wrote in message
oups.com...
All,

I'd be grateful for some input. I've read around a bit and want to
clarify a few things.

I picked up a gorgeous oak & maple dresser with a hideous white paint
job. I've stripped it completely (some white paint remains in some
deep grain on the top) and have sanded it fairly heavily (it had a lot
of dings & stains, etc).

I'm a bit confused about the need for and the differences between
`grain filler,' 'sanding sealer,' etc. I'm also not sure in what
order
to proceed.

Does one, after sanding, use a sealer, then a filler, then a stain?
Is
the filler even necessary?

Also, as I mentioned above, there is some white paint that I can not
remove. I've tried steel wool, I've even tried toothpicks. Will a
grain filler hide that white paint? Should I just keep sanding? The
top (the only place with the white paint left over) is a thick solid
piece of oak, so I definitely have the material to keep sanding.

Thank you,
D. Hill.

The people around these parts are likely tired of hearing me harp on
this, but, it is difficult to give advice without seeing the piece. In
this case, you have already stripped off the white paint, be it good or
bad. I would assume you used the same method most do, by pouring the
goopy stuff all over and scraping it off. By doing this, there is likely
little more you could do to the piece that would harm it more. However,
the advice of how to proceed depends greatly on where you want end up,
and where the piece should end up. A photo of the piece helps, however
you should get someone to look at it if it is at all old. It would be
all too easy to recommend aggressive mechanical means, only later to
find the paint was sticking to some important architectural feature or
landmark on the piece.

Generally speaking, in my world the following rules work well:

1. It is always easier to add effort than to take it away.
2. It is easier to darken something than lighten it.
3. Age and patina on a piece that gives it value is really dirt and
grime. Do you really want to clean it?
4. Paint has been around a very long time. How old is this paint you
want to take off?
5. When in doubt, have it checked out.

Paint finishes make me uncomfortable. Pine and some oak furniture from
the mid 1800's was finished with an opaque finish most call "paint".
Earlier pieces were painted inside. This original paint is often
mistaken for some recoat from the 60's or 70's. I have had the
unpleasant experience of telling someone the red paint they stripped
off a pine linen press was likely worth more than the piece itself.
Refinishers will not charge a great deal to look at your piece; please
get this done before stripping away with the goopy stuff...


C.