Maybe you are about to commence wood stripping finishes from an old door or chair? It’s important to not only decide which product will work best for your project, but also to consider the ‘touch time’. Touch time is as important as the product you are using.
What Is Touch Time?
Touch time is the time it takes for the product to remove the wood’s previous finishes. Knowing the touch time and keeping to it will save you time and money. This is because it will save you from reapplying the stripper again. Especially in order to completely remove the finish.
How Do I Work Out The Touch Time Of My Stripper?
In order to find out the exact touch time for your particular project, you’ll need to obtain a sample of the product you intend to use. Read the directions to familiarise yourself with the product. On your project (chair, door, table, etc.) find a small area with which to apply the stripper. Make sure that you have cleaned this area. Ensure it is free from dust and debris. Whenever you refinish a wood object, it is important that the surface areas be thoroughly cleaned before application of a stripper. Use the instructions on the stripper as a guide for your touch time test. Feel free to use a timer if you need to.
When it’s time to do a check on the progress of your touch time test, bring the proper cloth and use it to wipe away a bit of the stripper from the outer edge. You are doing this to test the touch time.
If your finish is responding to the stripper, it should show signs of being loose and be easily removed from your wood project. Once you are certain that all the previous finishes are lifting off the surface of the wood with ease, then you have your touch time.
Remember, this is only an estimate of the touch time necessary. This is as most wood surfaces have uneven coatings of finishes. Therefore, touch time on different parts of your project may vary. But it might not be by much. If after this trial test, you find the coatings are not responding well to the stripper, it is more than likely you have chosen the wrong stripper for the job.
In Conclusion
Finding unique pieces of old furniture at thrift stores and garage sales to refinish is often a fun and inexpensive way to help furnish your home or apartment. Therefore, the more you know about the refinishing process the better off you will be. A big part of that process is being aware of your touch time.
