Classic Hifi Care

Seems to me that when I was lamenting the ineffective modern paint removers, the ones that are so safe they don't harm paint, somebody mentioned a commercial version that worked. If so, please repeat the ID.

I spent most of the day in a cold, dark boat storage building. After the winter, I found that a couple sections of my varnish had failed. The problem is moisture underneath the finish. In any event, I decided to remove the bad sections and start over. I had some paint remover in a can, left over from last year. It was extremely safe. I suspect that the temps didn't help much' it was about 40 degrees in there. But in the old days, the methylene chloride variety lifted off the varnish if you gave it some time.

The job is mostly done for this year but it would be nice to get something that works.

Chris Campbell

A suggestion I would offer it this. You may remember the Stereo Theater cabinet I refinished. IT was green with nicotine. Not only was the finish so saturated with nicotine that it had failed, but the smell permeated the entire thing. Ron the Refinisher suggesting giving the whole thing a bath in shellac. We gave the entire cabinet a couple heavy, slopped-on coats of shellac. This sealed all the goo so a new finish could be applied. Maybe if you sanded the areas where the varnish has lifted, then give it a couple coats of shellac, sand again, then refinish. You may have some contamination under the varnish that has caused the finish to fail. Good luck.

As far as a paint remover is concerned, I like Paint and Poly remover. Bullseye makes some that I have used to advantage. I think Walmart has it.

My problem is that the mahogany toe rail sits outside (it's a boat!) and occasionally has rain puddle inside it so it leaks between the fiberglass and the wood. Long ago I had some threatened rot and injected it with pentachlorophenol preservative (not available to the public today). But the water gets back there and eventually migrates out. I had sealed over the weep holes I had made and that was a mistake. I opened 'em up today.

Chris Campbell