There are lots of ways you can remove paint from a woodworking project or furniture. Whether it’s to wipe off small paint splatters or to change the entire look of the furniture, there is guaranteed to be a way on how you can strip off the paint.
This article shares three methods that are guaranteed to help you take paint off furniture or any woodworking project.
METHOD 1: Taking Out Small Paint Marks
For fresh latex paint marks, you can easily remove these with water or with denatured alcohol. For fresh marks made with oil-based paints, you will need mineral spirits.
Simply soak a clean, soft rag with water or denatured alcohol for latex paint, and with mineral spirits for oil-based paints. Rinse the rag, re-soak, and re-wipe over the areas with paint marks as needed. As soon as the paint gets wiped up, dry the area using a separate clean rag.
If the paint has already dried, you can soak a rag with linseed oil and press the rag onto the painted area for 30-60 seconds. This allows the oil to soak through the dried paint. Wipe the softened paint with the same rag and dry the area using a clean rag.
For hard-to-remove dried paint, you can use a putty knife. Carefully scrape off the paint, lifting it gently from the wood. For the residue, make a paste by mixing linseed oil with rottenstone. Scoop up some of the paste and rub it onto the wood with a rag. Wipe the area off with a separate rag afterwards.
METHOD 2: Removing Paint Through Heat
Another way to take paint off furniture or any woodworking project is to hold a heat gun 6-8 inches near the painted wooden surface. Move it slowly over the surface in an up-and-down and side-to side motion.
As soon as the paint wrinkles, scrape it up immediately using your free hand. You can scrape up wrinkled paint as you continue moving the heat gun to adjacent surfaces.
Remember to wear protective gloves and goggles when doing this method. Also, make sure that the heat gun isn’t too close to the wood as it may create scorch marks.
METHOD 3: Using Chemical-based Substances to Remove Paint
There are lots of chemical-based paint strippers that can help to take paint off furniture or any woodworking project. Make sure to pick one that’s specially formulated for the type of wood you will be working on.
Paint strippers often come in liquid form. Pour a small amount onto a container (preferably metal). Use a broad, flat brush to apply paint stripper evenly on the painted surface. You can also spray the paint stripper but this is more prone to product wastage.
You will know that chemical is working if you see a layer of foam forming on the wood surface. Leave the chemical to work for about 23-30 minutes. At this point, leave doors and windows open if you’re working indoors so the chemical fumes won’t build up inside.
Once 20-30 minutes have passed, try scraping a small amount of paint using a putty knife. The chemical has worked correctly if the knife cuts into the paint. Use a metal scraper to strip all the paint off.
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