Refinish old trim

[Nathan Hoffman]

I recently became the owner of a huge pile of oak trim that came from an old factory buillding. It is white oak, mostly casing about 4" wide, and either stained a very light color, or it is natural, just a little amber from age and whatever the clear finish is. I plan to use some of the trim in my upstairs hall, but in order to match the stairs and railing, it needs to be stained a dark, almost walnut, color. So how can I tell what the clear finish is? How do I remove it to restain? The casing is sort of like colonial casing available now, but it is wider, with more detail, and the quality of the wood is better than what I've seen at the borg's lately (it is nearly all straight grain, with almost none of the cathederal effect). Any advice would be appreciated.

[Todd Burch]

Take a scrap piece and apply mineral spirits to it. If it dissolves, it's probably a varnish of some type. If MS does nothing, try lacquer thinner. If that dissolves it, it's most likely lacquer.

[Steve Schoene]

Mineral spirits will have zero effect on varnish (or shellac, or lacquer) once the finish has cured. I'd suggest starting with denatured alcohol. If that dissolves it, the finish is shellac. If not, try lacquer thinner. This will dissolve lacquer (and shellac), but not varnish. Paint stripper removes varnish.

You can use a dark toner--finish with color in it--over the existing finish. To get a walnut dark color you would have to use a heavily colored toner--with the effect of obscuring the grain pretty heavily. (Think of Bombay furniture from the mall as an extreme case.) Personally, I would find a way to use a lighter shade--enough new color to harmonize with the stairs and railing but not match it. That way you get to see the benefit of the nice older wood.

Otherwise you would have to strip all the existing finish. Methylene choride based strippers are most powerful, but are rather nasty. You need SERIOUS ventilation not just a couple of open windows--perhaps an organic vapor mask as well. And, its still lots of work. Once stripped and sanded you could use a dye to achieve the dark color, and then stain with a pigmented stain to color the pores.

[Jerry Olexa]

Agree sort of a longshot but: try denatured alcohol. It just might be shellac which is EASY to remove. Varnish is NOT...

[Nathan Hoffman]

Well, good news, I think. I tried some denatured alcohol and with a pad of paper towel rubbed a scrap piece, and it was definitely taking off the finish. So that means its shellac, correct? So what is the best way to remove it? Flood the alcohol on and let is sit a while before wiping? Just wipe it forever with a soaked pad? Thanks so much for the help! Nathan

[tod evans]

nathan, if you`re doing any amount of this trim it`s worth finding somebody close who has a w&h or other small singlesided moulder and have a set of knifes ground. the trim can then be recut at 1/16" thinner in short order, no chemicals, no sanding, quick-n-easy....02 tod

[Steve Schoene]

You want to flood on DNA, and remove the dissolved shellac with a maroon 3-M pad or coarse steel wool. The shellac will become thinner and thinner as the solution becomes more DNA and less shellac, continuing to a point where the wood will begin to accept a dye. There will be a bit of grain raising that you will want to knock off with some fine sanding.

[Nathan Hoffman]

Thanks for the replies!

Tod - I had thought of that, but am hoping I can remove the finish myself. If I was going to do a whole house, it may be worth it, but at this point I have more time than money.

Steve - I'll try it with the steel wool and see how it works.


Nathan