How To Scrape Paint Off Wood
When updating the look of your old wooden furniture, one of the first steps is often to remove the existing finish. Today, we’re showing you how to scrape paint off wood with one of these furniture painting tools and supplies you can find at your local hardware store.
This method is easy, effective, and budget friendly – a handy skill to have for any DIY project. Keep reading to find out more about removing layers of old paint or stain without damaging your piece.
You might be thinking, why bother scraping the finish off wood when you can just paint over it? The thing is, the old layers can chip or peel, and leaving them on can affect the final look and durability of your project.
Removing the old finish gives you a smooth surface to work with and helps the new finish stick much better. But before you do that, it’s important to know the proper techniques and tools to use. Otherwise, you might end up damaging your piece or wasting time and effort on a less than great job.
There are plenty of ways to remove paint, but one of the easiest is with a carbide scraper. Let’s look into how this simple tool can help you get your furniture ready for refinishing.
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What is the best way to scrape paint?
The carbide scraper is one of the best tools for this purpose, and it works faster than stripping or using a sander. It’s basically a sharp piece of metal with a handle (or attached to one), and you just press it down and pull it back to scrape.
It also works fantastic for removing paint from an old fence or shed and for prepping the surface so you’re ready to repaint! It does take some elbow grease and gives you a nice little workout, but it does a fantastic job, especially on flat surfaces.
How to Use Carbide Scraper on Wood
All you have to do is set it on the surface and press down. I usually press with one hand and pull back with the other – it helps it dig into the paint or stain and scrape off a layer. You might need to repeat this a few times, depending on how thick and tough the finish is.
Take your time and go slow to keep full control of the blade. Also, be sure to follow the direction of the wood grain. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s going to take a bit of effort and some time, but this method is way more efficient than using a sander or a chemical stripper.
You can use it to get down to raw wood, and then you can go back over the surface pretty quickly with 220 grit sandpaper. This helps smooth out the scrapes, whether you couldn’t get all the finish off or just didn’t feel like spending the time to remove it completely.
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After that, you can go ahead and update the piece to a new color, stain to enhance the beauty of the wood, or topcoat it right away to preserve the natural look.
Now, we really like this specific Bahco carbide scraper – we’ve used it multiple times for our furniture before we refinish them. Check out this blue chalk paint coffee table and how to use Waverly chalk paint and wax post where we used this tool.
You can also see it in action here:
While carbide scrapers work great on delicate or detailed surfaces, you still need to handle them carefully to avoid any damage. The sharp blade can easily dig into the wood and leave scratches or dents, so it’s important to use light pressure and be mindful of the direction you’re scraping in.
If it’s your first time using one, you can practice on a small and less noticeable area first. It’ll help you get a feel for how it works and allow you to adjust your technique as needed.
However, there may be intricate details on your furniture that can be difficult to reach with a scraper. In these cases, it would be best to use a chemical stripper instead. Learn more about how to remove paint from wood furniture with Citristrip here. Here’s how to remove paint from wood without sanding where we feature these two methods.
What if you scraped too much?
You can fix it with a few simple steps. First, assess the damage by looking at the affected area. If it’s just a small scratch, you can sand it down with fine sandpaper until it’s smooth and blended with the rest of the surface.
If the damage is larger, you may need to fill it in with a wood filler and then sand it down once it’s dry. You can check out the best wood fillers you can use here. We also have a more detailed guide on how to repair broken wood here.
So, there you have it! We’ve covered how to scrape paint off wood effectively. It may not be the most glamorous task, but it is an important step in DIY projects. Remember to always start with a sharp scraper and use long strokes following the direction of the grain. And don’t be too aggressive, or you’ll risk damaging the surface.
More Painting Furniture Tips
- How to Remove Chalk Paint Easily and Quickly
- The Easiest Way to Remove Paint from your Old Wood Furniture
- How To Strip Furniture Paint
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