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What is this substance I'm trying to sand off..

  • 21-11-2018 9:41pm
    #1
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭


    And failing.
    Can someone identify it. It's on an old Georgian 4 panelled door. I've removed all the paint but this stuff is gunking up my sandpaper pretty quick. Pretty sure it's varnish but just want to make sure.

    Any ideas how to remove it. I've another 4 to do and it's making me regret even starting 😀


Comments

  • #2
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,846 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    Use 40 or 60 grit paper, and minimum pressure on the sander, the varnish is melting onto the sandpaper, you will also need an extractor on the sander.
    Did you consider using paint stripper


  • #3
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    tabby aspreme wrote: »
    Use 40 or 60 grit paper, and minimum pressure on the sander, the varnish is melting onto the sandpaper, you will also need an extractor on the sander.
    Did you consider using paint stripper

    Thanks, I had 60 on it.
    I used paint stripper on the door as it had quite a few layers of paint on it. Will one more coat work to remove this stuff?
    So if I just use minimum pressure on the sander will it come off you reckon or will it still melt?


  • #4
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,846 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    seannash wrote: »
    Thanks, I had 60 on it.
    I used paint stripper on the door as it had quite a few layers of paint on it. Will one more coat work to remove this stuff?
    So if I just use minimum pressure on the sander will it come off you reckon or will it still melt?

    Using minimum pressure with coarse paper has worked for me in the past, but it takes a lot of concentration to not lean on the sander, try the paint stripper first


  • #5
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    tabby aspreme wrote: »
    Using minimum pressure with coarse paper has worked for me in the past, but it takes a lot of concentration to not lean on the sander, try the paint stripper first

    Thanks, I'll give it one more coat, this will be the fourth. Still have the other side to do!


  • #6
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,846 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    What type of stripper are you using


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  • #7
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    tabby aspreme wrote: »
    What type of stripper are you using

    I've tried mangers on the last coat. Prior to that Bartoline 10x.
    It definitely stripped the paint but only one layer at a time


  • #8
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,846 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    Conservation technology, on Davitt Rd Dublin have a good range of professional paint strippers, could be worth your while contacting them if you have more to do, I will post in the morning which of their products I used on old doors.


  • #9
    dathi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,383 ✭✭✭dathi


    use course wire wool with the last coat of paint stripper to rub of the residue of varnish ie. paint on the stripper and while still wet rub it clean with the wire wool it will take most of the brown varnish of and you wont clog up your sander as much make sure you are wearing gloves as it is nasty stuff on skin


  • #10
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    tabby aspreme wrote: »
    Conservation technology, on Davitt Rd Dublin have a good range of professional paint strippers, could be worth your while contacting them if you have more to do, I will post in the morning which of their products I used on old doors.
    Thank you


  • #11
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    dathi wrote: »
    use course wire wool with the last coat of paint stripper to rub of the residue of varnish ie. paint on the stripper and while still wet rub it clean with the wire wool it will take most of the brown varnish of and you wont clog up your sander as much make sure you are wearing gloves as it is nasty stuff on skin


    Thanks,
    I've seen recommendations of a wire brush. I guess that's the same idea.


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  • #12
    Thud
    Registered Users Posts: 2,522 ✭✭✭Thud


    old door, could it be wax?


  • #13
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    Thud wrote: »
    old door, could it be wax?
    I dont think it is, it does go to a clay like consistency though when its sanded for a long time though (Heat)


  • #14
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,846 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    Langlow Strip Away was what I used , the doors were 200 plus years old , pegged mortise joints, layers of paint , most of it lead based, originally they were dark green.


  • #15
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,846 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    Before and after


  • #16
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    tabby aspreme wrote: »
    Before and after
    Wow!
    Great work. Paint looks similar to what I'm contending with.
    I'll see if I can locate some of that.
    Thanks again


  • #17
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,418 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Whatever stripper you're using, the wire wool suggestion given previously is a good one.


  • #18
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    Thanks again folks for the suggestions folks.
    I have it one more coat of stripper and attacked it with the steel wool.
    It worked a treat however I left the stripper on a little too long and it dried in some spots.
    Some before and after. It's still wet so it should lighten up a bit but it's pretty much the look I was going for.
    Thanks again
    A before and a few afters


  • #19
    dathi
    Registered Users Posts: 1,383 ✭✭✭dathi


    if you have a lot of doors to do buy an electric heat gun about 25 euro in woodies and use it with a paint scraper to remove most of the paint before finishing with the stripper and wire wool it will save you a lot of stripper and time


  • #20
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    dathi wrote: »
    if you have a lot of doors to do buy an electric heat gun about 25 euro in woodies and use it with a paint scraper to remove most of the paint before finishing with the stripper and wire wool it will save you a lot of stripper and time
    I might just do that to be honest


  • #21
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,418 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    If there's a chance that the paint might be lead based, I think I'd be a bit cautious about using a heat gun. A bit of Googling reveals that lead oxide evaporates at temperatures commonly achieved by heat guns.


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  • #22
    seannash
    Registered Users Posts: 5,672 ✭✭✭seannash


    Not to drag the arse our of this but just a follow up.
    As I said already the steel wool was great but tonight I took all I learned from this thread and decided I'd do a new door.
    I applied the first coat of paint stripper, left it for one hour like it said and went back to apply a second coat as Instructed.
    The second coat application seemed to do nothing.am I doing something wrong?
    I'd like to take as many layer of paint as possible but perhaps this is the only way to do it.
    Pictures attached
    Foster picture is the paint bubbling after the first coat. The second picture is how it looked after I applied the second coat and the third is where I scrapped everything off but was left with paint still on the door


  • #23
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,846 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    Unless you get commercial grade stripper, it's a very tedious process as the regular paint strippers that you get in most hardware and paint shops will only remove 1or 2 layers of paint at a time.


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