Different types of finish + How they are removed..

[hellofellow]

Hi all,

I have asked a similar question once before but was curious to grow on my knowlege.

My understanding thus far... Poly is a great, fairly tough finish, dries clear if water based and is for lack of better analogy, like liquid plastic.

Stains can be incorporated with poly or done first then finished.

Oils are a nice natural finish that you can the gloss over with wax or the like for protection.

I have not yet had the chance o rmoney to use shellac, laquer or varnish..

I understand shellac come from crystals from a bug, mixed with ethanol which evaporates once applied. Not as tough as poly and am not sure if you need to put anything over it like wax or poly?

I also have not used laquer or varnish.

So what exactly is varnish... apparently poly is one of three types? Does it incorporate a stain?

I should mention I have been trying to learn woodwork with small boxes and furniture items. So Oils seem to work nicely, and from my reading shellac is a go-to finish for furniture? Would you ever use laquer? When would you choose to use Varnish?

I guess to sumarise this maze of questions... when is each most approporiate, what are your guys favorites? What exactly is laquer and varnish and when are they approporitate to use?

----

Thats one half of my question haha. I figured whilst I was here I would clarify on removal of each.

I have read you can use stripper--- which essentially redissolves the shellac etc to remove these coats?

Can every type of finish be sanded back without use of stripper...poly,shellac,varnish and laquer?

Have an old dining table at home that has seen much better days (thinking of doing a little refurb) and sanding it back and re-coating it. Ill start another thread on this when I get around to the project, but overall Im wondering if regardless of how its finished if I can sand it back or if Ill need to use stripper etc...?

Thanks everyone

[ubeaut]

Here's a quick response to part:

Thats one half of my question haha. I figured whilst I was here I would clarify on removal of each.

I have read you can use stripper--- which essentially redissolves the shellac etc to remove these coats?

Can every type of finish be sanded back without use of stripper...poly,shellac,varnish and laquer?

Have an old dining table at home that has seen much better days (thinking of doing a little refurb) and sanding it back and re-coating it. Ill start another thread on this when I get around to the project, but overall Im wondering if regardless of how its finished if I can sand it back or if Ill need to use stripper etc...?

The short answer Part 1:

If you have a lot of time and a lot of money you can sand oss most finishes but you will go through a lot of abrasives doing it and may well ruin the piece you are sanding depending on your ability to control the sander you are using.

Part 2:

In most instances paint stripper is the quickest, easiest and most thorough way of removing most finishes. Wash down with metho after to kill the stripper and remove the last vestiges of old finish.

Part 3:

Polyurethane of all types is a bugger to strip off with paint stripper and no better with abrasives. Best bet get it professionally stripped.

Part 4:

Some people recommend stripping shellac with metho. Cheap paint stripper works a lot faster and cleaner.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

PS anything really hard to strip try applying a heavy coat of paint stripper then cover it with cling wrap or any other convenient plastic sheeting. This will exclude air from the stripper stopping it from drying out prematurely and allowing it to work much more efficiently.

Use care with paint stripper wear gloves eye protection and protective clothing. The stuff burns skin. Dispose of rags etc on n air tight container or soal in water before disposing of them in the rubbish.

[malb]

PS anything really hard to strip try applying a heavy coat of paint stripper then cover it with foil the (cooking type) or cling wrap. Either will exclude air from the stripper stopping it from drying out prematurely and allowing it to work mush more efficiently.

Just a mug, and haven't been there yet, but I always thought that most of the paint strippers would eat ali foil. Interesting to know that someone with your experience actually recommends it.

Lots of experience with model engines etc where we have to be very careful about what we use to clean engines because most of the products in the allied market place tend to clean alloy so well that you are left with a rusty crankshaft, a couple of dud bearings, and a few screws.

[ubeaut]

Dead right Malb Have to stop doing late night posts. The brain gets a bit mooshy after about 10:00pm. Post edited to say:

Anything really hard to strip try applying a heavy coat of paint stripper then cover it with cling wrap or any other convenient plastic sheeting. This will exclude air from the stripper stopping it from drying out prematurely and allowing it to work much more efficiently.

Thanks for picking that up. Well done.