Q: We are redoing our kitchen cabinets, and tried to remove the finish with Citristrip Stripping Gel. We waited, but had a really hard time getting it off so we stopped and waited a few days. Sanding makes the paper gummy. Is there any easy ways to get this junk off?
A: Yes, and you were on the right track to start with. You simply were not patient enough. Paint remover may be the messiest option, but it is a fairly easy one provided you choose the right stripper, apply it correctly, keep it wet, and wait for it to do its work.
Whatever stripper you use, you must put it on liberally and keep it wet until it removes or completely softens the finish. Depending on the stripper, that can take from minutes to days. Keeping it wet may mean simply reapplying before it evaporates, or more practically, covering or draping the wet pieces with plastic to prevent the active ingredients in the stripper from evaporating. Either way, do not remove the stripper until the finish all comes off, right down to the raw wood. If you remove it and the finish does not all come off, immediately reapply before the wood dries. Once the wood dries it becomes markedly more difficult to remove the finish. Stripping is one of those things that are best done in one shot.
Additionally, not all strippers are the same, and as a general rule, those marketed as safer or less odorous are also typically much slower working. That means you will need to put more on and keep it wet longer. For instance, a strong methylene chloride based stripper might remove a typically finish in ten minutes to an hour, while some of the safer strippers may take from several hours to more than a day.
Michael Dresdner
straight talk about wood finishing
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