John Bear gave this tip for stripping paint from carvings. Make a paste of stripper and saw dust, using a small brush to work paste in. It worked great for him.
Recommendation for the next time...Varathane makes good products, but some woods are just naturally splotchy. And crazy layers of paint likely painted over old finishes with not much prep & the chemicals to remove them don't help. Using shellac (without wax in it) instead of a preconditioner/sealant often works to even out the wood grain. Shellac can be applied under stain & finishes. I usually put it on with an old piece of t-shirt instead of a brush, so I can ensure it's going into the grain--not a thick coat but not a thin one either. It was a common practice to use shellac this way 100s of years ago & still works today.
It's a beautiful mantle, great job! Are you going to refinish (take off the paint) from the wide and tall floorboard trim too? I have stain on my wide/tall floorboards, that I really love.
My mantle is almost an exact match for yours. It was a kit, it looks like yours might also be a kit. Mine is solid cherry and cherry plywood. Ours is stained and not painted. We got is about 30 years ago so that might not be the original mantle/ surround. No matter it is still lovely.
That is how you learn. Just begin and you will find your way. Best wishes. Safety first!
Thank you!
It was fun to see and hear your excitement for what was underneath…lol we feel your joy. It looks great. Linda Beals.
John Bear gave this tip for stripping paint from carvings. Make a paste of stripper and saw dust, using a small brush to work paste in. It worked great for him.
Ooh that’s really clever! Never would have thought of that. Thanks for sharing ☺️
Recommendation for the next time...Varathane makes good products, but some woods are just naturally splotchy. And crazy layers of paint likely painted over old finishes with not much prep & the chemicals to remove them don't help. Using shellac (without wax in it) instead of a preconditioner/sealant often works to even out the wood grain. Shellac can be applied under stain & finishes. I usually put it on with an old piece of t-shirt instead of a brush, so I can ensure it's going into the grain--not a thick coat but not a thin one either. It was a common practice to use shellac this way 100s of years ago & still works today.
Thank you so much for the recommendation!
It's a beautiful mantle, great job! Are you going to refinish (take off the paint) from the wide and tall floorboard trim too? I have stain on my wide/tall floorboards, that I really love.
Thank you! Yes, I’ll be refinishing all of the trim and doors in the house. I’ll probably be working on the living room trim early next year.
Its already looking beautiful! Cant wait to see it finished! 😊❤
Thank you!! Definitely lots of work, but so worth it!
My mantle is almost an exact match for yours. It was a kit, it looks like yours might also be a kit. Mine is solid cherry and cherry plywood. Ours is stained and not painted. We got is about 30 years ago so that might not be the original mantle/ surround. No matter it is still lovely.
Ooh very interesting! It’s so hard to tell what is and isn’t original to the house since there have been quite a few owners.
Looking great Patsy!!!
Thank you!!
Can’t wait to see the final outcome!!! Love it already
Same here! It’s going to look so good!
Wow! That was a lot of work. So worth it though. Looking forward to whatever next!
It was!! I can’t believe how much paint was on this thing! I’m so excited to finish it!