How Many Wilson's Does It Take to Strip a Bench?

In the kitchen is a bench that had always sat at the back of the table, next to the window that the children of the family always sat on. The exact age of the bench we can't seem to determine but Clarke's Great Uncle Bill remembers sitting on it as a child and he is 89. So it is fairly old. So this bench as rough as it is, is a family heirloom.

The old brown paint had become gummy and so they had tacked plastic table cloth to the top to stop people from sticking to it. So I decided that I wanted to try and strip it. I searched the blogs for the best stripper that was some what environmently friendly. Many people had good luck with "The Safest Stripper" by 3M. So I got a jug and set about strippin'

Now this bench is very sturdy. Each piece of wood is about 1/2 inch thick and the only place that it is planed is on the top and the outsides of the legs. I slapped the stuff on and waited about 1 hour and began to scrape. The brown came off fairly easily except on the rough part of the legs but hey what do you expect. Off comes the brown and what do we have....a greenish blue. So more stuff goes on and we wait a while again.

Clarke takes over and the greenish blue comes off pretty good to show........that's right bright yellow! So we slapped on some more stuff and we waited.


I guess stripping might be better in the workshop. Stephen, Clarke's brother took at it.





He did a pretty good job but one leg is still quite yellow. It won't budge. I am wondering if it might be milk paint. I just recently read that ammonia will take off milk paint but I haven't tried it yet. If not then the family heirloom will have yellow legs. Stephen oiled the top to bring out all the years of wear and tear that old bench has seen. Despite the sickly colour on its legs that bench will go for another 100 years.

Clarke's Mom also did some scrapping on this bench but I never got a picture...so it takes 4 Wilson's to strip a bench.

Nancy

Hi! Ho! Hi! Ho! It Is Off To The House We Go.....

The kitchen is the heartbeat of every home so we decided that the kitchen will be the first place in the house that we will tackle. The kitchen was added in about 1943. I don't believe much was done to it since then but one thing that was added about 10 years ago was an island. I have never liked the island it divided up the old country kitchen and made it look too small.

Ethel praying that this island is the first thing to go!

Demolition begins.....

Ethel keeping things snugged up as they say around here!

Where am I you ask? I was a bit nervous with Clarke using a reciprocating saw close to electrical wires. I also hate the sound of those saws. So I stood back and took pictures...that is when my eyes weren't closed.

Didn't bother Ethel any...she was right in there like a dirty shirt. She'll have it down in no time!

Watch where you're pointing that saw!

And Voila it was gone.

What a difference it makes. It is a nice big country kitchen again! Ethel your prayers have been answered.

Nancy

Slowly but Surely

It sometimes feels like the barn will never get completed. It is like the energizer bunny...it just keeps going and going! Some progress has been made since my last post. We finally got a wood stove in so the people working in there don't freeze to death.

Stoke up the fire I think Clarke froze!

Clarke found old wooden doors that had different initials carved into them. Some dated back to the 20's. He decide to cover one wall with the old doors and initials. So on they went hinges and rope knobs and all. Many people have had a good time trying to figure out whose those initials belong to. I have to say it makes a pretty cool wall!

We of course can't forget the rocking chairs. Rocking will always solve those tough woodworking problems.

Nancy