Refinishing banister and spindles...how best to do?

13 years ago

I have a gorgeous 110 year old home, and I am refinishing the staircase. The Banisters, Spindles, and Posts are lovely oak with years of dirt, grime, and grease on them. I would like to refinish them, and will do so with Tung Oil - this much I know. I have begun this process of cleaning the railings by washing (in test sections) with warm water and soap and an abrasive pad, with pretty good results, removing the black grease, and some of the finish. The spindles and posts are obviously a greater and more intricate challenge, given they are beautifully contoured but also have tough to get nooks and edges. What is the best way to strip these? Citristrip? sandpaper? ? ? It would be a shame to do a 80% job on this and I am willing to put in the effort to refinish them. I am just looking for the most effective way to do so (time, effort, and results). Does anyone have good suggestions? Thanks for the input....

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Comments (4)

kindred_ny
13 years ago
No real experience, but my mother took furniture refinishing classes, and they learned to NEVER use sandpaper to strip old wood. I guess it removes the "aged" surface or something. As I said, just going on what's she's told me during projects. She always uses a chemical stripper, washes it with steel wool (very fine) and denatured alcohol. She uses a variety of tools to get into the detail work (alls, small screwdrivers,nutpicks,etc-being careful not to scratch the wood). Please don't take this as professional advice, because I'm just passing on info given to me second hand. Oh, and don't use strings to get into the curve details. Someone in her class did that, going back and forth very quickly, and started the piece on fire!
fanner
13 years ago
Wow, I admire your ambition and you will no doubt be able to enjoy the rewards for many years to come! I have almost 0 wood stripping experience but I know there are countless others here who will be able to advise you. It sounds like you are off to a good start. As "kindred" mentioned you can use any tool that you can imagine ~ tooth picks and small dowels that have been sharpened (you can use a pencil sharpener) work well and safely in small grooves. You said it is oak so the wood shouldn't be terribly soft. A firm brush (I used a small brass brush on a door I worked on) can work, too, but could scratch so use with caution. It will also gum up often, so use a pick to keep it from clogging up.

Also as kindred mentioned, denatured alcohol works great with fine steel wool on detail work and small grooves. I put some into a small spray bottle (clearly marked as I have several small children)and just sprayed it on each spot as I went along. It evaporates quickly so this is a great time saver! Spray one spot, rub with the steel wool and move to the next spot, spray, rub repeat... One other tool that worked great in very small grooves was a gasket remover. It looks like a dental pick, only it cost about $2.00! They have them in auto part stores and near the plumbing supplies in our hardware store.

As for the major stripping medium I am not able to give any experienced advice at all. My project was removing paint, not just dirty 110 year old finish. I would guess a gel stripper would work best on virticle surfaces.

Whatever you decide we would love to see pictures!! Before and after as you will no doubt want to document your progress. Good luck to you. And if you have not already stumbled across this site, search for old home web forums..... there are several "cross posters" there in addition to many other experienced individuals. Just in case you don't get all of your questions answered here (this is a very informative and experienced group, just not quite as frequently attended) Hope this helps!
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Ok - that staircase is beautiful!!! It could be absolutely stunning!!! I know this will be work, but I would strip the staircase and the face board along the staircase - you can do the opposite board later or just replace it with a salvaged piece later. It really will be beautiful - a show piece. Looks like you have maple under the paint so the paint won't be in the grooves. If you set a reasonable goal - like one spindle each weekend, it won't be so daunting and you'll be able to see how fantabulous it will look. Get a good, enviro-friendly stripper like the Peel-Away and let it do it job, then peel & re-apply. The key is to keep the stipper wet so it can work through all the layers - so keep it covered and sealed after you apply each coat. Once the big gunk is off you can use 3M stripper pads and steel wool to scrub off the residue. Use a flexible putty knife or razor blade to scrape off the early gunk. Plastic scrapers work well for the curves - you can even buy curved scrapers. Once you get the hang of it, it will go faster... If you want more specific tips, email me - I'd be glad to share : ) Good luck!
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kindred_ny
13 years ago
Mrsrichards, GREAT idea about the spray bottle! I am in the middle of finishing an art deco chifferobe ( it's been 2 years now! lol)and that would be so helpful! Thanks for a super tip!
brickeyee
13 years ago
I would never use water to clean woodwork like that.

It will find ANY defects in the finish already present and then get into the wood.

Paint thinner is much preferred, but you do have to be careful to ventilate (and remove sources of ignition) since the thinner vapors ARE flammable.

Refinishing banister and spindles...how best to do?

Comments (4)

kindred_ny

fanner

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