Furniture Stripping Tools

Brushes and Pads

• Brushes are generally used in the application of a chemical stripping agent. The stripper is brushed on and allowed to soften the paint covering or the finish. Smaller mini brushes made of nylon bristles or flexible steel and brass bristles are used to apply or remove stripper in hard to reach spaces. Pads of steel wool can also be used to apply stripper over areas that are difficult to access using a large brush. In many cases, once the stripper and most of the finish has been removed, steel wool dipped in stripper is rubbed over hard to reach places that still have remnants of the finish still intact.

Scraping Tools

• Scraping tools come is several varieties, and they are made to scrape off the finish once the stripper has softened it up. Scrapers specifically made to remove stripper have rounded edges so they don't damage the wood when pushed over it. Pull scrapers are pulled towards the user and are less likely to leave gouges in the wood as the finish is removed. theses scrapers are a better idea when removing finish from softer woods.

Sanding Tools

• A sanding tool may be something as simple as a block of wood with sandpaper attached to it, or a powered sander like an orbital or a belt sander. Although sanding tools can be used from start to finish when stripping furniture, they use a lot of sand paper to completely remove the finish. Sanding is best done when the finish has already been removed by a chemical stripper. The surface is then sanded down to remove finish remnants and to smooth out the surface before refinishing.

Heat Gun

• A heat gun is an alternative way to remove a furniture finish. It relies on a concentrated heat stream to melt and bubble the finish, at which time it is scraped off. Although effective, care must be taken to not burn the surface of the piece. Sanding is still needed afterwards to remove any leftover finish and to smooth out the areas where the finish has been removed.