Old Bookcase Restoration

Instead I chose to use a paint stripper chemical solution that you brush on, and then after you leave on for awhile you scrape off, along with the paint.

The paint stripper was a thick jell like substance that you slathered on, more than brushed on. I did it out in my garage with the garage doors open. Paint stripper fumes can be deadly so I wanted to be sure I had plenty of fresh air. I also wore eye protection, gloves and a mask to protect my eyes and skin from burns and to not breathe in the fumes.

I applied the paint stripper slowly and carefully so that I made sure to get every square inch of the bookcase. I wanted this old bookcase restoration project to be a prime example to my wife on how we could save money and still own beautiful wood furniture. I also applied the paint stripper in stages. For example, I started out with the top and sides of the bookcase first. Later on, the following weekend, I did the shelving areas. After I applied the paint stripper I allowed time for it to bubble and wrinkle. Bubbles and wrinkles are good signs that the old paint is ready to be actually scraped off the wood.

I used a 1-1/2 inch wide putty knife to gently scrape away the paint stripper and old paint from the large surface areas of the bookcase. I also used an awl to get into all of the seams to remove the paint and paint stripper. I found I needed to apply a second coat of paint stripper to fully get the old paint off.

After I had stripped clean the areas that I had applied the paint stripper to I allowed it to thoroughly dry before going on and applying additional paint stripper to other pieces of the old bookcase. The next weekend I started early Saturday on my bookcase restoration project and removed the remaining paint from the old bookcase. On Sunday, I lightly hand sanded down the entire book case. I then used a tack cloth to remove any residual dust and then applied a light stain to it.

Finally, I wound up applying three coats of polyurethane on it using a paint brush. Between each coat, and after each coat had fully dried, I lightly sanded the bookcase to ensure a smooth finish. For the final step I applied a beeswax furniture polish to it to complete by old bookcase restoration project and create a beautiful finish.