Home improvement help

[VonMessa]

Ummm because I like living in a nice place?  The basic requirements have already been met.  And, besides, I'm undoing my horrific mistake of saying to the ex 'sure paint it however you like it'  UGH...

Oh.....

Can't help ya there...   

[CAP1]

that's the ticket!!!!

i'll bet they'll run circles around ya for some good pizza, and soda.

[Melvin]

Depending upon the type of paint and how many layers you must get through, a heat gun or heat plate may be a good option.

<S> Melvin

[Dichotomy]

that's the ticket!!!!

i'll bet they'll run circles around ya for some good pizza, and soda.

psh.. they'll do it because they have a place to hang and I don't hassle them.. besides they're good kids and I usually grill up some burgers and dogs when they do.

Melvin I know it's two coats but the last one was applied in haste and not very thoroughly.  I'll probably experiment with the chemicals on one section this weekend to see what the results are. 

Like I said in the op.. this is generally the best place to find someone who has done something I haven't to get some pointers prior to screwing something up

[VonMessa]

psh.. they'll do it because they have a place to hang and I don't hassle them.. besides they're good kids and I usually grill up some burgers and dogs when they do.

Melvin I know it's two coats but the last one was applied in haste and not very thoroughly.  I'll probably experiment with the chemicals on one section this weekend to see what the results are. 

Like I said in the op.. this is generally the best place to find someone who has done something I haven't to get some pointers prior to screwing something up

Well, you didn't say that there was food involved, before...

Hell, throw in some beer and I'll be there, too 

[Dichotomy]

of course there's beer involved... I'll be expecting you Saturday 

[VonMessa]

of course there's beer involved... I'll be expecting you Saturday 

How many feet of clear space near your house?  If it's at least 550 ft., we're golden.   

I'll be there as soon as I'm finished my build   

[Dichotomy]

Arlington has a nice airport.. I'll pick you up there.  Nice plane by the way.

[VonMessa]

Arlington has a nice airport.. I'll pick you up there.  Nice plane by the way.

Not mine, but that's the one I'm building.

Mine will be wearing late war Luftwaffe livery   

[Ghosth]

I've had pretty good luck with the citrus based stripper.

Put on a fairly thick layer, let it set for 5 - 10 then grab a putty knife or scraper.
Will partly depend on how many layers need to come off and exactly what kind of paint is on it.

Remove all the fronts, the hardware, etc, lay em out on sawhorses in the garage. Whats left is normally fairly small strips. Getting it out of details in the doors, thats the hard part.

[ozrocker]

Use steel wool with the stripper, it helps a lot!

                                                                             <S> Oz

[CAP1]

Use steel wool with the stripper, it helps a lot!

                                                                             <S> Oz

i tried using steel wool with a stripper once. it didn't end well at all. 

[ozrocker]

i tried using steel wool with a stripper once. it didn't end well at all. 

For her or you?

                              <S> Oz

[Dichotomy]

i tried using steel wool with a stripper once. it didn't end well at all. 

 

when Red Seal comes out your nose it is NOT pretty sir

 

[oneway]

35 years building and restoring custom homes...here is my two cents...

First off what is under the paint?

What are the cabinets made of?

Is the finish factory enamel or some schleps attempt to cover over the original wood finish with some crappy paint and brush work?

Are the drawer fronts solid wood or veneer and tape ?

Are the doors paneled veneers with taped edges or are they solid wood rail/frame and panel inserts or are they pressure molded products?

What is the existing finish...is it latex over oil or latex over laquer or oil over OR WHAT?

What is under that existing finish...is it hardwood or soft wood...does it even look good when you strip a sample section..

========================

Before you go down this road...make sure you know exactly what your dealing with...and forget anybody who said sandblast or sand...those guys have no clue what they are talking about...you will blow right through the thin veneers in a second...

Tip:

Stripping cabinets to wood finish is normally ONLY worthwhile when the cabinets are older and made from real wood and are constructed using coped frames and solid laminated panels...if your dealing with anything but solid wood...its cheaper to just go and buy new boxes and install them yourself...

Sanding or stripping cheap plywood boxes is an utter and complete waste of time...

I cannot count the times I have seen weekend warriors completely fail trying to strip cabinets with home owner strippers from places like Home Depot etc...only to further destroy the out come by attacking with an orbital sander...

It is EXTREMELY rare that any cabinet layered with paint is worth stripping...unless you live in a home at least 50 years old....and the cabinets were made the old school way before they invented cheap plywood...

We often strip old doors...vintage doors that are worth saving...and we do it by pulling the doors and the hardware on them and sending them to strippers who dip them in tanks of caustics...it is virtually the only time we ever consider stripping old paint from vintage and worthy elements...

Out

Oneway

Edit: If you want actionable intelligence on this question:

Take a picture of the cabs outside and in...and post it here...
Describe exactly what the existing finish is, and to the best of your ability ascertain what is under that
Find out what species of wood your attempting to uncover
Get a rough date of the manufacture of the cabinet
Try to ascertain whether the cabs are custom or factory

Once you do that you can only then begin to get 'advice'