Advice on stripping paint from old door


andrew11

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In the Spring, I am going to start stripping a few layers of paint off a 1927 french door. I believe the door is made of Fir if that matters. I want to get it back to it's original state and stained to match the rest of my woodwork. 

Few questions for you guys...

1. What is the best stripper to use? I hear Peel Away 7 is good but only seems to come in a gallon. which I think is too much?

2. Will the stripper hurt the glass at all? Do I need to tape it off or anything?

3. After all paint is removed, I will start to stain. Same question as above, will the stain hurt the glass at all? Or can I just take a razor to it like I would with paint.

Thank you!!

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It really depends on type of paint on the door and how much your time a patience is worth, oil base or enamel will come off with a heat gun, you have to be careful not to burn and discolor the wood. The last doors a striped from that time frame were not painted but they had a lot of some sort of oil base finish on them, I used a aircraft stripper call "Talstrip II" and followed up with lacquer thinner and a scotch bright. Its not a process for the faint of heart or a person lacking the tenacity of a pit bull.

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I have an old house that I have been working on for the past few years.  The previous owners were probably the worst painters I have seen.  I was using the citrus paint stripper, worked well but still not a fun job. 

 

If your door hardware was painted like mine, drop all of the hardware in a crock pot of water.  After a few hours of cooking the paint will scrape right off.  I used a brass brush to clean the details.  Work on a piece until it starts to cool and dry out, drop it back in the cooker and work on another piece.  I was surprised at how fast i was able to clean the paint off of all the hardware.  As a bonus the wife got a brand new crock pot.

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A heat gun would be my first choice too.  I'd do it outside when there is a light breeze, and carefully watch what's going on.  As already said, keep it away from the glass.  As you get it bubbling and pealing away from the glass, a sharp scraper and chisel can go the last little bit under the lifted edge not directly next to the glass.

 

For reglazing, I use the Dap glazing that comes  in a caulking tube.  It's different than what comes in the cans, which does not have a good reputation.  The caulking tube glazing will shrink some.  After priming the bare wood, apply more than you want to end up with holding the tube vertically, and let it dry for a week. Put on a good 1/4" more than you want to end up with making sure it gets full contact with the glazing bar and glass.  Once it's dry, and you can see where it's shrunken in some, take a Very sharp chisel, and trim it to final profile in one pass.  I've done old sash like this since the late '80s that are still in fine shape.  Not including the wait time, this is absolutely the fastest way to glaze a window pane-talking a couple of minutes per sash total.  I don't like any of the paint the same day stuff anyway.

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