How to use paint stripper / varnish remover

Hello,

Today, I want to tell you how to use Paint stripper / Varnish remover.

Safety first:

Always use safety goggles and gloves when using strippers, and work in a well-ventilated area.

Read all the manufactures instructions before use.

1. Firstly, you should mask off using masking tape, all the areas you want to protect.

2. Apply a thick coat of paint stripper or varnish / Remover as required, and brush the stripper out to the edges of your item to make sure that you cover the entire surface

3. When blistered, use a paint scraper or filler knife to remove the old finish.

4. Apply a second coat of stripper and follow the same procedure.

5. Now all the finish should be removed, using coarse wire wool, rub over the

    Surface to remove all traces of the old finish.

6. Wash down the surface with Methylated spirits, or water to kill the stripper.

7. When dry, sandpaper the surface smooth in the direction of the grain using a

     Sanding block.

8. Start with rough sandpaper, then go through the grades and finish using a fine

    Grade sandpaper, for a really very smooth finish.

9. For antique pieces, strip the surface using only Methylated spirits, as this will not destroy the patina, apply the Methylated spirits to cotton wool for this method, and rub over with extra fine wire Wool No: 0000 Grade.

If you have found, that this information has been of any help to you, please give my feedback.

Thanks for viewing.

Sandpaper grades

Welcome,

I have been asked "What make and type of sandpaper do I prefer to use".

Well, here is my answer.

Firstly the choice of sandpaper is very important, as it makes the difference between a good quality finish and a substandard finish.

One good tip that I can give you, is don't buy cheap sandpaper as it will not last long and give you a very poor finish.

My choice on manufacture is Sialac paper (Grey in colour) and this product is made in Switzerland, and can be purchased from Morrells wood finishes Ltd. 
I expect that you could purchase this product in other good wood finishing suppliers.

I only buy two grades of sandpaper first grade P180 and secondly grade P150.

Sandpaper grades are graded by numbers the higher the number the finer the grade.

For heavy duty sanding on very rough solid surfaces, I use grade 80 this comes on a roll and can be purchased from any DIY shops and in a variety of grades.

The brand name is: Mirka, and comes on a roll and therefore, suitable for using on sanding machines as you can cut to length.

It is easy to identify as the paper is yellow in colour.

A variety of grades:

Coarse               40 Grit 

Coarse               60 

Rough                80 my choice for most timbers 

Medium            120

Fine                  180 

Extra Fine         240

Now for very fine finishing work i.e. Smoothing down in between French polishing or lacquer coats, I use a special paper called Wet & Dry this is coloured black, and as the name suggests, is used with water or as I prefer to use white spirits.

Grades of Wet & Dry paper range from:

Coarse             120

                        180

Medium           240

                        320

Fine                 400

Very fine          600

Super fine      1200

Once again I hope that this has been of help to you?  If it has, please give me feedback.

Thanks for reading.

How to use Waterborne Lacquer

 

Hello,

Today, I want to tell you about how to use water-based varnish/lacquer.

Storage you must protect from frost.

Description:  A range of waterborne lacquers formulated on an internally cross-linking aqueous polymer system.

Film properties are similar in physical and chemical resistance to a good quality A.C. (Acid Catalyst) Lacquer.

Certified to BS6250 Part 3 (Heavy / Sever use).

Thinners:  Use water sparingly because small amounts will thin dramatically.

Coverage:  As a rough guide these lacquers cover an average of 40m2 per 5 Litres per coat.

Actual coverage will depend on your chosen application method.

Sheen levels are: 

85%

50%

40%

30% 

20%

10%

And you can purchase a base coat should you wish.

Application:

You can brush or spray on this lacquer, and this will give you a good durable surface, and when dry you can use a very fine wire wool grade 0000 together with Bees wax polish, rub over to smooth the surface down for an extremely fine finished surface.

This lacquer is best suited where strong smells could be a problem, as this lacquer has little or no smell.

Method:

Apply one coat of lacquer to your surface, brush in the direction of the grain and when dry, smooth down using a very fine sandpaper, press very lightly then apply your second coat and you will begin to see that the grain will fill in very well with this product.

Clean up:

Wash out with water and soapy liquid.

Pack sizes 5 Litres / 25 Litres.

You can also buy this product in smaller tin sizes from most DIY shops.

Once again if this has been of help to you?  Please let me know.

Thanks for reading. 

Dye & Pigments

Hi,

Today, I want to tell you about dyes and pigments.

Methods:

1) The Ochre powder range can be mixed with French polish or cellulose lacquer and thinned down with cellulose thinners.

You can apply this by brush, or on large areas using a sponge, as this is a good method for obliterating patches etc.

2) The spirit powder range can be mixed with Methylated spirits to make it into a stain. (Very fast drying) Or mixed with French polish; and used for touching up marks and scratches etc.

Please note that these stains are very concentrated and therefore you will only need to use a very small amount.

3) The water range are self-explanatory just add water and powder to suit for the depth of colour that you require.

4) Vandyke crystals must be mixed with, I prefer to use hot water to dissolve them; this will give you a dark brown colour however, this method does raise the grain.

5) Other powder colours can usually be mixed with French polish, lacquer or varnish. 

I hope that this will be of help to you!  If so please give me feedback.

Thanks for reading.

How to remove scratches in the wood

Today,


I want to tell you how you can remove scratches in the wood.

This assumes that the wood has been stripped & prepared first.

You will need an old flat file or a metal blade for this task, and some old rags.

1) Heat up your file over a flame until it begins to glow red.

2) Then wet your rag, so that it becomes very damp

3) Place the damp rag over the scratch in the wood.

4) Lay the hot file on the damp rag, which should be just over the scratch, and leave to steam for a short while, you should now start to see that the scratch will begin to raise to the surface, repeat the process if required.

5) You can sometimes, remove the scratch by just using the wet rag only.

The water will soon begin to raise the grain up for you.

This process; works very well on solid wood, but please take great care on veneered surfaces, otherwise, you will blister or lift off the veneer.

Please take great care not to burn yourself!

How do I clean my brush?

How do I clean my brush?

Well, I have been asked many times "How do I clean my brush"?

Well here is the answer.

This very much depends upon what kind of finish you have used.

If you have used any French polish / Shellac then you will need to clean your brush using Methylated spirits.

If you have used any Turpentine or White spirit based varnish or paint then you will need to use White spirit or Turpentine.  You will need to soak your brush, for some considerable time to remove the entire residue.

If you have used Cellulose paints or Lacquers, then you will need to clean your brush with Cellulose thinners.

Please note that this liquid is very flammable.

If you have used water-based varnish or paints, then you will need to clean your brush out with soapy water.

If all else fails use paint stripper however, you must wash it out thoroughly under a running tap and leave to dry.

Avoid breathing the fumes that are given off, especially if washing out with hot water.

I hope this will be of use to you?  If it has please give me feedback thanks.

How to make your own coloured filler wax sticks

Today, I want to tell you, how you can make your own coloured filler wax sticks.

Method:

Melt a small quantity of hard Beeswax in a tin can, standing in a pan of hot water.

And then add suitable coloured pigments (e.g. Brown umber as this would be best suited for Dark Oak) stir well.

Pour the coloured wax into a mould to harden.  If you do not have a mould, simply pour the wax into a container of cold water and squeeze the wax into a ball whilst it is still in the water.

Pigments for making coloured Beeswax filler sticks for:

Light shades, e.g. Teak or Light Oak use       Raw Sienna

Cold, Medium shades or Walnut use              Raw Umber

Warm Medium shades e.g. Mid Oak use        Brown Umber

For Dark Oak best use                                    Raw Umber & Brown Umber

Mahogany & Rosewood use                           Brown Umber & Burnt Sienna

Once again if this has been of use to you, please give me feedback. 

How to look after a French polished surface

How to look after a French polished surface. 

This Table hand French polished

Now with the Handles, Hand turned & with fine detail

Recently, I was asked, "How to look after a French polished surface".

Well, the first thing is to always protect the surface with a heat resistant covering, and on top of that lay a cotton table cloth, followed by placemats.

Never use a plastic cover!  As this can stick to the surface due to the lack of airflow etc.

This should keep your table surface like new for many years to come.

Now to the question, if your polished surface looks a little drab and lifeless, you can wipe over the surface with white spirits applied to cotton wool and rub off with a soft clean cloth.

This will remove any old wax polish build-up.  You must always follow the direction of the grain.

Still looking drab, you can use furniture burnishing cream purchased from good quality wood-finishing suppliers.

Apply to cotton wool, and see the dirt lift off like magic.  Buff up with a soft clean cloth.

Repeat the process if required.

Now it is time to re-wax polish the surface, using a good quality Beeswax polish, apply using a very soft cloth and buff up with a fresh cloth.  Again always follow the grain.

For the French polishers out there, this might be the time to polish over, with a rubber of French polish to revitalise the surface.

For tips, you might like to view my how to clean your furniture section.

I hope that this has been of help to you?  If so please give me feedback.

Thank you for your time.