Mineral spirits and paint thinner are commonly used to strip stain and varnish.
A heat gun works similarly to a stripper, by softening and loosening the varnish to make it easier to remove. A heat gun won't scorch the wood but you will still need to scrape off the varnish or paint.
Spray down the entire piece with paint & varnish remover. Use a paint brush with natural bristles within detailed crevices. Set a timer based on manufacturer's instructions. Using a dull-end scraper, start scraping off the old varnish.
Mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a cup. The acidic solution helps remove sticky residue and worn out varnish from your table. Dip your sponge into the solution and start wiping down the table completely. Avoid scrubbing with too much pressure as it will leave scratch marks on the surface of your table.
Methylated spirits, also known as denatured alcohol, is a commonly used cleaning product. While its strength makes it great for removing permanent marker and tough stains from metal surfaces, it is not a good mix for wood surfaces. This product can also remove wood finishes such as varnish and wax.
Technique. Starting in a corner of the painting, dip a lint free cloth into the turpentine and gently rub the surface of the painting. The varnish should come off on the cloth – but remember to keep a close eye on the cloth and stop if you see colour coming off.
Let the alcohol or thinner work for 5 to 10 seconds, and then wipe it off with a rough cloth or with steel wool. If the finish comes off easily, you can remove the entire finish with the alcohol or thinner; paint and varnish remover isn't necessary. Work quickly -- alcohol and lacquer thinner evaporate fast.
Yes, you can use WD-40 to remove wood stain and varnish from carpet.
Acetone is regularly used within the woodworking industry to strip wooden furniture of old paint or varnish remnants, so a new coat can be cleanly applied. Wood floor refinishers often use it before sanding to remove the upper layer of finish from the wood prior to adding a new finish.
Removing Varnish by Sanding
You need to sand the surface in stages and layers and then wipe it clean so you can then start on the next layer. You should wear a mask when you are sanding as you will breathe the dust fibres in and always wear gloves to protect your hands as much as possible.
Citristrip is a good alternative to Minwax If you're looking for a less toxic varnish stripper. Aside from Minwax, Citristrip was the best for removing finish. While the manufacturer recommends leaving it to soak in for at least 30 minutes, I noticed the finish bubbling up after only about 12 minutes.
Step 1: create your varnish removal mixture
Mix together 1/2 cup cold water and 1 cup cornstarch until it creates a thick paste. Pour your 4 cups of water into a bucket and add 3/4 cup baking soda and 1 tbsp of vinegar. Stir it all together and then add in your cold water and cornstarch.
MINERAL SPIRITS
This general-purpose solvent is effective at thinning oil-based paints, varnishes, stains, and polyurethanes. Mineral Spirits leave behind no residue. It is best as a cleaner on brushes, tools, and equipments while paints or other substances are still wet.
Just like hardwood floors, vinegar can eat away at the wax finish on wood furniture, leaving it looking dull and cloudy. But, you'll frequently read that vinegar is ideal for cleaning all types of wood. If you would like to use vinegar on finished or waxed wood furniture, use it extremely infrequently and at your risk.
Mineral spirits will soften a natural varnish finish so that surface material can be wiped off. A sanding sponge is a good rubbing tool to remove the softened varnish because it conforms to the contours of the wood and does not leave metal particles behind.
It's almost always better to strip than to sand. To begin with, except in cases where the old finish is flaking off, it's a lot more work to sand than to strip using a paint-and-varnish remover.
A mixture of aliphatic, open-chain or alicyclic C7 to C12 hydrocarbons, white spirit is insoluble in water and is used as an extraction solvent, as a cleaning solvent, as a degreasing solvent and as a solvent in aerosols, paints, wood preservatives, lacquers, varnishes, and asphalt products.
Turpentine is also used in softening varnish or shellacked finishes on woods. When it is applied to the surface, you can easily wipe away the varnish or any finish.
You can make your own wiping varnish by thinning any full-strength varnish or polyurethane about half with paint thinner.
Good for shellac and lacquer
Shellac can be removed with denatured alcohol. If alcohol doesn't work, try lacquer thinner. If your piece was manufactured by a quality furniture maker after 1930, a thinning product is the best place to start, since your furniture is likely finished with shellac or lacquer.
Turpentine is considered less toxic and also to have more solvency than petroleum-based paint thinners, including the ability to remove hardened paint from paint brushes as opposed to just fresh paint, as mineral spirits will do, says The New York Times.
Chemical paint removers provide superior results to sanding and are generally able to remove varnishes and paints faster.