Saving the finish under paint

[The Chairman]

Hi,

I am stripping wood all through out my house, and have found that under 1 or 2 coats of paint there is a nice finish already on the wood.

The heat gun is doing a great job of getting most of the paint off, but I can't avoid leaving some smears and spots here and there.

My question is: will turpentine, lacquer thinner, or anything of the like remove the small smears and spots of paint, but keep the existing stain and finish intact? I want to avoid the hassle of sanding and restaining, and the finish is completely clean of paint in some parts, so I thought this might be a good option.

Thanks for your advice.

Ryan

[Ron]

I've never heard of selectively leaving a coat. I don't think you'll have much luck.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

I depends on what the finish underneath is.

If it's a conversion varnish, shellac, or polyurethane, lacquer thinner or paint thinner usually won't hurt it, unless it gets underneath.

If it's lacquer nothing except for lacquer thinner will soften it.

If it's shellac, the only solvent that will soften it is alcohol.

The chance of removing the paint and leaving a usable finish is low, but you may be left with a surface good enough to lightly sand and renew the clear finish. Again, this depends on what clear finish it is.

Barry

[Baron]

One correction. Lacquer thinner will dissolve, or at least soften, shellac. Lacquer thinner contains alcohol. The type and proportion vary which is why the shellac may only soften. Usually, it will dissolve.

[The Chairman]

"Baron" wrote in news:699f6$3ffe03b3$d14739fd$ [e-mail]:

Thanks, I will try this. I am not sure what the surface is, but I will test the thinners.

Ryan

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Thanks for the correction! You are, of course, correct.

Barry