There are several different types of chemical strippers available on the market that will remove paint, varnish, shellac, tongue oil and other finishes from wood. The problem is determining which product is the right one for your task.
Should you use a methylene chloride based stripper? It is a pretty powerful chemical that can be very harmful to yourself and the environment. How about the citrus based strippers they seem to be more environmentally friendly, and that is a good thing. However, you still need to read the warning label for the proper use of the finish remover and to protect yourself.
There are many types of finish removers on the market and they fall into one of the following categories:
Methylene Chloride
It is the most common finish remover. The main ingredient is methylene chloride and is a nasty chemical to work with. This finish remover works well to remove paint (latex and oil based), and varnish (latex and oil based).
Safety:
Use only gloves that are rated for chemical use, not the cheap latex or polyvinyl gloves, they will not protect you. Wear long sleeve shirt and pants. Work outdoors if you can. If you must work indoors, open all of the windows and doors to maximize cross ventilation and use fans to circulate the air from the outside in. Wear protective eye gear and respirator. Do not confuse a particles filter from a carbon chemical filter. A particles filter will only stop particles and not chemicals.
Disposal:
The regulations vary from city to city on how to dispose of the waste sludge. Check with your local waste-management department to find out how to dispose of the waste sludge.
Denatured alcohol
It is used to remove shellac finishes. Shellac has been used as a finish in wood working for thousands of years. Shellac is the easiest finish to remove because it dissolves in alcohol.
Safety:
Even though denatured alcohol is a safe product to use, it is best to protect your hands by using a pair of chemical gloves.
Citrus base strippers
Several years ago the automotive industry needed an alternative to methylene chloride based paint removers to clean the paint nozzles in their paint booths. The product developed is marketed under the brand name of Citristrip. Its main feature is that it has a pleasant citrus smell to it. That is true; however, it is still a potent and powerful chemical paint remover. That if left on bare skin too long will cause severe chemical burns.
The citrus stripper will remove multiple layers of paint and varnish.
Safety:
Use only gloves that are rated for chemical use, not the cheap latex or polyvinyl gloves, they will not protect you. Wear long sleeve shirt and pants. Work outdoors if you can. If you must work indoors, open all of the windows and doors to maximize cross ventilation and use fans to circulate the air from the outside in. Wear protective eye gear. You might need a respirator depending on where you are using the product. If so, use a rated chemical respirator not a particulate filter.
Check out your local home improvement store and see what finish removal products they have in stock. Read the labels and directions carefully. Take into account if your project is movable or fixed. If you can work outside do so. And always remember, the key to successfully stripping the old finish off is PATIENCE.
