# Well, this finish is ruined. How to strip it?



## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

Hi all.

I bought this cool little tortilla-keeper from a Mayan craftsman in Yucatan 25 years ago. Unfortunately it was left on a stovetop while the oven was on, and the escaping heat ruined the finish. Given the rustic nature of the piece's origin, do you think this is shellac?

What would you suggest for stripping and refinishing? Thanks!

Gavin


----------



## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Test it with some DNA and see if that softens or removes any finish. If it does then it's likely Shellac. If it is Shellac then you can apply new Shellac right on top of that and it will blend right in.

David


----------



## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

If it is not Shellac then something like this is what I would recommend. https://www.amazon.com/Minwax-67300...ds=furniture+refinisher&qid=1589913108&sr=8-1


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

difalkner said:


> Test it with some DNA and see if that softens or removes any finish. If it does then it's likely Shellac. If it is Shellac then you can apply new Shellac right on top of that and it will blend right in.
> 
> David


what if it's lacquer???


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

MEBCWD said:


> If it is not Shellac then something like this is what I would recommend. https://www.amazon.com/Minwax-67300...ds=furniture+refinisher&qid=1589913108&sr=8-1


*Recipe for furniture stripper: *
Equal parts of acetone, methanol (wood alcohol), methylene chloride and toluene... 
soak or paint it on... little goes a long way... wrap/cover the object in a cotton towel and soak the towel... use a white one...
remove the towel and scrape the sludge of w. a plastic putty knife...
don't bother asking what happens if you use a synthetic fabric towel or one that has been dyed...

Always (paint formula, MSDS unknown) consider the probability of the paint being a lead and/or copper base being pretty good... it may fizz/boil/pop/what not a bit.... kinda like mixing Rice Crispies and Alka-Selzer together...
I trust you will be doing this out doors while holding your breath on a breezy day and wearing chemical gloves ... 

*just never forget you are dealing with unknown paint/finish... do a small segment to start w/ at 1st.. *


----------



## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I put isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel and rubbed the bottom if the thing pretty vigorously and got nothing. There was no visible effect or noticeable softening of the finish. So... not shellac?

The good news is that the inside of the container (where food goes) is fine, but if I can avoid toluene and its ilk on my food-service items that'd be nice. That Minwax stripper says it doesn't work on polyurethane, which I guess this could be. Would a transparent coating contain lead? This was from '95, and granted it's from rural Yucatan but I would not have been worried about lead.



> I trust you will be doing this out doors while holding your breath on a breezy day and wearing chemical gloves ...


I hate to betray your trust, but the likely scenario is that'll be doing this in the garage of my rental apartment while bathing my hands in and huffing all the required solvents.

What's the next test I should do?


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

lacquer thinner...


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

denatured and isopropyl are two different animals...

https://pediaa.com/difference-between-denatured-alcohol-and-isopropyl-alcohol/


----------



## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

Stick486 said:


> *Recipe for furniture stripper: *
> Equal parts of acetone, methanol (wood alcohol), methylene chloride and toluene...
> [/B]


Let us know if you survive this one - yikes!


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Bstrom said:


> Let us know if you survive this one - yikes!


it's reverse engineered Formby's....


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Methylene chloride goes through some types of rubber gloves. I’m not sure which if any are good with it. Plus the fumes are carcinogenic. If a urethane or varnish was used and there was some moisture in the wood the hot sun might have bubbled it.


----------



## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

Stick486 said:


> denatured and isopropyl are two different animals...
> 
> https://pediaa.com/difference-between-denatured-alcohol-and-isopropyl-alcohol/


I wondered about whether isopropyl would work, and figured somebody would weigh in. Thanks!


----------



## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

I finally pulled out my bottle of denatured alcohol (which I've had since the '80s, for tape-deck-head cleaning), and it had no noticeable effect on the finish.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Stokestack said:


> I finally pulled out my bottle of denatured alcohol (which I've had since the '80s, for tape-deck-head cleaning), and it had no noticeable effect on the finish.


move on to lacquer thinner...


----------



## Stokestack (Jan 28, 2009)

Ok!


----------



## ebill (Jan 17, 2009)

Stokestack said:


> .....What would you suggest for stripping and refinishing? Thanks! Gavin


- my first thought was to hit it with some 400 and give a light sanding to take the finish back to fairly smooth. Then re-apply a new finish. 

- one time I was doing a pc of curly maple with spar and the finish <for whatever reason> went to a crinkly finish when it dried <moisture, humidity, who knows>. I hit it with some 400 to knock it back to smooth and re-sprayed. Came out fine. 

- ebill


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I always hit my projects with 400 before the last coat. Then after dry, pastewax .
Herb


----------

