How to Strip Paint from Woodwork

[LindaReinhardt]

what about if I have bits of paint here and there, from previous painting? What would the best way to take those drips and errors off? just scrape lightly? or sandpaper light lightly?

[werkbook]

@LindaReinhardt

Lilda: a light dose of heat should take those off. If not, yes, scrape it. If you're talking about paint splatter on FINISHED wood, then I'd scrap it with a razor, then touch it up with stain and polyurethane. Good luck with your project! Ron

[LindaReinhardt]

@werkbook Thank youi!!!!

[tangerine714]

If I was doing this exact project I would change three things, one would be to have a sealed, rated pop up enclosure to trap fumes and particles while removing the lead paint, second would be a respirator to protect me from the fumes while doing the former as well as during staining and finishing, lastly I would use a mohawk stain to eliminate the need to buy two products that might not be compatible because the pigment used in that stain settles and is thick enough to use as a paint

[bikemandan510]

If its lead paint why are you dry sanding?

[werkbook]

@bikemandan510

There's very little left -- just traces, not enough to do harm -- by the time I get to sanding

[mrfixitno]

there is no way thats lead paint. if so that was a newly painted surface. you should not mislead . shame on you

[werkbook]

@mrfixitno

This is lead paint. It has been tested..

[sandundermyfeet]

Ron, excellent information.

One question.

Do you recommend this technique for larger projects as well?

E.g post and beam paint removal where the beams are 6 inches wide and 10 feet long? I've been testing a product call SMART STRIP which is a non toxic environmental safe product. I've used circa 1836 product, very toxic and messy process. Do you believe the heat process is the fastest and easiest method even for larger beams and post projects. Old home owner painted all the douglas fir.

[bewaretheintertubes]

Hm... I think I like you.

[l1zuka]

I would love to do this in our old house, but I'm worried about our little kid. Say I do use the mask, and infrared heat, and vacuum and ventilate as much as possible, is there anything else I need to do or can do to make sure my kid will be safe from the lead particles? And how much ventilation is enough to be on the safe side?

[werkbook]

@l1zuka The fumes dissipate fairly quickly. Shut and seal the child's room (rolled towel at bottom of the door). Strip while the child is out of the house for the day (2 days would be better). Use one fan to blow the fumes toward door/window & another to blow it outside. Use damp cloth to wipe floor/work area frequently. Get HEPA filter for vac. Do NOT sweep. Wet/damp wiping is OK. 

[l1zuka]

@werkbook Thank you! That clarifies things quite nicely! :) Hm, should I leave her room alone for now to be on the safe side or would it be OK to do as well following your instructions above?

[cbrooksecostrip]

Glad to hear your praise of infrared heat but noticed you used the knockoff brand copied from the original Swedish Speedheater. Lately folks are saying their quality is lower and some report that their handles actually fell off after much use. Given the recent EPA focus on contractors containing lead-based paint, I wish you had given lead safe work practices just a few minutes on your video

[bennyboy421]

Wrong, chemicals if your not an idiot

[MississaugaHandyman]

I like the idea of going over the white spots (that couldn't be stripped off) with the color matching close to the stain color that it was going to be. This concept can work on different types of situations also which is a great technique for hiding blemishes.

[Cosmicangels]

Thank you for this video!...have just started to strip back the wood on my Edwardian house and was needing help on those small but stubborn bits of paint stuck in the crevices!

[peacefulmeed]

Thank you!

[madatown]

THANK YOU! My biggest pet peeve is painted wood!!!!!!! My wife and I are in the process of buying a 4600 sq ft early 1900's Victorian with I'd say about 60% of the wood painted... I'm looking forward to the challenge though! Question: Would a 1500w halogen lamp work the same as the tool you're using? The halogen puts out a lot of heat.

[woodsecrets1]

I always use a hairfan... its not the best but it gets the job done!

[AFRICA4AFRICANS]

THAT WAS A VERY VERY VERY BAD JOB...I A 5 STORY BROWNSTONE PARK SLOPE...THEY CHARGE 135,000 TO STRIP AND FINISH ALL THE WOOD WORK IN THE HOUSE.....IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY...BUT THAT IS SHIT

[werkbook]

You cannot strip paint with a hair dryer. It doesn't get hot enough. If you don't want to buy a new one, look for one in a thrift store or yard sale. Good luck with your project.

[Eyecandy4u]

Is it possible to use a hair dryer instead of buying a heat gun?

I need to strip paint off my dressing table and won't ever need to use a heat gun after the table is done.

[adad2757]

@Eyecandy4u read what he said at the top you cannot use hair dryers!

[bigbadsingledad]

great vid i just finished taking at least 4 layers of paint off of kitchen cabinets in a house,gouged the crap out of them with a combination scraper i was using with a heat gun, after the easy stripper failed due to cold temps. doing it the hard way definitely makes u appreciate a well done vid,i will take your advice ,because i have another set to do tomorrow.won't i look like i know what i'm doing.lol! thanks

[1971SuperLead]

Great video, but to remove paint splatter off of wood I found a wire brush and lemon oil combined to be a God send.

[dontusesoap]

someone who knows what theyre doing....good video, great video, brilliant!

[werkbook]

You can pick up heat guns cheap at Goodwills and other places like that -- flea markets too. Heat guns put off some fumes you don't want to breathe but it's better than chemicals.

[dirosaga]

amzing video, but im young and cannot afford those heaters right now. I wonder if i'd be able to rent them, but i don't think home depot would. Looks like it'll be a non-toxic paint stripping liquid/gel for me.

[c300g]

@dirosaga

I'm 15 and i restored a Victorian pine door alone. i had absolutely no help. i glass beaded the steel rim mount lock and refinished it in flat black. i stripped the paint off the porcelain handle and painted the iron shaft adapter black. for stripping the woodwork, i first removed the trim inserts. i then applied circa 1850 paint stripper with a brush to the door working in a small area. when i was finished with the stripper, i covered it in clear vapor barrier plastic. 

[c300g]

(cont.)

after doing this in the same area 5 or 6 times, i got down to bare wood. i then sanded it with 150 grit sandpaper. a few weeks after i started the project, i found a black and decker heat gun from 1983 still in the original case unused for $3 at a garage sale. i carefully used it so that i would not burn the wood. right now, i need to strip all the trim. i am going to try using removall stripper because it involves no heavy scraping or sanding which will damage trim.

[reesarific]

@dirosaga as stated in other posts you can find guns via thrift-stores and yard sales on the cheap. hell, i bought mine for $22 at home depot.

[Dani1165]

great video and life-saving tip about the paint over small white spots. That was my roadblock, but now I know how to move forward without damaging the wood and having a white spot show up beneath the new varnish.

[cbrooksecostrip]

High heat guns give uneven heat on glass & that breaks it. Low, even, radiant infrared heat does not. Doesn't release toxic lead fumes either like high heat gun.

Eco-Strip

[cbrooksecostrip]

Shown Infrared speedheater is low radiant heat. Evenly spread heat on glass is much less likely to break glass than blowing high heat air from heat gun. Plus high heat releases toxic lead fumes.Plywood may scorch.Better yet, make shield of thick corrugated cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil, put over glass to reflect heat away.

[kurtmj76]

Is there any risk to the heat gun or infrared heat getting too close to the window and cracking it?

[werkbook]

Yes, it happens all the time. I place a thin sheet of plywood on the glass whenever I'm working that close to it.

[kurtmj76]

@werkbook thanks for the note. Some of the windows in the upper story of our house (circa 1904) are painted over and I plan on using heat to get most of the paint up in areas that aren't near windows. I've bought chemicals for the areas close to the windows. I suppose an option would be to take the trim off but i'm afraid that i wouldn't be able to get it back on again.

[lucasmorter]

@werkbook just cracked my window so im gomma do this. do you think a simple strip of luan would work? i am doin all the windows in the house i rent just to help my landlord out and to give me a project. i love old sash windows they need to be brought back to life.

[kwilson1964]

Very helpful, thanks.

[nadjiarose]

Thx, I'll look into it.

[nadjiarose]

What do you do if it's lead paint? I want to see that video.

[werkbook]

t IS lead paint.

1) Wear a mask.

2) Use infrared heat to strip paint.

3) Sand only when it's down to bare wood.

[brankobegic]

nice man, thx.