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Wood Refinishing Project

17K views 74 replies 15 participants last post by  dugald 
#1 ·
The purpose of this thread is to test and document a wood refinishing strategy that can be used for Mercedes interior wood in a DIY manner.

The theory is to strip the wood of all the original finish in as easy and safe manner as possible, prepare the wood for a new finish and apply an automotive clear coat as the final finish. Research shows that this is the method used for very high end corporate jet wood interiors which look spectacular.

Ncwitte was kind enough to furnish his old 107 console and ash tray wood to the project. Thanks!! :thumbsup:

So here is the starting wood which is the subject of this project.

The wood is actually in pretty good condition. Most of the problems are with the finish, so no re-veneering or wood repair is needed for these items.



There is some cracking and crazing and delamination of the finish, but nothing too serious.




The first step is to prepare the wood by removing all the plastic components from the item. I discovered that acetone will turn plastic to gel and stain any wood it comes in contact with. The shift surround is removed by very gently prying it away from the wood. It will come right off, but the old glue can be a bit intractable and pull some of the wood with it. This is not a problem as when it is glued back on, it will go in the same place.





Here's the ash tray wood showing the same kind of cracking as the console piece.



The first step is to soak the wood in acetone. It is imperative to have a sealed container as the acetone is extremely volatile. Just enough acetone to contact the finish is all that is needed.



After 24 hours most of the finish has flaked off on its own.

Another 24 hours should do it, plus additional time for the curved portion of the console that will require the container to be tipped to contact that surface.



There is no need for scraping or any other mechanical process. With patience, literally every spec of finish flakes off.




Acetone does not affect the wood or the glue used in the plywood substrate.

Next update when the finish is totally removed.
 
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#39 ·
So, to cliff notes this, do I understand that the process is:

1) Acetone remove the old coating

2) Seal with something like Varithane?

3) Sand with finishing sand paper

4) Final coat is auto clear coat?



The removal with acetone is very interesting to my. My wood coating is all cracked and crazed - I was thinking I would have to re-veneer the pieces first. It'd be fabulous if I could keep the wood intact, just remove the old resin coating and then re-coat with varithane....
 
#40 · (Edited)
So, to cliff notes this, do I understand that the process is:

1) Acetone remove the old coating
2) Seal with something like Varithane?
3) Sand with finishing sand paper
4) Final coat is auto clear coat?

The removal with acetone is very interesting to my. My wood coating is all cracked and crazed - I was thinking I would have to re-veneer the pieces first. It'd be fabulous if I could keep the wood intact, just remove the old resin coating and then re-coat with varithane....
Yes, that's the essence of the process. I'll probably do a more in-depth post later but that's it.

You should be just fine removing the old finish with acetone and refinishing. The old finish is so thick, it almost looks like the veneer is coming off when it's just the finish. It could be the veneer, but you won't know for sure until it's stripped.

I've been experimenting with creating from scratch the climate piece - laser cutting the plywood substrate, adding veneer, adding mounting blocks and adapting the bezel then stain and finish. I can tell you you don't want to try to mess with re-veneering unless absolutely necessary.

There are probably a thousand ways to refinish wood. In this project I was looking to recreate the ultra-gloss, deep glassy finish of the original using modern, DIY-friendly techniques. I think it's possible to get an even higher shine by cutting and buffing the finish and I may try that here soon. Not everyone will want this look and perfectly acceptable finishes can be gotten using other means. The real point is, it's probably not possible to get this level of finish using "rattle can" technology but other styles and looks are definitely possible. I think the notion of wood finishing is akin to paint on a car - two-stage vs single stage, lacquer vs polyurethane, metal flake vs straight, red vs blue, single color vs two-tone, pearl vs straight, and even gloss vs matte...or even paint vs wrap.

I got turned on to the basic technique needed for the finish I was after, by researching what process is used by the wood shops that do custom corporate jet interiors to achieve their glass-like finishes on the exotic wood interiors. The question was - is it possible and within the reach of the DIY-er, and I believe the answer is in the affirmative.

 
#43 ·
On this particular piece I used the clear as the sealer. It didn't work all that well. The purpose of a sanding sealer is to get the piece sealed for the clear coat. The big difference is that the sealer sands nicely while the clear is very hard and comparatively difficult to sand.

It's been an experiment and I've been learning as I go.
 
#42 ·
I wish I would have read about the acetone trick before ruining my console piece with a heat gun. Now I have to find some place that can repair the wood damage; it might be easier and cheaper just to source a replacement on Ebay. :( Your job turned out great!
 
#47 ·
Seems like a reasonable choice. The description even addresses the issue of use with clear coats. I think it could even be brushed since most of the stuff will be sanded off anyway. The import thing is to get the grain filled so the clear doesn't soak into the pores creating little dimples....at least that was the problem I had. Way too many coats to get everything nice and level.
 
#48 ·
I have a spare wood console piece that I would like to strip using Acetone.
What kind of container did you use to soak your console piece in?

Would a large zip lock baggie work?

Carl
 
#51 · (Edited)
I was wondering if Acetone would dissolve a plastic container?

Graeme, that would be a large Lasagna dish - maybe I can sneak one of the wife's dishes.

Carl
 
#53 ·
I guess its what we are accustomed too - take a pill for a cold, another
for backache pain, one for our cholesterol, another to soften our stool,
one to sleep, birthcontrol, one for erectile dysfunction ... and acetone
for varnish :)

Hey I might wake up and try my heat gun on this :)
 
#55 ·
Uhhh...i tried the heat gun and scraper on a good piece of wood and immediately popped the veneer off the substrate creating a nice little bubble. I guess that's why I, and I assume many others, happily go the "toxic chemical" route.

Speaking of "toxic chemicals", readers of this thread may be interested to know just a little bit about acetone. This from - Acetone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Acetone (systematically named propanone) is the organic compound with the formula (CH3)2CO. It is a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid, and is the simplest ketone.

Acetone is produced and disposed of in the human body through normal metabolic processes. It is normally present in blood and urine. People with diabetes produce it in larger amounts. Reproductive toxicity tests show that it has low potential to cause reproductive problems. Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children have higher levels of acetone. Ketogenic diets that increase acetone in the body are used to reduce epileptic attacks in infants and children who suffer from recalcitrant refractory epilepsy.​


You're certainly entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts....present regime notwithstanding.
 
#57 ·
You're certainly entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts....present regime notwithstanding.
I am not clear what that snark means but if you are alleging acetone is not toxic, consider this: Acetone Poisoning: Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis
Also note that WHIMS classification is B2-Flammable, DB2- Toxic (Eye irritant).

Feel free to blind or blow yourself up, arrogance notwithstanding.
 
#61 ·
I attempted to use the heat gun for wood refinishing work in the past, and no. I never plan on using that method again.

There are such a variety of chemical based stripping options that work in a far superior manner - the heat gun is a medieval torture method - both for you AND the wood.
 
#64 ·
Nobody tried using a large zip lock bag to hold Acetone????
 
#65 ·
IKEA has plastic "shoe boxes" of varying size, with lids. I'm thinking these are ideal to hold the acetone and wood piece.

I don't like the idea of the plastic bag so much - I'd like to be able to remove the wood and re-insert it into the bath. Plastic bag seems less than ideal.
 
#67 ·
Polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are both resistant to acetone. In fact, acetone nail polish remover comes in HDPE bottles.

You can identify PP and HDPE by looking for the recycling logo on the bottom of your container, if it says HDPE or PP next to the triangle then you should be safe.

Cheers.
 
#68 ·
I started the process in a large ziplock baggie doing one end at a time.
Could not find a baggie large enough for the whole piece.
 
#70 ·
It definitely destroys the plastic bezels, clips and other parts that are used with wood pieces. It doesn't dissolve them, rather turns them to a gel-like substance that smears when you touch it...so make sure your wood pieces are stripped before you use acetone.

Be aware the the acetone has a really tough time with any finish that hasn't been exposed to UV, so the finish under the handle on the ash tray, the front part of the center console and the part under the rubber shifter bezel may take extra soaking and some scraping with a plastic putty knife and some VERY careful sanding to remove.
 
#71 · (Edited)
Started on my console piece striping.
Gouged the Burl Wood in one spot - see red arrow in first photo.
Thinking I can fill with some wood putty and touch up with
a permanent marker.

Found the finish under the Ash Tray difficult to remove.

The Acetone either leaked or evaporated using my Zip Lock Baggie.
But, it did soften the varnish enough that I was able to get it off
using a Heat Gun and a Razor Blade scraper.

It looks like the veneer has a long hairline crack and the original finish
also cracked along that line.

I've put the edge in another baggie to soak hoping I can get it
completely stripped.


I'm a newbie with wood refinishing.
What would you suggest I do next? Put down a layer of Sanding Sealer?
Spray or brush?
 

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#72 ·
Found the finish under the Ash Tray difficult to remove.

The Acetone either leaked or evaporated using my Zip Lock Baggie. But, it did soften the varnish enough that I was able to get it off using a Heat Gun and a Razor Blade scraper.

It looks like the veneer has a long hairline crack and the original finish also cracked along that line.
The finish is very difficult to remove wherever it hasn't been exposed to sunlight. The finish under the handle of the ash tray, the front of the center panel and the area shielded on the center panel by the rubber gearshift bezel is stubborn. Just soak it for a couple more days and it will soften up enough that you can use a composite scraper to remove without damaging the wood.

The hairline crack you see is probably not the wood cracking but rather the finish cracking and allowing the wood to be exposed to air, spilled drinks and the like over the years creating a hairline stain.

Sand the wood VERY LIGHTLY with a fine sand paper, wipe it down with lacquer thinner and let it out gas for a few days. The acetone, while very volatile, takes quite a bit of time to evaporate from the inner pores and fibers of the wood. If you've got a nice sunny, warm day setting it out in the sun can speed things up dramatically. If you don't do this you can get bubbles in the clear and affect the adhering of the finish to the wood. (Acetone is what took the finish off in the first place)

Spray it with a sanding sealer and then automotive polyurethane clear....that is if you want that deep, high gloss finish, or another type of finish if you want something not quite so dramatic.
 
#73 ·
The last piece I need to strip is the climate panel. Had been working on making some laser cut replacements, but was pretty much unsuccessful due to using the wrong veneer and glue strategy.

I had noticed in previous pieces that portions of the wood not in direct contact with the Acetone seemed to get stripped anyway. I decided to do an experiment with the climate wood and put it in a plastic container where the wood wasn't actually soaking in the acetone. As shown, the finish just curls off as well as if the wood was submerged.

That this works, means that a lot less acetone is needed and container size/shape is less critical. The biggest thing is a tight seal as acetone has a low vapor pressure and evaporates quickly.

The fact that such a small amount of acetone is needed might actually make this strategy acceptable/tolerable to those who are afraid of acetone.
 

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#74 ·
Stain...

Great thread!! The "dialogue" between opposing views is really good too. One question I haven't seen answered, it probably has been but I missed it...apparently on the burl wood veneer with good color to begin with, one doesn't need to use stain. I'd rather not, and am wondering if this is the case.
Thanks!

Shoman
 
#75 ·
Shoman, I think it depends on what you use for a top coat and what your expectations are.
A varnish will have a mellow darkening effect on first application and will further darken with exposure unless it has a final protective coat itself like auto clear coat.
If you use no varnish, only clear coat, the wood will darken slightly and stay that way over time. You can preview the effect by wetting the veneer with a solvent like varsol or even water.
When I redid my wood, I used Minwax Special Walnut stain to even out some sun-bleaching, followed by Pettit Marine Varnish with a final sprayed topcoat of auto clear coat. The end result was an excellent match to the ashtray which I did not redo and to the dashboard strips which I replaced with factory pieces.
Others here will likely offer different opinions and experiences.
 
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