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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Paint Stripper - Product Review & Ideas

I've been feeling very productive lately. Yesterday was a painting day with two projects completed. 
Here's one of them. 


I experimented with a new (to me) product to get several layers of paint off the pulls and knobs so I could spray paint them and have a smooth finish.
This paint stripper is in spray form. There are pour-able types too, this was the cheapest one on the shelf so it won.


Here is a pull and three knobs before being stripped of years of being painted.


My husband did the deed of spraying everything since I am pregnant and didn't want the fumes. 
A few minutes after being sprayed. 


I also tested it out on the drawer front that was in the worst shape. 


The first attempt wasn't as successful as we had hoped for two reasons:
1) The stripper instructions specify that it works best in temperatures from 75 to 85 degrees F. Even though we did this in the evening, the temperatures here were well exceeding that, possibly close to 100 degrees. So, although the can says to wait 15 minutes for the spray to work, we shouldn't have waited that long because it dried during that time, leaving the remaining paint very goopy and stuck. The one knob that I had rushed and didn't wait the full 15 minutes is the one shown in my hand (below) that has most of the paint off.
2) We did not have a wire brush or steel wool to assist in scraping the paint off.


The drawer front cleaned up well even in the hot weather and without a wire brush. Here it is the next day after I sanded it again. 


The next day, I purchased a large metal brush and we tried again with the spray with success.
We didn't wait as long (only 8-10 minutes after spraying), scrubbed hard with the brush and wiped them clean with a damp cloth.


Then, I rinsed them with water to be sure no chemicals were remaining and then spray painted them black.
I am enjoying the new little dresser as an addition to my girls' room and it coordinates very well with the large dresser that we painted a few years back.



~ Chelsea ~