Paint Stripper

We just purchased this old dressing table, it is made from ceder.
I remember reading somewhere that paint stripper should not be used on ceder. Is this correct?

If so I am not looking forward to the sanding job ahead!!

Tim:)

When they did the casino in Bris there was a mountain of cedar that had to be dipped & stripped because it was the old treasury building.

You can't buy off-the-shelf stripper that'll work well with cedar. Do a ring around of commercial strippers from the Yellow Pages & see who specialise in doing Cedar. ;)

try here

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...tripping+cedar

I use accent paint remover, it seems stronger than other brands

Normal paint stripper (mehylene chloride) from hardware stores is fine for stripping paint off red cedar. I've used it on hundreds of pieces.

Caustic soda is what should not be used on red cedar. It can damage the wood fibres badly and/or make the cedar go black.

Depends on what you're stripping off and its condition.

Where you can, it can be quicker and cleaner to use a Skarsten scraper or shave hook, then finishing with an ROS. Cedar is soft and doesn't need much sanding.

However, some old pieces have some white gunk - English whiting? - as a grain filler and sanding below this takes a lot of work. I have heard of, but not tried, a technique in which you rub Baby Oil over the piece, which soaks into the white filler and allows it to be coloured by shellac finish.