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Varnish Stripping Residue Problem
Am stripping varnish off a black walnut stair rail and post (not sure what wood this is as stain is different color than rail) and have a white film showing up on parts of the rail, not everywhere.
Have been washing off stripper with water as recommended by the product I'm using, Abatron ClearStrip gel. Abatron also suggested I try Isopropyl Alcohol which only made the residue darker. Have also tried paint thinner which has made it go away, only to have the white residue reappear later.
Have stopped stripping so I can solve this issue. Attached are photos; appreciate ANY help I can get. I've got 3 floors of railing to do which I've procrastinated on much too long.
Tags: Stripping, film, residue, white
Views: 480
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lair Tienter on -
What it looks like to me is you have either paint or stripper left on the wood. Also sometimes if the stripper starts working on the varnish and is removed before it completly breaks down the varnish it will leave the white film looking stuff. What has worked for me is when you get to the point you are at is to take some fine steel wool and dip it in Lacquer thinner and scrub it down, then wipe it dry with a dry old cloth. I don't like the idea of using water to clean off stripped wood. For me water and wood are not friends and final results are often disappointing. Having said that I will have to admit that I have been doing the stripping thing for a long time and I think all these new green products are not to be confused with improvements. Good luck with your stairway, Lair
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Permalink Reply by Holly Ulrich on -
Thanks so much for your reply. One question: is lacquer thinner the same as paint thinner or as denatured alcohol? I'm so confused about these products in relation to cleaning wood. They seem to say the same thing on all containers, except that one is flammable while another is combustible - which appear to me to be equally dangerous.
In defense of the Abatron Clear Strip, in case anyone is curious, it does work rather well with varnished wood surfaces and painted radiators (practically melts the paint on them). For painted wood, I'll need to find a different stripper. The Abatron takes a rather long time to remove just one layer.
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Permalink Reply by Lair Tienter on
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I'm not sure what the difference is but they work different. Denatured alcohol is a weaker form of lacquer thinner. It doesn't smell as bad but that's just me but I can not really smell either. Mineral spirits is a thinner for oil based products and does not do much when dealing with stripper. The best thing is to buy a pint of each and try them and see what works best. When stripping paint or varnish it is hard to know what you are dealing with stripping because there has been so many different based products over the years and each one reacts differently with stripper and the clean up fluid you use. I have a favorite stripper that is called Zip Strip but it doesn't work for everything. Just have to try and see. Good Luck, Lair
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Permalink Reply by Bill Rigby on -
You might do best by cleaning up with alcohol.
It is likely that the first coat of finish is shellac and alcohol is the solvent for that. You will also be able to remove any residual layers of varnish and paint with it.
lacquer thinner will do a similar job but leaves much more of a white film when dry.
You should be using Scotch-Brite scrub pads with any of these solvents to reduce the fire hazard from contact with electric outlets, extension cords or any other power source. It only takes one small strand from the steel wool ball to send everything up.
Bill Rigby
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Permalink Reply by Holly Ulrich on
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Yikes! Didn't realize stripping could be so scary.
When you say alcohol, are you referring to rubbing alcohol (which Abatron recommended in an email to them about this problem) or some other kind?
Really appreciate all the input here!
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Permalink Reply by Shelley on -
I've used SoyGel (Framar.com) and Peel-Away paper for all of my paint stripping needs. Non toxic, no offensive smell, encapsulates lead paint, and works great! Plus you can leave it on for no more than 24 hours!! The paint comes off in ribbons! Then I wash the surface with vinegar and water.
All of the painted surfaces in my old house had varnish under four coats of paint. Soy Gel cut through the paint, then I applied another treatment and left it covered for two hours and the varnish could be removed with a paint scraper. I've also had to use coarse steel wool and sandpaper to get to the bare wood.
Hope this helps and good luck! After this process I vacuum it all down then-oh my should I say??-wash it down with warm water!!! If you plan on staining, it's always good to use a wet rag to wipe the wood and wait 20 minutes before staining-opens the wood "pores" to accept the stain.
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Permalink Reply by Lair Tienter on
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Bills's right. Things can go up in flames really fast or even worse. I was working in a empty store once with stripper and Lac thinner for clean up. I went outside to get something out of my truck. I heard this loud PUFF and the sound of breaking glass. When I went back in the store the furnace had ignited and the fumes combusted. We had no fire, no one was hurt, but the small windows were gone and none of my guys could hear most of the day. Just be real careful!
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Permalink Reply by Bill Rigby on
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No, you want to only use denatured alcohol. Never rubbing alcohol.
No matter what you use to strip with indoors you should always ventilate the space and never work alone.
Remove any rags and debris to the outdoors each time you finish up.
Bill Rigby
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Permalink Reply by Andy Streenz on -
My stripper of choice is Soy Gel. It's non combustible, non caustic, you can work it with your hands, and it cleans up with water. Most of my stripping jobs have been on metal or large pieces of wood, so potential damage to the surface has never been an issue. Obviously, if you are working with veneer or delicately carved appliques, you want to limit the time of exposure to stripper or water.
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Permalink Reply by Holly Ulrich on
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Why would you limit the time of any stripper, including Soy Gel, for delicate carvings? My supposedly next project is to strip a mantel - lots of dentil molding, egg and dart, urns, vines, corbels, etc. In other words, another nightmare project.
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Permalink Reply by Andy Streenz on
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The stripper tends to soak in to the wood a bit, and in delicate carvings or appliques (especially) it can soften the wood and dissolve the glue. For carvings specifically, you should be OK as long as you use care removing the residue.
Ha, and you're right...your mantel project does sound like a nightmare! Make sure you take a lot of before, during, and after photos. Leave them for the future owners to deter them from ever thinking about repainting it!
Seriously, though, all your hard work will be totally worth it. Just take them one project at a time.
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Permalink Reply by Ken the Old House Guy on -
This may sound very lame, but it may be worth a try.
1)Re-apply the same stripper you were using in a generous amount. 2)Let is sit on the wood the recommended time. 3) Remove stripper in even wipes, then wipe down evenly with a mildly abrasive pad. 4) wipe remaining residue with paper towel.
You may want to try an additional wipe of denatured alcohol afterwards.
I stripped down an entire house using a product no longer around, but similar to Zip Strip. The wood was painted so I first used a heat gun (very dangerous). Pics and my method of stripping are here http://www.oldhouseguy.com/woodwork
Best of luck,
Ken
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