How to Strip Target USL

[Larry Fox]

There is another thread on how to strip laquer but I didn't want to hijack that thread so I will start this one.

I have to strip a cabinet that was finished with the schedule:

BLO, 2x coats dewaxed shellac, 3-4x of Target USL.

The cabinet is in a bathroom and the USL failed miserably under the conditions and now I need to strip it. I suspect a bad batch of USL but Jeff from Target does not seem to want to call me back to talk about this (despite leaving repeated messages) ... but that's another story.

I have been using a card scraper to scrape it until the scrapings turn from white to amber which tells me I am back to the shellac. With a spray bottle of DNA and a card scraper it is relatively easy going from there. Spritz on some DNA, wait a few seconds, scrape goop off - repeat.

My question, is there anything that will soften the USL to make that part of it easier going? I was going to give Lacquer thinner a go but it is not lacquer (in name only) so I am not sure how effective that would be.

Thanks in advance for your time

[Scott Holmes]

Any chemical stripper with methylene chloride will work just fine. I would not bother trying the "green" Citrus strippers from my experience, they don't work well nor quickly.

[Larry Fox]

Apprecaite the reply J. My intention is to refinish this with the exact same schedule, is my understanding correct that a chemical stripper will discolor it and require that it be painted?

As an aside, I am really pretty cautious of an MC stripper. I have been around some folks who have worked with MC a lot and to say that some of them are not all there would be an understatement and I can't help but think that it had something to do with it.

[Scott Holmes]

Discolot it and require painting? Not from what I've seen. It may take some color out and need staining.