Cleaning up and Truing Reclaimed Wood

[Paul Madden]

Total novice here.

I have some old Oak boards that (I believe) were used as molding at one point. I don't have the exact dimensions with me, but they are about 3/4" x 4". They are varnished on two sides.

What would I do to remove the Varnish and true them?

My thought was to 1st go over them with a belt sander to remove the varnish. Then plane both faces. Then run the edges through the jointer.

Would this be a good way to renew them? Or is there a better method?

Thanks in advance!

[Doug Garson]

Sanding the finish off should be your last resort, good chance the finish will gum up the sandpaper. Just took a finishing course at my local Lee Valley, removing old unknown finishes came up. The instructor suggested starting with rubbing alcohol and Q-tip or cotton ball. Rub a spot with the alcohol and Q tip for a few seconds and then leave it for a few minutes. If the finish gets tacky and the Q top sticks the finish is shellac and can be removed using rubbing alcohol, if not try lacquer thinner to see if it is lacquer. If not, move on to a chemical stripper or heat gun.

[Eric Schmid]

I usually just run it through the planer to remove the finish. Strippers would work as well, but a lot of mess and effort there; usually only worth it on finished furniture and the like. Sanding varnish will not be fun.

When I have more material to work with I cut behind the finish on the bandsaw. Cut enough wood so the finish is not disturbed. The finish stays adhered to the cut-off. Probably not feasible on 4/4 stock though.