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Gents, I have chair which has completely fallen apart. I'm in the process now of regluing it, and have noticed that I really need to clean it up after the reglue.
It's got two layers of finish. The base layer is lacquer. The topcoat is a mixture of dried yoghurt, hastely wiped off baby barf, years of kidsnot, a generous slathering of whateverthehell that was the motherinlaw brought for dinner in 2003, general grime, and lots of johnsons paste wax.
Is there anything that will rapidly strip off everything EXCEPT the laquer?
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Mineral spirits then Murphy's Oil Soap will remove most oils, waxes, and dirt w/o damaging the underlying finish.
John
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For small simple things I use John's approach. But my local ACE rents a propane heated pressure washer (you supply the propane) for $25/day. It can inject liquid soap into the hot water. I've used this for really grody outdoor furniture and it works very well. The only problem with using something like it in your application is if the lacquer is damaged it will also be removed.
Considering the amount of effort involved you may want to consider just using a methylene chloride stripper¹ and then refinishing with something more durable than lacquer. Like Crystalac Polyox or GF EnduroVar.
¹ Use outside with personal protection.
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kleen strip ks-3 premium though the latest can I bought didn't have the ks-3 on the can. comes in a copper colored can. get the semi paste not the spray on. best stripper going it is all I use about 25 bucks a gal. if the cleaning doesn't work the stripper will. I do clean most crap off with mineral spirits before the stripper. I've wasted enough money on the so called green strippers the kleen strip premium just works.
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Before you mark me loony, listen to the explanation.
Mayonnaise.
An application of oil to the surface and allowed to penetrate the mess on top will soften all but the most tenacious garbage on top.
The problem with oil is that it runs all over the place.
Enter mayonnaise. It is about 90 to 95 percent oil. And it does not run. So apply it and leave it overnight. Then wipe it off and clean off any residue with Windex or any other mild cleaner.
This even works on adhesives. If you ever get one of those "Do not park here stickers" apply the mayo and leave it overnight. A paper towel is all that is required the next day to wipe off the sticker.
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Windex is not a mild cleaner. It contains ammonia and will damage many finishes pretty quickly. Palmolive dish detergent is a much better choice, or good old Murphy's Oil Soap.
John
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Yes but windex is good for removing paint or finish from clothing.
homo homini lupus
"The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Yeats
Si vis pacem, para bellum
Quodcumque potest manus tua facere instaner opere Ecclesiastes
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jteneyck said:
Windex is not a mild cleaner. It contains ammonia and will damage many finishes pretty quickly. Palmolive dish detergent is a much better choice, or good old Murphy's Oil Soap.
John
Windex was a poor example on my part. But the mayo works amazingly well.
The other day I had to remove a sticky label from an acrylic jar. I got some of it off with my thumb nail but the sticky adhesive remained. Rubbing alcohol did not work. I left mayo on over night and a paper towel removed the adhesive. I could still see the oil residue from the mayo but some dish washing soap removed that.
Some dish washing soap is not mild, but any clear shampoo is. It's a good choice if no other mild soap is available.
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I believe that mayo is a good goo remover. As you said, it's mostly oil and oil will remove most anything that's oil soluble.
John
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Thanks all! I'll go Mayo first, and anything left will be hit with mineral spirits and soap.
I don't want to strip it completely and refinish as this chair is part of a dining room set and I'm entirely certain there is no method for me to match the finish.
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