Stripping Varnish

[carron81]

hi

i'm getting a bed for my daughter that used to be my mums.

its brown varnish and i want to paint it white.

whats the best way to strip it or is there any paints out there that i could put on top of the brown (heres' hoping!!!)?

[Hawkwalk]

Sand paper and a good rubbing will remove it. I doubt you will be able to paint directly onto it as the surface will be too glossy and new paint wont bond. An electric sander will make life easier if you have one.

[Naomicorlett]

I sanded our bed and then used satin wood with a small roller. Much to OH's suprise it's very nice. ( He's a grumpy old man and never thinks my brill ideas will work.)

[fbg40]

Hi Carron
There is a product on the market called ESP - easy surface primer. I have used this a few times and it works exceptionally well. Brush it on all over the bedframe liberally, wipe off any excess and then leave to dry for at least 1, preferably 2 hours. Give it a final wipe and then undercoat as required and topcoat.
Hope this helps
FBG40

[delrich]

i had the same problem ,like your question, the main possible problem is the age of the "varnish" that you are trying to remove. If it old 1930-1940ish you may find it is a dark brown colour. so the main problem is when you use a heat gun the "varnish very bubbles up and is quite easily removed.( you need to be quick or the heat gun will burn into the wood) This will then possibly show the primer (in those days grey). so a good sanding will open the wood grain and it will need a new coat of primer and then you are well on the way to a perfect finish. But if it is the later type try a normal Nitromors. This is a messy alternative.

[KARL]

If it is aged varnish as opposed to brown paint then the bed may be a substantial piece. If the bed is of any potential value as an antique, stripping it may dramatically reduce that value unless carefully done - but white is then a no-no in any case.