Removing Lacquer Finish

[Tim Boger]

Is it possible to remove a cured (rattle can) lacquer finish from a Spalted maple bowl with Lacquer Thinner in order to apply a bee's wax and mineral mix to it?

Sanding is always an option as I have a vacuum chuck set up, just want to make it as simple a project as I can.

Thanks,
Tim

[Tony De Masi]

I've not tried the lacquer thinner route before but I have done the sanding routine. I went this route as I was concerned what the added moisture would do to the turning, meaning adding some warpage to the piece. Not sure if warpage is a legitimate word but I'm using it none the less.

[Lee Reep]

Unless you get a large sealed container and soak the bowl for awhile, I'd sure not recommend applying by hand and scrubbing or scraping. The smell is obnoxious, and unless you have chemical-proof gloves, you'll likely go thru nitrile or other cheap disposable gloves using lacquer thinner. Maybe by soaking, you can soften and then wipe off most of the old finish.

Years ago my wife and I used the nasty chemical strippers on some old furniture. Those were really nasty to use. But perhaps some of the new soy or orange strippers might work for you.

I think I'd be inclined to try sanding it off first. :)

[Thom Sturgill]

My question would be how spalted is it? If it had gone punky and the lacquer were used to stiffen fibers, removing the lacquer would probably be a bad idea. Good pictures might help. Hard finishes and spalt tend to go hand-in-hand in my book.

[Tim Boger]

The material was not so spalted that I would have considered it a hardening agent.

I think I'll just go ahead and sand it and refinish with the mineral oil and wax mixture.

Thanks guys for the advice.

Tim

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Thinner will not work. Stripper will remove it but that's a mess. Just sand it. Lacquer lays on the surface and does not soak in like oil. I think you will have luck sanding. You can always test a spot on the bottom.

[Reed Gray]

Yea, sand it out, and apply The Doctor's Walnut oil mix, and he has several. Far better than mineral oil.

robo hippy

[Tim Boger]

Thanks Faust, appreciate your feedback.
Tim


Thinner will not work. Stripper will remove it but that's a mess. Just sand it. Lacquer lays on the surface and does not soak in like oil. I think you will have luck sanding. You can always test a spot on the bottom.

[Tim Boger]

Hey Reed,

Are you able to tell me what makes The Doctor's Walnut Oil better? I've never used it.

Thanks,
Tim

Yea, sand it out, and apply The Doctor's Walnut oil mix, and he has several. Far better than mineral oil.

robo hippy

[Tom Giacomo]

Since you have a vacuum chuck, I would use a curved scraper to get most of the finish off on the lathe then you will only need light sanding.

[Pat Scott]

Once lacquer cures, lacquer thinner will no longer work on it. The only thing you can do is sand it off, but expect to go through A LOT of sandpaper as it will get gummed up within seconds. If you decide to sand, it's best to start with a coarse grit. I like Tom's idea to use a scraper first.

I've tried to remove other finishes before, and after going through a lot of sandpaper and such, it's almost not worth the hassle. Once you start there's no turning back.

[Thom Sturgill]

If you wet sand with mineral spirits (good ventilation) and a paper towel to catch the slurry, you can use the sandpaper as long as the grit hold up. For the last sanding switch to walnut oil, but be sure to wipe well as the slurry will fill pores and walnut oil does harden albeit slowly.