A Hot Mess of a Farmhouse Table

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This is what I’ve been working on the past few days.  And it’s a hot mess.  I’m honestly about to scream and I haven’t even started on the table leaves yet.  I have been using Citristrip to remove the old shellac and it has been quite the process.  Three coats and it is almost off but the top is in bad shape. Fingers crossed that sanding it tomorrow may save it!

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  2. Hi Suzanne,
    I used Citristrip recently to remove oil-based red paint on an antique oak bench and mirror!! After I applied a heavy coat of the stripper, I covered it with heavy plastic for a few hours. It kept the product moist and it was gooey and then easier to remove. I also used a plastic scraper. I ended up reapplying the stripper about 3 times to remove all the paint. It worked well, but was tedious because it had carvings on it too. Ughhhh.
    It was definitely harder to remove the stripper on the parts where the Citristrip had dried. Can’t wait to see the gray-weathered look when you’re finished. 🙂

  3. When you wait an hour, it goo dries out. After applying citistrip, cover with plastic wrap or an opened trash bag. This greatly improves waiting time, effectiveness and removability. You MUST try this. I’ve been doing this for years. Results are striking.

  4. Methyl Hydrate Links – this stuff removes old yellow shellac like magic. Much easier than paint removers evil and less evil.
    Love your site – love that you keep your tutorials available vs here today and gone tomorrow.I am sooo old that I see you making mod pieces by putting back paint on twins of items I laboured long and hard to get back to the raw wood and them sometimes scared to make used older and more used by my predecessors. The way of the world but do be carefully with history that cannot ever be refound.
    Just love your site – graphic setup lovely and spirit of the author lovely too.
    When I find it I will send a reference to a book by fine vintage Vermonter which taught me all I needed to know about reviving antique furniture – like how to get warps out of wood table top and also ensure that they stayed flat. I have one small table whose top I warped in on direction and then the other a few times – gotta watch how long water and heat have to do their best. Shellac on ( vs off) is the trick for stopping the curving.
    found it:
    The Furniture Doctor by Grotz, George: Doubleday – Kennys Bookshop …
    http://www.abebooks.com/Furniture-Doctor-Grotz-George-Doubleday/…/bd
    This is a practical book which offers information with drawings on just about every facet … Besides being an authority on furniture refinishing, GEORGE GROTZ is … way was running a refinishing shop in Vermont, Mr. Grotz was convinced that if …
    Old-House Journal – Aug 1977 – Page 95 – Google Books Result
    https://books.google.ca/books?id=i0azwJ0U2OYC
    Vol. 5, No. 8 – ‎Magazine
    Send $5.25 (includes postage) to the Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, … WHILE REFINISHING FURNITURE much fun, a new book by Geo the chore far … Grotz discusses the woods and the way to repair There is also specific inst …

    ——
    Am thinking the above info bits are kin to coal to New Castle. But just in case – there they are. Want the book
    Got this by googling methyl hydrate:

    Methanol – Wikipedia
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanol
    Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol among others, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH … Methyl hydrate. Methyl hydroxide. Methylic alcohol. Methylol
    ‎Toxicity · ‎Applications · ‎Production · ‎Quality specifications and …
    Methyl Hydrate | Walmart.ca
    http://www.walmart.ca › … › Paints & Stains › Surface Prep
    Methyl Hydrate for sale at Walmart Canada. Buy Home online for less at Walmart. ca.

  5. Oh no! That’s the table I was given by my now deceased mom. She had redone the top and used shellac, as well. I’m concerned because I’m a newbie to refinishing anything, let alone an uncooperative table!

  6. Hi Suzanne, I agree with the other comments above, you need to cover the top with some plastic. It looks to me like the Citristrip got to dried out, the plastic will allow it to stay moist and active. I use a similar product from Home Depot called EZ Strip which works the same way. These ‘environmentally’ friendly are more labour intensive than the heavy duty chemical strippers but in my opinion worth the extra work. Don’t get to frustrated 🙂 keep at it, it will look beautiful when done.

  7. I’ve never used Citristrip before, but I seem to agree with the others that it seemed have dried up too much. When that happens to me, I just re-moisten it with the brush and it makes it much easier to strip. Do you really need to wait a whole hour? The brand I use (SD) is also a gel and the waiting time before you actually start stripping is only about 5-10 minutes. Good luck, Suzanne. It will look gorgeous!

  8. Oh Suzanne I’ve been there and I feel your pain! I’ve never tried Citristrip before because you can’t get it here in Canada. Instead I use a product from Home Depot called EZ Strip and surprisingly it doesn’t have a strong odor either. Another product I’ve tried and like is called Heirloom. Good luck!

  10. I use Citristrip too… and out here in dry Colorado, we have the drying issues x25. However, my bestie who does this all the time instructed me to literally glop it on. We didn’t cover the table with any plastic, but the layer of Citristrip was so heavy that we didn’t need it. I hear her voice in my head: this is one product you need to use very liberally. We used the entire jug on my mahogany table top if that’s any indicator. Good luck!

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