Gentle Varnish Removal

[David Fairfield]

Hi, I usually hang out over in the laser engraver forum, so forgive me if this is a repetitive question... :rolleyes:

I have a valuable 60+ year old hand-carved plaque with an ugly, sloppy 30 year old coat of orange-hued clear glossy varnish spoiling its original bare wood appearance. I'm not sure what type of wood it is, but it might be mahogany.

So my question is: what is the best way to reveal the natural wood underneath without damaging it? Can anyone recommend some gentle chemical stripping products, or other techniques? I saw something based on citric acid at the Home Depot that looked promising but I figured I'd best ask you guys first! :)

Thanks!!!
Dave

[Jerry Olexa]

Make sure its varnish and not shellac (being that old). Dampen a damp rag w some DA and see if it softens. Might save u some time/effort. If it is Shellac, its relatively easy to take off...

[David Fairfield]

Make sure its varnish and not shellac (being that old). Dampen a damp rag w some DA and see if it softens. Might save u some time/effort. If it is Shellac, its relatively easy to take off...

Thanks, Jerry. Yep, it did soften! Not to the point where it wants to peel off easily, but it did become gummy and left an orange brown smudge on the rag.

So I assume we're talking about shellac now.

Dave

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks, Jerry. Yep, it did soften! Not to the point where it wants to peel off easily, but it did become gummy and left an orange brown smudge on the rag.

So I assume we're talking about shellac now.

Dave

Dave: That's good news.. Now, continue to apply DA w a soft cloth and try to continually "lift off" the old shellac. It'll take some time but will work. Be patient. Much easier than removing varnish...