Stripping disaster

Can anyone help with a problem with Peel Away 1?

I inadvertantly used this product to strip stain and varnish from a window. Not only has it darkened the wood (it looks like it's burnt), but it had damaged it and the remnants of the product will not come off! I have tried everything I can -- other strippers, water, wire wool, brushes, sanding -- and the only thing that works at all is to scrape it off, but that is very difficult and time consuming and is damaging the wood even more.

Has anyone else had this problem? Or any ideas on how to remove the residue from the wood?

For the second, identical window I used Peel Away 6 (which is what I should have used in the first place). It's worked pretty well but even when I have managed to get all the Peel Away 1 residue off the first window (I'm not holding out much hope) I will be left with windows side-by-side of vastly different color.

Can anyone offer any suggestions as to how I can salvage this situation? I really don't want to paint the windows.

Reply to
sbeth
Loading thread data ...

Peelaway 1 states in the instructions that it will darken wood. It is really only meant to be used when the woodwork will be painted. You might try bleaching it, but try it on a scrap first!!! Peelaway 7 is nontoxic and will not darken wood, it also costs 3-4 times as much. From what I remember, the residue can be cleaned off with a vinegar solution, again it should say in the directions.

Reply to
joe

If the underlying timber really is burned, chances are that's just previous attempts at blowlamp stripping.

Try some more of the same. Works for the dichloromethane strippers.

Don't leave any of these commercial strippers on the surface for too long. Some will change the colour, other's set rock-hard and are hard to remove. Don;t try to strip an area bigger than you can work quickly enough.

-- Smert' spamionam

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Sounds like you're going to have to paint them if you want them to look the same. That, or use an ebonizing aniline dye and go with a very "dark" look in that room.

Mike

Reply to
Mike in Mystic

Peel-Away 1 is a caustic based stripper. While it works quite well when used according to the directions, most DIYers seem to ignore the need to neutralize the stripped surface and deal with potential darkening. The stripped wood surface can be neutralized with most any acid but the best one to use is probably oxalic acid since it will help to bring the darkened wood back to its proper color. This is actually suggested by the owner of one of the big refinishing supply companies. You will probably have to neutralize it with the oxalic acid solution a few times since the caustic can penetrate a little ways into the wood. Plain old Clorox may work to remove the color if the oxalic acid does not. Please keep in mind that Clorox is pretty good at damaging the wood fibers if used too aggressively. If you do not neutralize the wood after using Peel Away, and do not mind the darkening, you run the risk of getting finish adhesion problems later on even when using paint.

Good Luck.

"sbeth" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

Reply to
Baron

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.