Eco-friendly varnish stripper - Canada?

[Grizzle]

Hi,

Time's come to get the old varnish off the Langford. Can anyone advise me regarding a paint stripper that I can wash out on to the grass please - and that works! - available here in Quebec province (or over in Eastern Ontario)?

Thanks

G

 

[Howie]

I've tried the pink eco friendly strippers. They smell nice but just don't do a good job for me.

I've been steered to 'Dad's Easy Spray Paint and Varnish Remover' by several people. While I don't know about being eco friendly, it is water soluable, and that's a big plus for me as I can easily de-gunk my cleaning pads with water from the hose. And while I may be wrong about this, I feel that cleanup with mineral spirits can cause dirt to be carried into the wood, so cleanup with water is a big plus for me - I try to get the woods as new looking as possible. Plus Dad's does an excellent job at stripping. Make sure to wear water-proof gloves though - you don't want to get this stuff on you. It's available through Ace Hardware.

 

[Grizzle]

Thanks very much for this. In the end I had to make a choice and went for EZstrip http://www.ezstrip.ca/

http://canoe-at-little-log-cabin.blogspot.co.uk/

About four hours work now, two thirds done.

G

 

[David Satter]

Soy Gel by Franmar, not sure if it's available where you are. It's great I've been using it for years and it really does work. Dave

 

[Grizzle]

Thanks

The EZ strip is improved by scrubbing with a fine, brass brush. The company videos show the operators using a scrubbing pad. Seems that's the key. 7/8 done now! (Shall I go back and re-do the bits where I didn't use the wire brush.......)

G

 

[Todd Bradshaw]

The other thing to know about stripper is that from the moment you apply it, it starts drying out, and as it dries out it gets less and less effective. The key then becomes getting the old finish liquefied before your stripper has lost its power. The way to do that is to cover it on the surface to keep the air from drying it out. This is what the Peel-Away people did with their stripper kits which contained a good (but not exceptional) stripper and plastic sheeting to cover it with. You brush it on, cover it and leave it to work over a longer time period, without worrying about it hardening into a mess. Naturally, your stripper and plastic sheeting have to get along without melting the sheet, but some strippers (like Citristrip) even come in a plastic jug. That's a pretty good sign that you can use it, but do a small test first.