Removing Varnish From Cabinet Doors

Remove the cabinet doors and drawers from the cabinet base.

Removing varnish from cabinet doors.

Scrape the gelled finish off the cabinets using a paint. Though labor intensive sandpaper is capable of removing nearly any wood finish. Scrape off the varnish with a paint scraper or a putty knife. The layer of stain remover tends to swell or bubble up when ready for removal.

I applied a thicker coat of the paint stripper with a cheap paint brush and let it sit for 30 minutes. Step 1 remove all doors drawers hinges handles and knobs. Scrape directly into a trash can if possible. Some of the stain may linger after scraping.

Step 2 fold a sheet of fine grit sanding paper into a square and sand over the entire surface of the cabinets the cabinet doors and the drawer fronts. Hand sand small spots or leave them and sand it while sanding your door. Before the stain remover has dried gently scrape the layer of stain and stripper residue from the wood surface with a plastic scraper or putty knife. If however you don t plan on repainting the object but prefer instead to show off the wood grain underneath or stain it at most then you re going to have to remove every last drop of old paint.

Now back to stripping the paint from the cabinets. Scouring pads and or steel wool you ll use these with the solvent to remove the stripper residue. Allow at least 15 minutes for the stripper to gel the finish. It can be used to refinish hardwood floors or it can be used to remove varnish from much smaller surfaces a.

Spread the wood filler and allow it to dry. Brush the stripper on the cabinet face frames and end jambs two at a time. For cracks in the door scrape or sand off any rough or raised edges. Painters tape to protect areas around cabinets and walls if you are working on something installed like a door frame or kitchen cabinets.

You can use a stiff bristled scrub brush to remove varnish from fancy curved details. Use a marker and a small piece of masking tape to label each drawer and cabinet door with a designated symbol that indicates where they go when finished. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws twisting in a counterclockwise direction. Use a screwdriver to remove the hinges and drawer pulls.