How do I remove whitening finish from oak furniture?
I have a solid oak bedroom set from the 50's. Beautiful clean lines, in great shape, but covered in that weird varnish? paint? coating of some kind that makes the wood very, very pale and the grain lines white. I believe it was very common at the time. I would like to strip it down to bare wood and give it a more natural look. Any ideas? Thanks!
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Bedroom set is very similar to the one shown in this photo.
I remember them well. I definitely could be wrong, but I think that was a type of shellac. It was thick and could be scraped with a fingernail. I would really recommend the big 3 S method. Sand, Stain, Seal. Use a combination of sanders if you need to in order to clean the pieces with shellac cleaner, electric sanders, a sanding glove, and lots of rags. Best wishes, Jewell
Thank you Jewell!
You could try using Citris Strip that is sold at hardware stores and then sanding it down too
Hi Susan,
You will need to sand it all down. Don't forget to use a mask when you do it!
Citristrip is mild and works fairly well, just make sure you don't let it dry, then it's very hard to remove. I would recommend working in small areas at a time like maybe the side of the dresser at first.
Thank you all for your replies. I'm not sure sanding is a good option as it has rather deep grain "grooves". So I'll try a stripper first and see where that gets me.