How To Give New Life To Old Wooden Furniture

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SHOP AND TOOLS

First, you'll need a place to work that is decently lighted and ventilated . . . away from fire, kids, and livestock. An old shed is fine as long as you don't care about the floor. (Paint stripper not only eats straight through any finish but also devours newspapers, cardboard, and plastic.)

You'll be using a lot of semi-paste stripper and a little of the liquid type. Avoid "wash-off" products . . . they're messy and can ruin furniture. Also steer clear of homemade brews, which work but are often more dangerous than commercial caustics and may be harmful to wood. Keep in mind that any paint remover is mean stuff. . . and treat it accordingly.

The varnishes you buy should be high-gloss polyurethane or epoxy only, since they're the most durable and easiest to use. You'll certainly regret any flirtations with cheap dime-store finish or "varnish stain". I'd avoid "antiquing", too. It's a bad trip when put on nice-looking wood, and if a surface is damaged I'd rather cover it with oil paint applied over heavy primer.

What about stain? Most old wood doesn't need it . . . but if you do buy such a product, be sure it's compatible with the varnish you use. Ask the man at the paint store (and be sure it is a paint—not a dime or hardware—store, if you have a choice of dealers).

The following is a list of necessary tools, roughly in order of use:

[1] Goggles. Always, I mean ALWAYS, wear them . . . and long-sleeved work clothes.

[2] Cloth gloves. I haven't found any rubber or plastic that really stops paint stripper. Leather is also useless.

[3] Hand cream, to be applied before you put your gloves on and after you wash up. If you skip this precaution, your skin will keep you awake at night.

[4] One large, flat, and dull metal scraper (like a pancake turner or spatula), and many smaller homemade wooden ones.

[5] A goo bucket to catch all the mess, even if you don't care about the floor of your work area.

[6] A small wooden brush with fine stiff bristles (for use with wet stripper).

[7] A toothbrush (to clean dry surfaces only).

[8] No. 2 and No. 0000 steel wool.

[9] Rags and string, for cleaning up and improvising clamps as needed on glued joints. Also a lintless cloth, if you can find one, for the application of varnish.

[10] Glue. White glue is easy to use, but almost any kind will work. Forget hide glue, though, and be wary of high-solvent adhesives which can stain or mar a finish.

[11] Screws, etc., as needed.

[12] Other tools? There's just one rule: Don't buy anything expensive unless you're sure you want to go in that deep.

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