Cause A Frockus

How to strip vintage furniture

Jun 24, 2015 | by Ellen Dial

Actor Billy Bob Thornton on antique furniture, “I get creeped out and I can’t breathe and I can’t eat around it”, he told SkyNews, “I’ve had friends tell me maybe I was beaten to death by an antique chair in a former life”.

Unlike Billy Bob, antique furniture rarely causes hyperventilation with the typical vintage maven. Owning something with a story adds depth to our lives and feeds our desire to re-purpose a classic piece.

The drawback? Ugh. Wandering estate auctions, flea markets and garage sales can become a less than fun experience. Antique and retro furniture can look rough. Bubbled surfaces, ugly colors and beaten up veneer can preclude you from taking a great piece seriously. If the lines are good and it’s in generally decent shape, almost anything can be revived. It just takes a bit of love.

You don’t have to be an expert (I’m certainly not!) – but willing to step outside your comfort zone, gather the right tools and put aside a bit of time – and patience and perhaps a couple adult beverages. It saves you bank too!

Let’s take a trot through the wonderful world of DIY furniture refinishing – enjoy the journey as we learn how to strip vintage furniture!

Vintage Stripper | What Can I Strip?

Almost any item that’s wood or metal. Old varnish and paint can hide the true beauty of the natural wood or the patina of antique metal – this can also make painting either material nearly impossible. If you’re lucky, your latest treasure will simply need a date with Murphy’s Oil Soap.

A bucket of warm water, several soft rags, a soft brush for any stubborn crud in the crannies (I really like Libman brushes-a used toothbrush can do the job as well) and a bottle of Murphy’s, you’re good to go. Simply follow the instructions on the bottle. You may have to go over the piece two or three times. Rinse very well, oil soap can leave a bit of a film. I like to do this type of deep clean in the garage, you can be sloppy and use the hose to rinse the muck and soap away. Or, if that isn’t an option, and we’re not talking a huge wardrobe or dining table – your shower can work just as well!

If you need to buff up the original finish after cleaning – Olde English Polish is a dandy. This adds a nice luster and blends in most dings and stain “oogies”. Like Murphy’s, it’s an excellent old school product. Not fancy or full of caustic nastiness. Both smell great, too!

Heavy Metal

if you like the finish on the piece, just give it a good bath! White vinegar is a god send – it’s mildly acidic, and can work wonders. A strong vinegar solution, a bit a mild dish soap (the original Palmolive is fave, not full of heavy degreasers or antibacterial nonsense to contend with), several soft rags and a soft brush – you’re ready to give that iron bedstead a good going over! Rinse well. Repeat if necessary.

Laminates

A word on laminate surfaces (formica, etc) – treat like metal. Give it a shot of vinegar. Use a brush, Dobie or SOS pad for any stubborn spots, but be aware – SOS Pads can scratch, use sparingly and with light pressure.

Veneers

Veneers can be tricky. Be very careful with water, you can’t douse these pieces like you can solid wood. Too much saturation may loosen the veneer and no good comes from that! If the piece is truly in need of a deep “do”, I would recommend having it professionally stripped.

Some thoughts on professional stripping. I’ve primarily used it with veneered pieces. It can be quite costly. Some stores will hand strip, but most dip the items. It does a decent job, you will have to spot strip any decorative accents (especially if they are deep) and it does tend to rough up the wood more than doing it by hand.

So, you got your treasure. You can’t just love it up with soap and water.

What now?

Vintage Stripper | The Art and Tools of Stripping

Stripping can be a stinky and messy proposition – but the end result is well worth your efforts and patience. That old bench will look good as new and add a nice, eclectic energy to your décor.

I’ve had great experience with the old school product Zip Strip – this product has been around forever. Stripper is typically a noxious goo, there are milder and more environmentally friendly products out there, citrus based and such- I have no experience with them, but if you’re concerned about this, I say give it a whirl.

What will I need to get or make sure I have?

• Zip Strip (get the bottle larger than you think you need)
• Paint thinner
• Heavy duty rubber gloves (you do NOT want the stripper to get on your hands)
• Putty knives (small, medium and large)
• Sandpaper (fine through medium grade should do the job)
• Steel wool (see above)
• Several inexpensive paint brushes
• Box of lint free rags (lint is a hassle!)
• Tools for digging into fine work/engraving (you’d be surprised how well a barbecue skewer or screw driver will work!)
• Mask
• Decently ventilated space (the garage with the door up works perfectly! You can do it outside, if it’s not too hot/sunny – also your carport or driveway is a good option)
• Ready water supply
• Crummy clothes
• Great music on your device (I like the original Broadway cast recording of “Camelot”)
• Adult beverages (optional)
• A bit of bravery and time (not optional)

In a nutshell, you simply slop the Zip Strip from the bottle directly onto the piece and spread it thickly with a paint brush. Let it fester awhile, but not too long, you want it to stay gloppy. Once this mess has bubbled up – gently scrape it off with your putty knife, you’ll be removing a thick sludge. Keep in mind, you may need to repeat the process, scrubbing the detritus off with your steel wool. Three times if the finish was deep or there were several coats of paint. If there’s engraving, you’ll need to gently gouge the stripper out with the skewer or screw driver.

Do the same for metal pieces.

Use the paint thinner for light spot work or leftover weirdness once you’ve done the big strip.

Rinse after the final cycle. You’ll do a lot of rinsing.

Wow! Looks great, right? Different piece.

Rest for awhile – let your treasure dry completely before you move on to the next step. This may take a couple days!

Patience, grasshopper.

Vintage Stripping | The Human Stain

Once everything is dry – you’re ready to move on.

You’ll need to sand. A lot. The process of stripping roughs up the texture of the wood, if it’s been dipped, it will be even rougher. Start with courser grade sand paper and end up with fine grade. The surface, inclusive of the intricate bits, should be smooth as silk before you proceed.

So, what now? It’s smooth and ready to rumble…..

I highly recommend Minwax stains and varnishes, but your milage may vary. Minwax is a long time product, gets great reviews and is available in many colors and finishes. Don’t be afraid to mix your own color! I refinished a gorgeous Art Nouveau love seat and wanted a deep greenish/black finish – couldn’t find one that suited my vision. So I mixed up a cocktail of black, green and dark brown stain. Got what I wanted. Test your concoction on the underside of the piece. Don’t settle for something with too much of a yellow undertone, or whatever. This is your chance to get exactly what you want!

Tip: sand between coats and you may use a lot of paint/ stain, the wood will be “raw” and porous, sucking up a lot of whatever you put on it!

For varnish, I prefer a low gloss finish. Low gloss won’t show smudges or dust as much as a shiny high gloss. Again with the Minwax. Two coats are typical and be sure to sand between!

Sidebar: I recently refinished my kitchen and bathroom cabinets. They were an ugly yellowish late 1980’s oak mess – totally dated and not in that good way. Rustoleum makes a terrific product, “Cabinet Transformations”, I know, it sounds like a bad 1970’s soap opera, but these kits are the bomb! Takes about a week to do a smallish kitchen. Did the kitchen in a dark olive green w/dark brown wash – threw on some new pulls? Presto! The kitchen is on trend, sporting an updated look with a cool vintage feel, for under $200. For the bathroom refresh, I chose a deep black finish, added new hardware and it all looks very sleek and fresh – for under $100. Way cheaper than new cabinets…

Back to stripping –

See? Was that so hard? No. Yes, it takes some time and can make a hideous mess, but worth it. You’ve saved yourself some cash, rescued a fabulous piece of history and hey, you learned a new skill! Everyone wins.

You may be wondering – where can I get all this stuff? Of course, your local hardware store for a great deal of it – but the best place for brushes, putty knives, screw drivers and the like is Harbor Freight , my fabulous friend Charlie turned me on to this store several years ago. Not exactly what a master carpenter would use, but perfectly fine for the semi-skilled DIY type.

Have fun! Let me know how it goes.

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Resources: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, and Harbor Freight.

Thanks to: the writers own experience, Colgate.com, Wikipedia.com and those who post their pictures freely on the Internet.

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