Removing Varnish From Cabinet Doors

Better for indoor use because it smells like oranges but still wear a painting mask and puddy knife.

Removing varnish from cabinet doors.

Before the stain remover has dried gently scrape the layer of stain and stripper residue from the wood surface with a plastic scraper or putty knife. Clean rags have them handy to wipe the wood after using the solvent. It can be used to refinish hardwood floors or it can be used to remove varnish from much smaller surfaces a. The layer of stain remover tends to swell or bubble up when ready for removal.

Step 2 fold a sheet of fine grit sanding paper into a square and sand over the entire surface of the cabinets the cabinet doors and the drawer fronts. First i tried just using the paint stripper citristrip. Hand sand small spots or leave them and sand it while sanding your door. Painters tape to protect areas around cabinets and walls if you are working on something installed like a door frame or kitchen cabinets.

Scrape directly into a trash can if possible. Step 1 remove all doors drawers hinges handles and knobs. You can use a stiff bristled scrub brush to remove varnish from fancy curved details. Brush the stripper on the cabinet face frames and end jambs two at a time.

Scouring pads and or steel wool you ll use these with the solvent to remove the stripper residue. Spread the wood filler and allow it to dry. For cracks in the door scrape or sand off any rough or raised edges. Scrape off the varnish with a paint scraper or a putty knife.

Though labor intensive sandpaper is capable of removing nearly any wood finish. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws twisting in a counterclockwise direction. Some of the stain may linger after scraping. Use a marker and a small piece of masking tape to label each drawer and cabinet door with a designated symbol that indicates where they go when finished.

Use a screwdriver to remove the hinges and drawer pulls. Scrape the gelled finish off the cabinets using a paint. If however you don t plan on repainting the object but prefer instead to show off the wood grain underneath or stain it at most then you re going to have to remove every last drop of old paint. I applied a thicker coat of the paint stripper with a cheap paint brush and let it sit for 30 minutes.