I need help correcting a big finishing mistake!

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1
I need help fixing a total screw-up that I did.:doh::doh: We had a new wooden front door and side lights installed and stained. But I decided to do the final outside clear coating myself. I put three coats of Minwax Polycoat on and got all kinds of positive remarks from my neighbors. But within 3 months I was seeing a clouding of the finish. That's when I re-read the can to see that it isn't recommended for exterior use. I have read that I need to strip the door down to the bare wood using stripper that has methylene chloride. I have also read that once this is done the re-staining does not often turn out too well. Add to this that I have some lung issues and don't really want to use that stripper.
Can anyone here suggest a method or a product to help me out, or do I just have to bite the bullet and use the above method?
Thank you for any input you can give me.
Bruce
 
whats the chance of having another do it to avoid your lung trouble? sometimes its best to leave some things to the pros, by the time you buy the stripper and try to repair it yourself, you might have another problem arise..check out your area for a furniture stripper and see what they would charge or a local carpenter that does his own finish work..no headaches and it will be done while your away:) lungs dont heal well:)
 
whats the chance of having another do it to avoid your lung trouble? sometimes its best to leave some things to the pros, by the time you buy the stripper and try to repair it yourself, you might have another problem arise..check out your area for a furniture stripper and see what they would charge or a local carpenter that does his own finish work..no headaches and it will be done while your away:) lungs dont heal well:)
I think Larry nailed this one :thumb:

The only other thing that comes to mind is to live with it, or.................. cringe......... paint it :eek:

Your health is worth a LOT more than a door :wave:
 
I use metholyne Chloride all the time. I buy it in a product calls Dad's paint,stain remover. It comes with a spray bottle and while it will burn you if you skin comes in contact with it I've never smelled any fumes. Metholyne chloride fumes are heavier than air. That said if you have lung problems as other have suggested you might want to have someone else do it. Not a good idea to take chances.
 
Thinkin' outside th' box...

You CAN SAND OFF that finish... if you do, be sure you keep all the sanding dust out of your respiratories.

You don't HAVE to use a stripper.

You MIGHT not even have to use a MC stripper - try the same PolyCoat treatment on some scraps of the same wood. Let it cure. Try the "safe" strippers, the ones you're confident won't bother your breathers. You might find one that works - if you do, you're golden.
 
Find a local cabinet shop with a 38" wide belt sander and have them just "kiss" the door to get it down to bare wood, then start over.

If they do it right, you shouldn't lose much at all of the door's thickness.

kreuzie
 
Using such chemicals outside shouldn't creat too much problems from the fumes, as the airflow will disapate the problem. As for restaining... Good surface prep will solve that problem. Even sanding and good application should solve the problem.

More of a pain in the posterior than a problem. Just not what you want to do or care to look forward to... labor intensive but not beyond doing.
 
Find a local cabinet shop with a 38" wide belt sander and have them just "kiss" the door to get it down to bare wood, then start over.

If they do it right, you shouldn't lose much at all of the door's thickness.

kreuzie

That would work on a flat door, but on a raised panel door it wouldn't gain much ground.
 
If you're going to try the stripper, outside is the best place & I think that using a respirator would also be a good idea. I believe there are types that have available cartridges that protect from the fumes you'd be dealing with.
 
one easy way to strip with a lot of trouble is get the spray cans of stripper from Homedepot. They work great. Get good coverage. Let it work and then broad knife it off. Clean with vinegar. Start over. Ware a good mask. Of let someone else do it.

Side note, methylene Chloride if you use it DO NOT WARE A MASK the fumes will get trapped in the mask and that will cause big problems. This kind of stripping requires good ventilation and knowledge of the process.
 
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Working outside this time of year with Methylene Chloride may not be practical. MC works best at about 75* liquid temp, not air temp. The chemical usually is about 10 to 15* colder than the air due to evaporation. When the MC is warm it will burn the heck out of your skin (and lungs) but at 50* you can swim in it without getting chemical burns.
 
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