Cherry Finish For Poplar - Part 1

I recently came across this picture of a coffee tabletop I made a while back. Just wanted to step out of my safe zone, Minwax. I thought I read enough to understand the ½ pound cut of shellac thing and using alcohol dye. Even thought I could handle the sapwood that perhaps I shouldn't have built with? Only wanted to make poplar look like cherry. You get the idea. This is what pissed me off about finishing... take a look.



Lets Get Started

I’ll take the finish off using a chemical stripper. I like thick rubber gloves, because the steel wool will chew through most regular "finishing" rubber gloves. Not pictured are my safety goggles. Always wear safety goggles for splashes and from those vapors which can sting the eyes. Work in a well-ventilated area or best outdoors. I apply the stripper with a natural hair paintbrush. Let is sit on the surface till the old finish has mostly lifted and bubbled up. I then remove the heavy layer of goo with a large putty-knife wiping it into paper towels. Then I'll go back over the area applying more stripper...let it sit on the surface a few minutes and while the surface is still wet, scrub the surface in the direction of the grain removing finish that remains down in the pores of the wood. Your steel wool will be come full of removed finish just like a sponge soaking up water.

Alright, top is now stripped then I'll be moving on to the table base. When everything is completely stripped wash the wood down with mineral spirits removing any residue.