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Thread: How to undo a mistake

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    How to undo a mistake

    I put a wax finish on some stained cherry but now I think I want to put a layer of shellac on before the wax. What can I use to remove the wax?

    Thanks for your help.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    NE OH
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    mineral spirits will remove wax. Not necessary to get every last bit of it off for shellac.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  3. #3
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    +1. What Paul said.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  4. #4
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    McKinney, TX
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    +2. And use lots of paper towels so you don’t just smear it around
    Steve Jenkins, McKinney, TX. 469 742-9694
    Always use the word "impossible" with extreme caution

  5. #5
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    Mineral spirits in California now is weird stuff. It is about half some fluid which does evaporate, and half some oily fluid which does not evaporate, no matter how long you wait. Maybe you get the wax with the mineral spirits, and soap&water to get any residual oil.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jamie Buxton View Post
    Mineral spirits in California now is weird stuff. It is about half some fluid which does evaporate, and half some oily fluid which does not evaporate, no matter how long you wait. Maybe you get the wax with the mineral spirits, and soap&water to get any residual oil.
    Good point, in which case Naptha would be a better choice. You must still be able to buy Coleman camp stove fuel. In any case, with Naptha and mineral spirits there is a risk of pulling up the stain, too, unless it is well cured. OP, if you use Naptha, do it outside - and don't smoke!

    John

  7. #7
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    Dec 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jamie Buxton View Post
    Mineral spirits in California now is weird stuff. It is about half some fluid which does evaporate, and half some oily fluid which does not evaporate, no matter how long you wait. Maybe you get the wax with the mineral spirits, and soap&water to get any residual oil.
    I’m in Colorado and I recently picked up Klean Strip odorless mineral spirits at Home Depot. Same stuff I’ve used for years except the can was bare aluminum with a label, not the all blue can. It took DAYS to evaporate off a shop towel I used. I managed to find the real stuff at Rockler but I’m worried it’s being phase out. I emailed Klean Strip but haven’t heard back.

    41231D64-5200-4943-A132-DCDB04C975BE.jpgA2DF8E8F-C3D6-4DFE-A9AF-1E74AFACA3EB.jpg

  8. #8
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    Dec 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bennett Ostroff View Post
    I’m in Colorado and I recently picked up Klean Strip odorless mineral spirits at Home Depot. Same stuff I’ve used for years except the can was bare aluminum with a label, not the all blue can. It took DAYS to evaporate off a shop towel I used. I managed to find the real stuff at Rockler but I’m worried it’s being phase out. I emailed Klean Strip but haven’t heard back.

    41231D64-5200-4943-A132-DCDB04C975BE.jpgA2DF8E8F-C3D6-4DFE-A9AF-1E74AFACA3EB.jpg

    The can with the yellow label makes no mention of using it to thin varnish; the blue/orange can says so right on the front. That's the tip off of bad vs. good stuff. The good stuff also usually says "100% mineral spirits" somewhere on the label.

    John

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