I am in the early stages of restoring an old buffet that we have acquired. Does anyone have any ideas on how to easily get rid of the old finish and stain??? Thanks in advance. I will try to post some pictures soon.
At 70 years old the painted surface may contain lead...so you will need to address that too. As far as stains and "varnishes" many older pieces I've worked on were finished with Shellac. This can be somewhat easily removed using alcohol. It will help you to know what type of finish is present.
When I refinished this 1860's era drop front desk I did a few back to back Strips with simple cotton rags soaked in ethanol. In my case the woods were solid Mahogany and Mahogany veneers so no
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stain was present...once the old finish was removed I used a wiping poly to protect it for the future.
I know that the old natural "patina" of some old pieces adds the the value of the piece...but in our case we actually use this piece of furniture and some of the finish damage was just too unsightly.
When I refinished this 1860's era drop front desk I did a few back to back Strips with simple cotton rags soaked in ethanol. In my case the woods were solid Mahogany and Mahogany veneers so no ...»
I know that the old natural "patina" of some old pieces adds the the value of the piece...but in our case we actually use this piece of furniture and some of the finish damage was just too unsightly.