Thank-you SO much for all the love on my last couple blog posts and social media posts after sharing my furniture projects! If you missed it, I wrote about 2 DIY projects. Removing Finish from Furniture (Dining Table) and Removing Finish from Furniture (Nightstand). Some of you had the same questions so I wanted to share the answers and have it in one spot.
1- Does it matter when sanding if you need to go in circular motion or just sand with the grain? You’re supposed to sand with the grain. I do want to mention though that when I was sanding the top of the dining table, I was just going in various directions to sand off the finish. It took awhile to get to the raw wood. Once I got to the raw wood, that’s when I started sanding with the grain. Not sure if that’s a big no-no, but I did it and it turned out fine. I’m such a rebel. 😉
2- Will it be easy to wipe off? or maybe your kids aren’t as messy as mine are. My kids are messy too! I highly recommend putting a finish on it especially with kids and spills. I used the OSMO POLYX-OIL NEUTRAL FINISH (a great nontoxic option) to protect the wood but would still leave a raw unfinished wood look which is what I prefer! They do also have a MATTE and SATIN finish.
3- Do I sand or do I strip the furniture? I personally think it depends on the furniture that you’re trying to strip. If you’re painting the furniture or want to stain it, if it’s bumpy, if it has nooks and crannies that will be hard to sand, etc.
If you’re going to paint the furniture, you might just need to sand it a bit for the surface to be rough for the paint to adhere to. Apply primer and then paint.
For a large flat piece of furniture, a sander may work better. As far as the dining table, the sander worked great… (but of course the stripping gel didn’t work on the table anyway so I had no choice).
If you want a raw wood look or will be applying a stain to enhance the wood grain, stripping the furniture may be an easier option since you have to get rid of every last paint or finish that’s on the furniture that a sander can’t get to. The stripping gel is perfect for furniture pieces that have grooves or hard to sand areas. I used a wire brush on those difficult areas to strip the finish and it worked great. Sanding can also cut through the stain and wood, and you don’t want to ruin the furniture! Also, the Citristrip can be used indoors. I never tried this, but that’s what the container said!
4- Does this work on cabinets? I don’t see why it wouldn’t! I actually think it would work great and would be a better option than sanding.
5- How long did it take you to finish the project from start to finish? This is a hard question to answer because I was working on both at the same time AND both I was faced with “problems” which took longer since I had to do extra steps than what I originally planned. I’m sure I could have gotten one project done in a weekend.
If you have any additional questions, ask them in the comment section below.
