How To Remove Stain From A Cabinet
If you want to refinish your old cabinets, you first need to remove the old stain. In some cases, this can actually be the hardest part of the job. The fact of the matter is, the difficulty of removing wood stains depends on the age of the cabinet, the stain that was used, the wood type. and other factors. But, if you use the right tools and have a little patience, you can get the job done. This article gives a few tips and techniques for removing wood stain from a cabinet.
Using the Right Power Sanders
When it comes to sanding, some techniques and tools might work better than others. You usually need to do a little bit of trial and error to figure out what will work best on your cabinet. You first need to figure out if a vibrating or disc sander will work better. Usually, a disc sander will be more powerful when it comes to removing stain. However, if your cabinet has a thin stain, it could be too powerful. You don't want it to scratch or gouge the wood. It is a good idea to start with a fine grit sandpaper on a disc sander. This should prevent roughing up the wood too much, while still removing the stain in a reasonable amount of time.
If you only have access to a vibrating sander, you might want to start off with a medium grit paper to get rid of most of the stain. Then, step up to fine grit paper to make the surface smoother and stainable. Either a vibrating or disc sander should get the job done. If you have both, try them both to see which works best.
Using Sponge Sanders
Most cabinets have decorative edges, corners and moldings. This means that there are bound to be a lot of areas that you cannot reach with the power sanders. You need to use a handheld sponge sander to get these corners. Basically, just sand any areas that you were unable to reach with the power sanders. There is really no way around this. Once again, make sure you use a medium grit sponge before stepping up to a fine grit sponge.
When all the sanding is done, you should wipe down the entire surface with a wet rag. This should get all of the sanding dust off of the wood. At this point it will be ready for the stain.