How to Strip Furniture!

Preparing surfaces for paint or varnish is simple and easy to do. Any surface that can be painted as long as the wood is a little porous and not too shiny. A smooth surface is the first step to any paint technique so you should fill in the cracks before striping the furniture.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• Chemical stripper
• Paintbrush
• Toothbrush
• Sharp pointed tool
• Trowel
• Filler
• Fine grade sandpaper
• Basecoat, optional
• Steel wool
• Neutralizer

Instructions

1. Fill in the cracks!
   Using a sharp pointed tool dig out any loose debris from any cracks.

2. Using a trowel lay a generous amount of filler over the crack.

3. With the flat edge of the trowel, work the filler into the crack, pulling the trowel down to make a smooth surface.

4. Allow the plaster to dry completely, and then rub over the surface with fine-grade sandpaper. Brush off the dust from the sanding and then apply a basecoat if needed.

5. Removing paint before painting:
   Wearing rubber gloves, apply chemical stripper over the surface of the item with a paintbrush. Use an old toothbrush to get into the crevices of carved or molded surfaces. Leave the stripper on until the old coat has bubbled up.

6. Remove the softened paint or varnish with coarse and then fine steel wool.

7. Wipe off excess stripper with an absorbent cloth and the neutralizer recommended by your products.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are applying water-based varnish, do not use turpentine or white spirit.