Removing ALL finish from veneer question

[MrTwistie]

I've recently got into refurbishing Art Deco furniture because I love the timber patterns and style.

i have refurbished a few pieces with baring success, mostly side tables with patterned veneered tops.

I run into one major problem when refurbishing and that is removing all the previous finish. I mean the little stubborn bits stuck int the pores of the veneer. I use paint stripper to great affect however, there always seem to be little stubborns bits.. Usually own seen when applying the new finish.

these are my usual steps:
1) paint strip finish, usually 2-3 coats. removing the stripper with scrapper and steel wool.
2) clean piece with soapy water or mentholated spirits.
3) sometimes I add a bleach coat for consistent colour and possible vinegar to nut realize bleach.
4) shellac seal coat/s
5) oil/varnish finish

I recently finished a cocktail cabinet with a flame maple veneer, however I've noticed some splodgyness on one of the panels, which I can only describe as blurry smudge, the old finish was not complete removed?

I am quite conscious of the fact not to sand through the veneer as I have done this in the past.. But if anyone has any method of removing those little bits of old finish without sanding through, I would love to hear it.

[Thumbthumper]

I agree with your whole process.

I have spent countless hours picking out bits of paint with an engineers scribe or an awl.
For tinier bits of paint, applying paint stripper, then scrubbing with steel wool and spirits will gradually wash most of it out. You need to keep doing this until you are happy.

Quite honestly, you may never get all of it out of veneer.

[router]

If it is old finish it is most likely Shellac.

There is a special way of removing Shellac.

Give it a good drowning with metho, put some newspaper over the top of the wet article and then drown the newspaper with metho.

Give it 15-20 minutes and you will find that the Shellac has melted and then give it a good wipe over with kitchen paper and scrub it down with 0000 steel wool.

You should then have a good clean surface to sand down and work with.


Router

[MrTwistie]

good to hear my methods correct.. i guess it just takes extra care, time and patience to really get all the nasty bits out.