Removing Varnish From Cabinet Doors

Step 1 remove all doors drawers hinges handles and knobs.

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. Spread the wood filler and allow it to dry. 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. Though labor intensive sandpaper is capable of removing nearly any wood finish.

Some of the stain may linger after scraping. Scouring pads and or steel wool you ll use these with the solvent to remove the stripper residue. 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. Scrape off the varnish with a paint scraper or a putty knife.

Clean rags have them handy to wipe the wood after using the solvent. Remove the cabinet doors and drawers from the cabinet base. For cracks in the door scrape or sand off any rough or raised edges. 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.

Better for indoor use because it smells like oranges but still wear a painting mask and puddy knife. Brush the stripper on the cabinet face frames and end jambs two at a time. The layer of stain remover tends to swell or bubble up when ready for removal. You can use a stiff bristled scrub brush to remove varnish from fancy curved details.

I applied a thicker coat of the paint stripper with a cheap paint brush and let it sit for 30 minutes. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws twisting in a counterclockwise direction. It can be used to refinish hardwood floors or it can be used to remove varnish from much smaller surfaces a. Allow at least 15 minutes for the stripper to gel the finish.

Scrape directly into a trash can if possible. Now back to stripping the paint from the cabinets. Use a screwdriver to remove the hinges and drawer pulls. Scrape the gelled finish off the cabinets using a paint.