DIY: More Wood Stripping Tips

February 20, 2008, source

This is a follow up to last week’s wood stripping post. One reader is having a hard time with the SPR and asked for some tips. As I responded in the comments, it’s not perfect, but it is, IMHO, the fastest thing out there.

The reader commented that their SPR only heats up the middle section. I thought it may be possible that this is a faulty unit or the power source isn’t strong enough. The SPR should be used on a 20 amp circuit with a heavy duty extension cord. Anything less may cause the tool to work inefficiently or trip your circuit breaker.

All scraping tools should be clean and sharp. See my tools in the photo? I never clean them. Do as I say, not as I do. Gunky tools will not only take more time to scrape, but they can also damage soft wood.

Make sure you have the right tools for the job. You’ll need pull and push scrapers, both heavy duty and smaller tools for intricate areas. Have some extra blades on hand if it’s a big job. One tool I can’t do without is the interchangeable blade kit. They sell it at Home Depot, etc.

A sawhorse and clamps are important for detached pieces. Do yourself a favor and invest in these items so you’re not leaning over your piece on the floor holding it in place with your knees. Been there. Done that. No fun.

Vacuum the stripped paint as you go along. First of all, you want to get that lead out of there as quickly as possible. Secondly, you don’t want to reheat the same paint you just stripped.

You want to take away most of the paint with the SPR. Don’t try to go back and get corners or you’ll burn the wood. The key is to take the SPR away when you see smoke and bubbling paint. Make sure most of the paint is bubbling or it won’t come off easily. On the other hand, this WILL burn the wood if you leave it too long. It’s something you’ll have to practice and learn for yourself.

I like to go in with the heat gun and get the corners. You can do this with chemicals as well. I find the heat gun is quicker and less messy. The heat gun can burn wood if left too long. It can also burn your house down. Be careful how and where you use this as it can ignite embers. I was once stripping a piece of molding on the floor and put the heat gun down without using the stand. It was turned off, but hot enough to start a fire. Luckily, I saw the smoke coming up from under the floor boards. I had to rip up that part of the floor to put out the embers.

Once most of the paint is off, you’ll need some kind of chemical to clean it up. Yes, you can sand the rest, but do you really want all those lead paint particles flying around in the air? As I’ve mentioned before, I use the toughest, most toxic shit out there: Rock Miracle. Bad stuff. At this point, if it’s just a little clean up, you can go with something less toxic.

I’ve never tried Removall for full stripping, but it seems to be another option. Perhaps similar to Peel Away, but less mess? Anyone try it? I’ll give it a shot let you know how that goes.

Take proper safety precautions and check your local guidelines how to properly dispose of lead paint.

And don’t forget….neutralize chemicals with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol and sand before staining or painting!