How to Strip Wood With a Heat Iron

It can be tedious to remove paint or stain from wood, and some people may prefer to simply replace the wood. In some cases where furniture needs to be stripped, you may not want to throw it away and start new. A heating iron can make the process of stripping wood simpler than using chemicals and putty knives. Be careful not to leave the heating iron in place over the wood for too long, since it can cause the wood to burn.

Heat iron
Putty knife
Metal brush

Instructions

- 1
  Plug in the heating iron, and allow it to heat up completely.
- 2
  Place the iron over a flat surface of wood that needs to be stripped.
- 3
  Watch the iron as the heat penetrates through the paint and stain into the wood surface below.
- 4
  Lift the iron every few seconds. If the paint below begins to bubble remove the iron. If it has not begun to bubble, replace the iron and wait a few more seconds. This process should only take a few minutes.
- 5
  Scrape the bubbled paint off of the wood with a putty knife. It should remove without any force. The only paint that will be removed will be the area where the heating iron was placed.
- 6
  Replace the iron on the wood surface and repeat step 2 to 5 until the entire surface of the wood has been stripped.
- 7
  Scrub the small cracks and crevasses with a metal brush immediately after removing the heat iron.

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