Originally Posted by sewbizgirl
Originally Posted by Glenn
Originally Posted by BoJangles
You guys remember my new Wilcox & Gibbs on page 695? Well, it had been painted black - twice - under that a white or cream, can't tell! I am trying to strip the cabinet to get it back to the original wood, which is very pretty. I am using Glenn's tutorial, but what a pain in the backside! It had so much paint on the cabinet that I am on my second can of stripper. I am finally getting down to the wood, but now there is white paint imbedded in the grain of the wood!
Glenn, will I ever get this cabinet back to the original? Geeze, I can't believe what some people do to these antique cabinets and machines!
On a good note, my Wilcox and Gibbs sews beautifully!
Nancy
It is unfortunate that the cabinet has several layers of paint. This does make it a little more difficult to strip. I find that a paste or thick stripper works better than the watery kind. Paint a thick layer on the finish a section at a time then cover with plastic to keep the stripper from evaporating and leave on for about 40 min. This will keep the stripper moist and to reach deeply into the paint. Most sewing cabinets are not painted and the old shellac stripps easy. If you find paint in the grain of the wood after stripping take a small brass brush, apply stripper and use the brush with the grain of the wood to remove the paint in the grain. This will take time. I just hate it when someone paints over a nice woold finish. Hope this helps but paint is always hard to get out of oak. I am here to help. Glenn
Here in the South people seem to like the look of that little bit of paint left on the finish-- don't know what it's called, but at flea markets I see a lot of stuff that was refinished but the old paint residues left in the wood grain. It's kind of a distressed look and very popular here. It's not traditional for a sewing machine, but neither are purple and blue automotive paint for the heads (sorry, Billy!). Sometimes you have to make the best of what you have...
I think they control how much of the paint coat to leave/remove by wiping down with mineral spirits, but don't quote me on that.
It's called "shabby chic" .... leaving some paint in the wood or slapping on more more and rubbing it around to make it look "distressed"? My husband was in the process of stripping layers of white paint off a solid walnut chest of drawers (which he had pulled out of a dumpster) several years ago when our DIL came over and said "STOP" ... she wanted it just like it was and ended up slopping more paint on and it looked fantastic in their home with the type if decorating she does.