Stripping Furniture the Easy Way

I don't always strip furniture before I paint it but sometimes there is a piece that needs to be stripped and sanded to make it special. This was the piece that needed that extra TLC. Usually I only see the need for the top to be stripped, as was in the case of this buffet. I love the look of a painted base with a stained top. A friend called me and said he had a nice buffet that he thought I would like and he was right I loved it! I love it when I get those kind of calls and they work out. It was in decent condition and the price was good. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this project. Buffets are really popular for consoles for the large screen TVs. They are excellent for loads of storage and they look beautiful when painted. This particular one had a hutch on the top that had glass doors. I removed the top and began working on the base immediately. I'll share with you later what I did with the hutch top. This post I will focus on the reformation of the bottom portion. So here is the make over of this beautiful buffet. The top had several deep scratches that needed to be sanded. I wanted to stain the top a dark stain so I decided to use my favorite stripper to remove the finish. When you remove the finish you need to use low odor mineral spirits to remove the slush and smooth out the finish. When this dries you are ready to sand. I use an orbital sander for a nice silky finish. Here is a picture of the top before and after I stripped it.

As you can see it had been abused in it's prior life but it was so pretty when I stripped it and sanded out the marks.
My favorite stripper to use is Strypeeze. Be sure to wear gloves, protective eye wear, and a mask when using this product. 

I also use mineral spirits to wipe the top clean and prepare for sanding.

When you apply the Strypeeze it is a gel solution that needs to be spread all over the surface with a brush or rag. I use a chip brush and a soft rag to apply it. I also use a small nylon brush to get in the crevices. If you have an old toothbrush those make good tools also! The Strypeeze worked wonderfully!! The finish came off quickly and easily - "happy dance"! Here is a pic of it coming off - YAY!!

A flat trowel is a great tool to use to scrape and scoop off the sludge. This part is really messy but so exhilarating! All that yucky old top coat just melting away and seeing the beautiful unfinished wood underneath gives you a feeling of excitement. Why? Because the transformation begins here.....
Okay, I think this is enough on this post about this buffet, but I will be back in a few days to show the end results! 
What are you painting these days??? Share with us on our facebook page or email me if you have any questions about painting. The online store is ready to ship you any products you may need. Just go here to have it shipped to your door. If you are close to our home store we are fully stocked and would love to help you get started. Have a great week and I'll be back to finish this post and show the finished piece.