I tried using stripper to lift the stain out of my wood fireplace mantel. The original orange-brown color was very dated, with a thick layer of clear varnish. Most of the varnish came off, but the wood is still very orange, and now feels very soft. What else can I do to get the color out without damaging the wood?
Hi Andrew ,
Olden day stains were meant to soak in and penetrate the wood. These days, finishers often mix the stain in the the varnish so should you want to take it off, it will simply come off with the varnish.
I would suggest hand sanding - its tedious i know. Take some 220 grit, fold the sheeet into 1/4s and tear, then take a 1/4 peice and fold it into 3, this stops the paper slipping when you’re sanding.