Originally Posted by
jljack
Here is briefly the technique:
1. Clean the entire surface with a wet rag.
2. Using denatured alcohol and very fine steel wool, going with the grain, wipe back and forth with pressure to remove as much of the finish as possible.
3. Sand with fine sandpaper in the direction of the grain
4. Clean with tack cloth or soft clean lint free rag
5. Apply Tung oil in the direction of the grain, applying thoroughly but not "wet" on the wood.
6. Wipe it all down thoroughly to remove any excess oil.
That's it. It does take some effort to get the old finish off, but worth it!!
I had never stripped a shellac surface before re-doing my treadle cabinet. It was amazing what the denatured alcohol pulled off! I actually ended up using a green Scotch Brite scrub pad cut into squares because my steel wool would shed and stick in the shellac "goo" coming off the wood. That and lots of paper towels to wipe away the mess. Easiest stripping I've ever done.
Now I have to find something around here to try out the Tung oil on. It's such a warm finish.