Cassie Bustamante

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How Do I Strip?

November 12, 2010 by Cassie 12 Comments

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Um, with the lights OFF.
OK, sorry, but the joke had to be made, didn’t it?
Welcome to another installation of the How Do I Series.  I am going to start by saying this will be relatively short, since stripping furniture is something that I rarely do.  Typically, I sand my pieces well enough for primer and paint.   However, there are certain circumstances that require stripping vs. sanding.  For example, I recently painted the base of a sideboard but wanted the top to stay wood finished.  The stain on the top was fine, but it had scratches and some general wear to the finish.  I didn’t want to sand it because I wanted the color of the stain to stay, so I stripped off the varnish instead.  Anyhow, let’s get on with it, shall we?

First and foremost, before you even start stripping your piece, remember SAFETY.  Wear stripping gloves, a mask, and goggles, and work in a well ventilated area.  And when stripping old paint, always check first for lead with a lead kit which can be purchased at a hardware store.

There are literally only 2 actual stripping products that I use.
.
1. Citristrip Stripping Gel:  This Stuff rocks!  The best thing about this product is that it is eco-friendly and safe to use indoors.  You will still want to take the above safety precautions though.  I have used Citristrip to strip paint as well as poly and varnish.  I use a wide brush to brush it on somewhat heavily, and then let it sit for a few hours.  Then I use a scraper, to scrape the paint or finish off.  (I will talk about all the tools after the actual agents).  After the piece is stripped, I use odorless mineral spirits, as suggested on the container, to clean any residue.  Citristrip is a gel and will leave residue, so this is a very important step.  Not only will it leave a residue, but it also has a very strong odor- nothing offensive.  It just smells like oranges.  Guests often think my entire home has been cleaned with Orange-Glo, that is until they look around and realize that it hasn’t been cleaned.  Period.


2. Formby’s Furniture Refinisher:  This product is also fabulous for stripping paint.  It actually works much quicker and more efficiently than the Citristrip, but not tons better, and it is definitely more toxic.  I do keep this on hand for those tough spots that Citristrip can’t help, so I rarely use it on an entire piece, but more so as a final step to help finish cleaning the piece up.

That’s really all I use when it comes to stripping in the way of “strippers”.  I always love using eco-friendly products, and am so happy that Citristrip is a part of my life!
There are several tools that I use when stripping furniture.

1. Scrapers:  I have a couple different scrapers.  One is wide and flat and is great to use on larger surfaces such as drawer fronts, table tops.  It looks like this:
Product DetailsPin
The other scraper I have has a stranger shape to it, and it helps with getting into all the details such as carvings, edges, bevelling, fluting.  It looks like this:
Pin
I would show you my actual tools, but they are so grimy from use!  They’re just gross.
2. Wire brushes:  These tools are great for also getting into those finely carved and intricate areas of a piece of furniture.  I also use them to clean rust off hardware.  They come in different sizes, but the ones I use are almost tooth-brush size and look like this:
Product DetailsPin
3. Steel Wool:  Steel wool is also fabulous for stripping paint off edges and obscure places.  I start with a coarser steel wool to really get around all those edges.  Once most of the paint is off, I switch to very fine in either 00 or 0000 so that the finished product will feel supersmooth.

That’s it folks.  That is everything that I use and how I use it when stripping furniture.  Feel free to contact me with any questions!  I hope this helps you!  And if this post was a little jumpy, I apologize- I have started coming down with a headcold, sore throat, and am praying Zicam will nab it before the weekend!

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Comments

  1. EmTea Designs says

    November 12, 2010 at 3:15 am

    Love all your advise Cassie! Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  2. gail myrepurposedlife.net says

    November 12, 2010 at 3:16 am

    great tips. I haven’t used either of those strippers. I will try them when I gain the courage to strip another piece of furniture. After those horrible doors this summer, I’m not ready to do it any time soon.
    thanks for letting us in on your secrets, and sharing your wisdom!
    gail

    Reply
  3. April from HomeHinges.com says

    November 12, 2010 at 5:11 am

    This info was great. I’ve wanted to tackle a refinishing project and wondered about the best product to use.
    Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  4. Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal says

    November 12, 2010 at 5:28 am

    I use these too. I love my 5 in 1 tool. Use it for lots of stuff. I think they have a 7 in 1 now! Steel wool is a great help on edges.

    Reply
  5. Rene says

    November 12, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    Yes, of course our minds were all in the gutter with that intro. Thanks for sharing this with is Cassie. I’m sure that it will come in handy for many.

    -Rene

    Reply
  6. Renee @ where the grass is greener says

    November 12, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    When I saw the title of this post, I just knew there was a joke in it! We are thinking too much alike these days. See you at Wine & Design!

    Reply
  7. Cathy @ The Far Fifty says

    November 12, 2010 at 2:23 pm

    Thanks for the tips. Now if only I had a dollar bill to thank you…

    Reply
  8. Jin says

    November 12, 2010 at 2:48 pm

    Sorry about your head cold! I’m working with Zicam and would like to share with you a coupon for $2 off Zicam Extreme Congestion Relief Nasal Gel. Visit http://bit.ly/aZLzSy for the coupon. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Allison says

    November 12, 2010 at 5:25 pm

    Great tips, Cassie! I hope you get some R & R over the weekend and feel better soon! Take good care of yourself.

    Reply
  10. dedeetsyshop says

    November 12, 2010 at 8:44 pm

    I’ve always wanted to try stripping. This mkaes it sound easier! (this whole sentence just sounds wrong! hehe) 🙂

    Reply
  11. canngil says

    November 13, 2010 at 2:51 am

    Thanks for the words of wisdom! I tried to strip a little side table with a drawer the other day using a gel, and it was not very satisfactory. But the instructions did not say let it sit for more that 15 min or so. I like yours better!
    be sure to drink lots of water, and be sure to be taking an antihistamine too! could just be allergies causing all those symptoms! feel better soon!

    Reply
  12. Christa @ Stories of a House says

    November 14, 2010 at 10:47 am

    Great advice, Cassie. I love Citristrip, but have never seen or tried Formby’s! I’ll look for it. I know what you mean about the tough spots.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Cassie!

I believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to live a beautiful life and be your best self.  Here you will find budget friendly ideas to live happily, healthily, sustainably, and most importantly authentically.  We all get one chance at this life, and this ordinary girl plans to make hers extraordinary. How about you? Read more...
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Hi! I'm Cassie.

Mother, wife, shop owner, blogger, writer, incurable diy-er, furniture painter, coffee and wine drinker, friend. Seeking happiness and passing it on. Read More…

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