Using a stainless steel or brass brush, scrub back and forth to get the varnish out of the crevices and grooves in the moulding, just be sure to brush with the grain of the wood. The first time I did this on a 4 poster bed that had a lot of carving, I was so worried that this would scratch the wood surface, but it does not! Brushing back and forth with the grain of the wood will remove any remaining varnish. I do like to repeat this step and apply a second layer of stripper, let it sit 15 minutes just to make sure that all of the varnish is removed. Unlike paint, varnish is a little more difficult to see if it is all removed and you will know if it’s not all removed when you go to reapply your finish and the stain does not stick in certain areas.
Kat Han
5 Dec 2020Hi! It’s beautiful!! What white paint and finish did you use for the spindles?
Michelle Dickson
5 Dec 2020Thank you Kat! I used Behr Marque Paint & Primer in a semi-gloss finish. The color was custom matched to my kitchen cabinets.
going here
20 May 2020Thanks for all your efforts that you have put in this. very interesting info .
Angela Waterford
19 Dec 2019I think I’ll hire someone to install some wood railings on the second floor of my home. That’s the part that I need to secure with railings because I’m planning to put some stairs on it that will lead up to the attic, and I’m planning to make it another room that I can use one day. Thanks for the insight that I can use a traditional finish to stain the wood with should I decide to do so.
Michelle Dickson
2 Jan 2020Good luck with your project Angela. Adding more square footage is a great investment for your home. Let us know how it all turns out.
Marsha Craig
14 Jul 2019How did you adhere/attach the spindles to the floor and railing?
Michelle Dickson
25 Jul 2019Thank you Marsha for your inquiry. On the top part of my railing it is recessed and the top of the spindle just slides into position. Once the spindle was positioned on top I pushed it in-between the wood pieces that were already nailed down that separate each spindle. Then a piece of moulding was nailed across the entire length of the railing securing all of the spindles in place. So there was no need to glue or nail each spindle. The 4th photo on the blog post shows an up close view of the moulding piece that we nailed on that secured all of the spindles. I hope this helps.