We feel so very fortunate to have found products that work. Lightning Strip Paint and Varnish Remover has very little odor, is non-flammable, works quickly and removes applied stain from the grain of the wood. General Finishes waterbased stains, sanding seal, varnish and polyurethane will make refinishing a real pleasure.

STEP BY STEP REFINISHING TIPS ON REMOVING FINISHES

LIGHTNING STRIP PAINT & VARNISH REMOVER completely removes applied stain from the grain of the wood. DO NOT DILUTE: NOTHING TO MIX

1. Holding spray bottle 2-3 inches from surface, SPRAY stripper on surface. Let stand 5-8 minutes. (Note: If you pull on the trigger of the spray bottle in short pulls, it will puddle the stripper and stay where you want it) 2. Spray a second coat of Lightning Strip on same surface. 3. Scrape off finish with scraper/putty knife 4. Re-coat with Lightning Strip and wait another 5 minutes. 5. Using soft 2" brass brush and plenty of water, scrub the wood to remove the applied stain and residue from the stripper from the grain of the wood.(NEVER attempt to wash before scraping finish with scraper. If the brush should plug up with finish, you have not scraped the finishes properly. Also, the water will not raise the grain of the wood) 6. Next use your 2" nylon brush and cold, clean water and clean the wood. 7. Dry with clean white cloth (do not put out in the sun to dry) NOTE: Sanding will not be necessary as you will not raise the grain of the wood in this process. Sanding will remove the patina from the wood usually leaving it blotchy and a lighter color.

REFINISHING PROCESS USING WATER-BASED FINISHES

1. Let the piece that you stripped completely dry before proceeding. (If you are using our General Finishes Water-based finishes the refinishing process is much faster and easier than the oil based system) PLEASE READ ABOUT GENERAL FINISHES IN THE FAQ. 2. Stain with the color of your choice. Let dry 2 hours. 3. Do any gluing needed. (You always want to glue after you have stained, because stain will not penetrate glue) We use Tite-Bond glue. 4. Sand seal. Let dry approximately 1-2 hours depending on the amount of humidity in your area.(Sand seal is our point of sanding. It fills the pores of the wood. When sanded lightly it will give you a beautiful smooth finish. 5. Lightly sand with 280-320 grit or fine/medium sanding block. 6. Wipe off sanding dust. 7. Apply the varnish (satin or gloss). Since it is self leveling, you can use a brush or spray gun to apply these finishes. 8. Let dry 1-2 hours. There is no need to sand once the varnish has been applied. General finishes waterbased enduro pre-cat urethane, also. We use it on hardwood floors and table tops.

FURNITURE MAINTENANCE:

A. Clean your furniture using Antique Refinishers Wood Cleaner. This works great on your kitchen cupboards, also. B. Oil your furniture with Lemon Oil Beeswax to keep it from drying out, especially in dry arid climates, such as Colorado.

PLEASE READ THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) FOR MORE INFORMATION AND CHECK OUR SITE REGULARLY FOR MORE HELPFUL HINTS.

If you have any questions please Contact us!