Citristrip questions

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Vala
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Citristrip questions

Post by Vala »

OK so I never finished stripping all the painted wood in the house and probably the last time I stripped and restored anything was probably 2-3 years ago. I've got many half finished rooms because I got fed up of chemical burns on my hands from using the chemical stripper.

So I'm wanting to try citristrip but I have a few questions

Does it only come in a 1 quart size? that seems small the chemical stripper I would buy (Klean Strip brand) came in a gallon I believe.

Do you need gloves for it? Because even with the chemical stripper all those special gloves would melt in the middle of my projects... and that's why I got fed up of stripping. Or can I use any gloves even basic rubber gloves since it's listed as non toxic?

I even looked around online even the $10 a pair gloves aren't reusable and have bad reviews saying they fall apart like the cheap ones.

Does citristrip really strip all layers of paint in 1 go or should I heat gun off most of it then use it to clean up the remainder?

And any other tips or recommendations for successful paint stripping?

Thanks

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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by phil »

if gloves melt they are the wrong kind of gloves. Don't use the thin ones that come 100 in a box, get some of the long ones intended for paint stripping and handling harsh solvents. they should be loose fitting enough so you can put them on and off and they aren't disposable. dont use latex or dish washing gloves.

some here have liked citristrip. I tried it and hated it. It leaves this greasy residue that you pretty much have to scrub off with soap and water. when you wet wood it raises the grain and this is usually undesirable.

It might work outside or maybe on some things like latex? If you are lucky enough to have shellac under your paint use a heat gun , it'll come easy because shellac has a low melting temp.

I've done lots of it and almost always the heat gun is the easiest and fastest and you don't need to keep buying chemicals, then use the liquid stripper on details that are hard to scrape or just on the remnants and you should use something to clean that stripper off after. there are products for that but you might try mineral spirits.

the only time I tried the citristrip it was on a handrail and I took it off and took it outside and used a hose and a scrubby brush to get it all back off and it still felt all greasy so I used various solvents after that . I swore I'd never use the stuff again.. but some here have liked it so just try it ? see how you do? you still need gloves.

Any chemical supplier has to provide the MSDS sheet ( material safety data sheet) and it describes the PPE ( personal protective equipment) The chemical suppliers need to provide this by law.. It should tell you what gloves to use , what kind of respirator, and if inhaling it makes you have green kids with three eyes, etc.. so if you are buying stuff online or in a store just ask for the MSDS sheet. or go to the suppliers website.

If you get chemicals going through your gloves , shed them immediately. getting chemicals under you gloves is worse than no gloves as it then holds it against your skin.

occasionally I will cheat and use some of the heavier disposable ones if it's things like solvents but I am aware of it and if I feel any tingles I get them off and wash up, but they are no good for the chemical strippers..

the most important thing is safety glasses. you really really dont; want to flick that stuff in your eyes. If you burn your skin you'll curse, but you'll live.

try to read the MSDS on anything you use. in the workplace it has to be available onsite by law. for example if you do get stripper in your eyes it might say what to do.. like maybe flush with water, You can have an emergency eyewash station , or improvise one. even a 2L bottle of water that you keep handy is better than nothing. If you were working with acids for example maybe you could put a little baking soda in it so it could neutralize the acid.. The MSDS is the official document for that stuff.

some of them say if digested drink milk, induce vomiting or some say don't induce vomiting.. good to know this stuff first.

The other common hazard here is that if you are stripping and you have chemicals on your wood and you are wiping quickly you can sometimes stab a splinter through your glove and into your skin and now your cut it infected with it an It'll really burn worse than on top of your skin.. so if you do that ball up your rag so your hand isn't right near the wood , now if you pick up a splinter with all likelihood it'll stab the rag not your hand.

if you are working with the 100 per box kind of gloves, and you pull you hand out and your hand is wet. It think that also means the pores in your skin are open. If your pores are open then you may absorb chemicals more readily. real stripping gloves should have some flocking inside , this helps prevent your hands from sweating. at first it'll feel clumsy but you'll get use do them.

there are products that you can smear on your skin so if you are using chemicals they provide a protective barrier, when you wash your hands the stuff comes off. that might help too. with the gloves.. try a search for liquid gloves.

I worked in printing as a pressman and we didn't always do everything properly. now I'm older I have some amount of dermatitis. If I get my hands in acetone and things it will then either show up as little itchy bumps or hangnails. that reminds me I'm doing stuff I shouldn't and I get more careful. this stuff builds in your system over time.

a lot of people have latex allergies so if you do use latex , it is lousy for stoppping chemicals but not only that I think something like 20% of people have latex allergies. In hospitals and care homes here they have switched away from latex and only use nitrile. Nitrile is a little better but still not good for stripping. my father had terrible latex allergies and his whole face and body would break into a horrible state with cracked skin. He had it from when he was younger. I dont; think it was caused by repeat exposure. that might even be why I exist ;-) most condoms are latex ;-)

I think another thing that is bad is the stuff they use in the molding process, some mold release products are really bad for you and do they always clean them off? Plasticizers are another thing too, that new car smell, that's bad for you. sometimes it's worth washing new things to get rid of what is on the surface even though it's just coming out of it's original package. Ive seen some of the MSDS sheets for mold release compounds. I dont trust that manufacturers in china really care about that stuff. New kids plastic toys? it isn't just about lead.

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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by heartwood »

ack, stop using those harsh chemicals--not good for you, the wood or the environment! how disheartening for you...

may I suggest using 'peel away 6 or 7' or 'smart strip'? they are made by the same company and, from what I can tell, there is very little difference between the three...my experience is that one coat does not remove all the layers and a second coat is often necessary...with a disposable brush, apply a liberal amount of the stripper...cover with saran wrap or a 1 mil garbage bag (the thinner the plastic material, the better it clings and holds in the moisture of the product)...allow to sit for 4 hours and test the paint...if it's not coming off easily (complete with a big mess), let it sit for another few hours...if you can wait 12 or more hours, you may have better luck...if necessary, apply a second coat and allow 4 hours and have a second go at it...
the company claims that these products are pH balanced, non-toxic and biodegradable and can be rinsed off with water...a thin pair of nitrile or latex gloves will work nicely...rinse well, let dry a few days then sand...
available in quart, gallon and five gallon...Sherwin Williams usually carry these products as do some paint and hardware stores...
and there you have it...
...jade

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Vala
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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by Vala »

Thanks for the info. So If I were to heat gun off most of it and just use the stripper for the remainder I'm guessing that would do the trick, because no matter how slow I go with the heat gun there are always bits of paint left behind that won't come off. When I did a cursory glance online I only found citristrip in 1 quart sizes.

How much more expensive is peel away compared to the gel stripper? I have a lot of area that needs treated so I need to keep in mind the cost.

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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by 1918ColonialRevival »

Use a heat gun to get the bulk of the slopped-on buildup off. If you need to use a stripper on stubborn areas, use Soy Gel or one of the peel-aways that Jade suggested above. Soy Gel isn't exactly cheap, but a little goes a long way and it works better than any of the chemical-based strippers I've used. I was more than skeptical the first time I tried it, but it made a believer out of me. We got a gallon of it earlier this year and still have some left. That's after my wife used it to strip a wardrobe cabinet and a bookcase in addition to stripping trim and doors.

I've never been a fan of Citri-Strip. I've tried it and found that it takes a lot of the product to get older paint off. Plus, I can't stand the orange-y bathroom cleaner-like smell of it. I'd rather smell solvents!

As for gloves, I don't use them with a heat gun. With Soy Gel, even though it's non-toxic, I use stripping and refinishing gloves. These are the same gloves I use when cleaning things with naphtha and steel wool.

Edit: Soy Gel is now known as Franmar Blue Bear Paint and Urethane Stripper. It's the same product.

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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by heartwood »

soygel and peelaway products work about the same...whichever is cheaper for you...
honestly, I can't imagine you would need a stripper after heat gunning.. after heat gunning, we use a SHARP bahco scraper followed by 80 then 120 grit....

...jade

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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by Vala »

About the heat gun, this is the typical result after I use the heat gun to strip multiple layers. There's always stuff that gets left behind, or am I doing something wrong?

With all these thick layers of paint and considering the first layer is linseed oil/lead paint I tend to end up using a higher setting or it does nothing.

About sharp scraper, not sure how to use that on non-flat surfaces like the panels of a door or curved parts of trim.

IMG_4782.JPG
IMG_4782.JPG (1.53 MiB) Viewed 6891 times

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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by Lily left the valley »

Vala wrote:About the heat gun, this is the typical result after I use the heat gun to strip multiple layers. There's always stuff that gets left behind, or am I doing something wrong?

With all these thick layers of paint and considering the first layer is linseed oil/lead paint I tend to end up using a higher setting or it does nothing.

About sharp scraper, not sure how to use that on non-flat surfaces like the panels of a door or curved parts of trim.

IMG_4782.JPG
There are either old timey paint scrapers that come in various shapes, or some of the news ones (like the one mentioned above), you can change out the blades on them to various shapes.

Here's two of my old timey ones I inherited from my union painter grandpop, same shape, slightly different sizes. I just unpacked these today, actually. I have a few others, but haven't gotten to that box yet.:
Image
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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by Corsetière »

I made a video with everything you need to know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed1Gi48X3Wg&t=

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Re: Citristrip questions

Post by heartwood »

ha, great video corsetiere!

i don't typically work on woodwork that is attached to a house but, when i do, i use a chemical stripper....many a time is the case that one needs to dial 911 for the fire department and that can be hours after one has finished for the day...

when you think about it, each curve is just a series of straight lines...i use my bahco triangle scraper for pretty much everything--along with a putty knife...bahco also has round and pear shaped blades...from what i see in your photo vala, you don't need to chem stripper...just careful scraping and picking with a scraper, dental tools and maybe a 1/4" chisel...
...jade

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