone, but they left
behind scratches on the tables. I have always hated the factory finish,
more like a paint than a finish. You can hardly see the grain.
I took one table and sanded down the top. My plan was to try and match the
finish with the rest of the table. Part way through, my wife said she loved
the way the table looked with the grain showing (shock, shock... that's the
way I like it also), and wanted to know if I could do this to the whole
table, then the other two tables.
Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole, and
Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
Does anyone have any suggestions on removing the finish without a lot of
sanding? There's a lot of detail to the legs and aprons, and it would take
for ever to sand them.
Thanks.
Dave
I KNOW you said it isn't paint, Dave. "paint stripper" is a generic
term for what'll eat many finishes off. :)
dave
Dave Solly wrote:
> Well, it really isn't paint. I was just trying to describe the way the
> finish covers the grain, but, maybe paint stripper will work anyway. I
> guess it's worth a try.
>
> Bay Area Dave <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>
>>ah...paint stripper???
>>
>>dave
>>
>>Dave Solly wrote:
>>
>>
>>>We have three "factory" cherry tables with the "factory" finish. We
>>>also used to have two cats that would love to chase each other around
>>>the living room jumping from table to table. Well, the cats are gone,
>>>but they left behind scratches on the tables. I have always hated the
>>>factory finish, more like a paint than a finish. You can hardly see
>>>the grain.
>>>
>>>I took one table and sanded down the top. My plan was to try and
>>>match the finish with the rest of the table. Part way through, my
>>>wife said she loved the way the table looked with the grain showing
>>>(shock, shock... that's the way I like it also), and wanted to know
>>>if I could do this to the whole table, then the other two tables.
>>>
>>>Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole,
>>>and Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
>>>
>>>Does anyone have any suggestions on removing the finish without a lot
>>>of sanding? There's a lot of detail to the legs and aprons, and it
>>>would take for ever to sand them.
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>
>>
>
I would bet you could take that a step further and say MOST factory finishes
are lacquers. :)
"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <[email protected]> wrote
in message news:[email protected]...
> On 12 Jan 2004 16:20:10 GMT, Dave Solly <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> >Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole, and
> >Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
>
> Did you try lacquer thinner? Many factory finishes are lacquers.
>
> Barry
Well, it really isn't paint. I was just trying to describe the way the
finish covers the grain, but, maybe paint stripper will work anyway. I
guess it's worth a try.
Bay Area Dave <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> ah...paint stripper???
>
> dave
>
> Dave Solly wrote:
>
>> We have three "factory" cherry tables with the "factory" finish. We
>> also used to have two cats that would love to chase each other around
>> the living room jumping from table to table. Well, the cats are gone,
>> but they left behind scratches on the tables. I have always hated the
>> factory finish, more like a paint than a finish. You can hardly see
>> the grain.
>>
>> I took one table and sanded down the top. My plan was to try and
>> match the finish with the rest of the table. Part way through, my
>> wife said she loved the way the table looked with the grain showing
>> (shock, shock... that's the way I like it also), and wanted to know
>> if I could do this to the whole table, then the other two tables.
>>
>> Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole,
>> and Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
>>
>> Does anyone have any suggestions on removing the finish without a lot
>> of sanding? There's a lot of detail to the legs and aprons, and it
>> would take for ever to sand them.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Dave
>
>
On 12 Jan 2004 16:20:10 GMT, Dave Solly <[email protected]> wrote:
>We have three "factory" cherry tables with the "factory" finish. We also
>used to have two cats that would love to chase each other around the living
>room jumping from table to table. Well, the cats are gone, but they left
>behind scratches on the tables. I have always hated the factory finish,
>more like a paint than a finish. You can hardly see the grain.
>
>I took one table and sanded down the top. My plan was to try and match the
>finish with the rest of the table. Part way through, my wife said she loved
>the way the table looked with the grain showing (shock, shock... that's the
>way I like it also), and wanted to know if I could do this to the whole
>table, then the other two tables.
>
>Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole, and
>Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
>
>Does anyone have any suggestions on removing the finish without a lot of
>sanding? There's a lot of detail to the legs and aprons, and it would take
>for ever to sand them.
>
>Thanks.
>
>Dave
sounds like a good time to learn how to sharpen and use scrapers.
Bridger
"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message news:joJMb.38135$nt4.71832@attbi_s51...
|
| You could read it there and not spend a dime.
But it's a great book and well worth the dime. After having asked several
finishing related questions here, and after having bought a couple of other
books on wood finishing, I bought Flexner's book and have found it far
superior to anything I've previously read.
Contrary to the trend, I enjoy finishing and I wish I could do it better.
--Jay
On 12 Jan 2004 16:20:10 GMT, Dave Solly <[email protected]> wrote:
>Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole, and
>Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
Did you try lacquer thinner? Many factory finishes are lacquers.
Barry
ah...paint stripper???
dave
Dave Solly wrote:
> We have three "factory" cherry tables with the "factory" finish. We also
> used to have two cats that would love to chase each other around the living
> room jumping from table to table. Well, the cats are gone, but they left
> behind scratches on the tables. I have always hated the factory finish,
> more like a paint than a finish. You can hardly see the grain.
>
> I took one table and sanded down the top. My plan was to try and match the
> finish with the rest of the table. Part way through, my wife said she loved
> the way the table looked with the grain showing (shock, shock... that's the
> way I like it also), and wanted to know if I could do this to the whole
> table, then the other two tables.
>
> Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole, and
> Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions on removing the finish without a lot of
> sanding? There's a lot of detail to the legs and aprons, and it would take
> for ever to sand them.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Dave
Goto your local Barnes and Noble and look in a book by a fella named Bob
Flexner called Understanding wood finishes. Chapter 18, strippers (it's not
about the type of strippers that would upset the wife). Excellent chapter.
You could read it there and not spend a dime.
"Dave Solly" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We have three "factory" cherry tables with the "factory" finish. We also
> used to have two cats that would love to chase each other around the
living
> room jumping from table to table. Well, the cats are gone, but they left
> behind scratches on the tables. I have always hated the factory finish,
> more like a paint than a finish. You can hardly see the grain.
>
> I took one table and sanded down the top. My plan was to try and match the
> finish with the rest of the table. Part way through, my wife said she
loved
> the way the table looked with the grain showing (shock, shock... that's
the
> way I like it also), and wanted to know if I could do this to the whole
> table, then the other two tables.
>
> Getting the orginal finish was a real pain. I tried acatone, achole, and
> Mineral spirits. Only the acatone would make the finish gummy.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions on removing the finish without a lot of
> sanding? There's a lot of detail to the legs and aprons, and it would take
> for ever to sand them.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Dave
On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 09:36:51 -0700, "Jay Windley"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"stoutman" <.@.> wrote in message news:joJMb.38135$nt4.71832@attbi_s51...
>|
>| You could read it there and not spend a dime.
>
>But it's a great book and well worth the dime.
Flexner's book is one of those where I originally borrowed it from the
library, only to buy a copy to keep on hand for later questions.
It's THAT good. <G>
Barry