Shoutout to the guy at the antique market in Charleston who showed me a different way to strip paint

I was at the big monthly market last year, looking at a beat up dresser, and this older guy saw me checking the paint layers. I was ready to just sand it down, but he said, 'Kid, you're gonna lose all that detail. Try a heat gun on low and a wide scraper, go with the grain.' I argued that sanding is faster, but he spent 10 minutes showing me on a small spot. The difference was huge, the wood underneath was perfect. Now I use that method on anything with carved details. Anyone else have a go-to method for tricky paint removal that doesn't wreck the wood?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul_stone2923d ago

Man, I love when someone shares a trick like that.

the_pat23d ago

Glad you liked it, @paul_stone29. I always keep a small notebook in my car's glove box for those quick tips. When I hear something good, I jot it down right away so I don't forget the details later. It's saved me a bunch of time on small fixes.