How To: Strip old paint and varnish

The hardest part of stripping off old paint and varnish is getting all of the residual residue out of the details such as the panels and the raised or indented parts of the piece you are working on. You can make the job a lot easier by using the right tools. Use a small bristle brass brush to get into crevices and cracks. Brass is good because the brass bristles are softer and won't scratch the piece you are working on. Next take a piece of dowel and sharpen it in a pencil sharpener. The sharp point is useful for getting into more of the cracks and crevices. Finally you can use some kitty liter. Put the kitty liter on the piece and brush it around. It is very absorbent and will absorb a lot of the excess stripper and loose paint and varnish off of the piece. Then all you have to do is vacuum or brush the kitty litter away and you are all done.