Re-finishing wood furniture

[Jeanne]

I have this old bed, and I am in the process of stripping it to get the old finish off it to re-stain it and make it look new again.

Here is the bed before start of this project:





And pics taken just a bit ago, showing my progress:





So, for those of you out there that know about this stuff, or have experience, how do I go about getting the residue of white paint or primer that seems to be stuck in the grain?

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Thats cool
I've done a bit of refishing in the past. What I would do is use a bit of sand paper and use it really good on an area that won't be seen. And see if it comes out

[mlededee]

how did you strip it exactly? did you use a stripping chemical or did you just sand it off? generally strippers take off most everything and then you can just sand it smooth...

[Jeanne]

I used a chemical stripper, not water based though b/c I dont want the grain to raise on it from getting wet with water based products.

[mlededee]

that's cool--pretty much just sand it down from this point and make sure to prime it first if you are going to paint it.

[iceman25]

Very nice job Jeanne. I used to do a little bit of wood work meself a couple of years ago. Just sand it down with a block, working your way up from a medium to the finer grades and the surface should be ready for stain or paint(after primer ofcourse). Do you know what kind of wood it is? Just play it by eye, so that the sanding doesn't mess it up instead

[Jeanne]

Raj- I am not sure what kind of wood it is actually, wish I did know.

Once this thing is clear of the paint and what ever is left over, I will be staining it.

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Looks alot like one of our old beds we have here. My mom really likes her old furnitures. We have a guy that does all out refinishing but I think he just uses multiple kinds of sand paper. Good luck with your little project and keep us updated