Don’t want to use smelly chemical strippers? This CARBIDE SCRAPER will have your furniture stripped in no time! | YouTube Video
Hi, #sifamily, I hope you’re doing amazing. I picked up this side table from my local Restore thinking I was going to paint it, but once I brought it home and saw how gorgeous this wood was, I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t crazy about the finish though… so let’s strip this finish off to show off this lovely grain and give it a modern new look!
It’s also Furniture Fixer Uppers Day and I’m joining my FFU crew and sharing links to their projects below. I hope you join me in visiting their before and afters. I can’t wait to see what these talented ladies do.
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Here’s the Restore wood table I started with.
The original finish was dating this table. It did have a few scratches but nothing a good sanding wouldn’t fix.
When I bought it, I planned to paint the entire table but once I saw it was a solid wood piece from Heirloom Of Canada furniture makers, I changed my plan. This furniture manufacturer has been around since 1909! I’m guessing this table was made in the 50’s or 60’s.
THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Solid Wood Side Table – SALVAGED
White Lightning Cleaner
Sand Pads | Shop Towels
Bahco Carbide Scraper (14% OFF as of writing!)
Bosch Sander
Paint Brushes
Art Brushes
Anchor Silk All-In-One Paint
Sand Bar Chalk Paint
Dried Sage Chalk Mineral Paint
Gator Hide Topcoat
HOW TO STRIP STAIN FROM WOOD
Here’s how this table all came together and got a brand new look… I can’t wait to hear what you think. I think it looks like a TOTALLY different table!
REMOVE STAPLES + LEGS
I started by removing the staples on the bottom so I wouldn’t scratch myself while working on it. More importantly, I don’t want anyone buying this table to have an ooopsie either.
Then I unscrewed the four legs and numbered the legs along with the brackets. This is so I can put them back on the same way they came off. Sometimes these older pieces can be finicky and I didn’t want to take any chances.
CLEAN/PREP
The entire table was cleaned with this White Lightning. I wiped it down a few times and then used clean water to remove any residue.
WHAT IS A CARBIDE SCRAPER
A carbide scraper is a tool with a blade tipped in carbide – a compound composed of carbon and metal. This makes the blade super hard and durable. It’s perfect for heavy-duty scraping tasks. This Bahco Carbide Scraper that I own also has an ergonomically designed handle with grip control on the top. As of writing this you can find it here for 14% OFF.
HOW TO STRIP STAIN WITH A CARBIDE SCRAPER
For safety reasons, it’s important to have a stable work surface for your project before using the Carbide Scraper. Make sure it’s the correct height as well so you’re comfortable while using this scraper tool. Once your work area is set up, grip the scraper firmly but comfortably. Starting at one end of the project, apply light pressure to test how the scraper interacts with the finish. Then run it all the way down the project in the direction of the grain at a 30-45 degree angle relative to the wood surface you are working on. Try to keep it going in one smooth motion so you don’t stop mid-way and gouge the wood. Adjusting the angle or pressure might be needed depending on the finish you’re working with.
For instance, when I used the Carbide Scraper on this old table finish, I had it totally stripped in under 20 minutes. For this side table, it took a total of 54 minutes (I timed it!) to strip it. This is still much faster and cleaner than using a chemical stripper in my opinion.
SANDING
Once I had the bulk of the stained finish removed with the scraper, I sanded with a 80, 120 and 220 grit sand paper and my Bosch Sander. This prepped the wood for the paint wash I was about to use.
Using the existing design on the wood legs, I also sanded the top part and scuff-sanded the bottoms to prep for paint.
PAINTING
I decided to let the details on this wood table dictate the design. I painted two coats of this Silk All-In-One Mineral Paint in the Anchor which is a true black. In the pic below you see how I’m not trying to paint within the lines. On the Youtube video at the end of this post, I’ll share how easy it is to get a PERFECT painted line by sanding off the excess paint.
Also because the primer and topcoat is included in this formula, I saved a step of priming before painting the legs and details.
PAINT WASH TO LIGHTEN WOOD
I loved the natural color of the wood but if I was to just topcoat, it would bring out the natural orange tones and I wouldn’t have been happy with the result. To KEEP this light-toned wood color, I created a paint wash. I used a few teaspoons of this neutral Sand Bar and add a little bit of Dried Sage. I played around with the water ratio until I was happy. This was pretty darn close to keeping the natural light color of the wood.
It would also guarantee when I top-coated, the wood would not turn orange. In the pic below, the long top skirt has been painted and wiped back with the wash, the short skirt on the side has not. I have a full tutorial on How To Apply A Paint Wash here.
FINISHING DETAILS
For the finishing details, I sprayed a topcoat. The bottom painted part didn’t need a topcoat, but since I had the spray gun out, I sprayed three coats of Gator Hide topcoat letting each coat dry for two hours in between each coat. I know I’ve said this before, but if you’re new to the #siblog, Gator Hide sprays beautifully. It’s water-repellant and tough enough for a high-traffic piece!
THE FINISHED LOOK
Here’s the finished look. It doesn’t even look like the same table!
The contrast between the blonde wood and black base is striking!
And here’s a close-up look at the finish with all this lovely natural grain on display!
I’m so happy I left part of this wood table exposed rather than paint the entire thing. I’m also pleased that I followed my gut and highlighted the natural details on this piece.
I can’t wait to hear what you think!
PIN FOR LATER 🥰
YOUTUBE TUTORIAL
Here’s the full step-by-step video tutorial. Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 47.4K so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so already! So exciting, thank YOU!
And now for some FURNITURE FIXER UPPER FUN!
You’re going to LOVE what my creative FFU ladies do! Below are the BEFORE photos. Visit the links to see the amazing AFTERS and learn how they did it! I’m heading over to take a peek as well!
1. SALVAGED INSPIRATIONS (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)
2. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER
3. PETTICOAT JUNKTION
4. A RAY OF SUNLIGHT
5. MY REPURPOSED LIFE
Here’s another look at this side table before and after. I hope it inspired you and gave you some ideas for your upcoming furniture painting projects.
Let me know what you think of this makeover in the comments below. I’m curious what you would have done with this one. I always love hearing from you, it makes my day! 🙂
Happy painting my friends!
Denise x
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HOW TO WHITEWASH WOOD
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What a transformation – I love love how you refinished this table! Thank you Denise for the carbide scraper tip. My upcoming winter project is to strip my dated golden oak kitchen cabinets down to the raw wood. Doing it indoors I don’t want to use a chemical stripper. Now I’m excited to get started.
Hi my friend!🤗 Ohhh, exciting kitchen makeover!! I know whatever you do it’s going to look awesome. The carbide scraper has definitely helped me so I’m sure it would help you out in some tricky corners as well. Big hugs XOXO
What a fabulous result on this table! Spectacular. I have a pine cabinet that was lightly stained green (meaning you can definitely see the grain). Do you think the scraper would take it off? I didn’t know that stain could be removed?
yes, I think this carbide scraper will take it off! I’ve used it on a few makeovers/stain finishes and it works great. Hope this helps. 🙂
Simply stunning!!
Thanks Kathy! XOXO
Thanks for the tip about the color of the paint wash. I did a white paint wash on stripped table top & wasn’t happy that some orange showed up. Love how you refinished this little table to a modern look. It’s so important to refurbish these quality pieces, as nothing like them are manufactured today. Another great save, D.
Yes, they don’t make furniture like this anymore, do they?! And sorry to hear about your paint wash. 🙁 I’ve started adding a touch of green paint in when I know it will be an orang’ee look. I find it makes a BIG difference. Have a great week my friend. XOXO
Amazing transformation, Denise! I love the new look. I’ve never thought of removing a wood finish with a carbide scraper.
Pinned!
gail
Thanks so much and thanks for the PIN my friend. XOXO
This turned out beautiful. I love using the Bahco scrapers. I have a couple of them but not the one you used. Time to purchase one.
Aren’t they great!?! Do you buy replacement blades for them as well?
I love this! Amazing!!
I’m so glad, thanks so much!
This table has gone from vintage to retro modern, It’s stunning !!!
Amazing how you knew this beautiful grain existed. And the black details really bring out the beauty of it’s lines.
From average looking to Wow. As you can tell… I really love your results. 🙂
I am enjoying the lighter woods.
Have you ever tried a lightish paint wash on pine ? I have a set of unfinished modular pine cabinets to finish… but frozen how to finish. Pine can be soo yellow. They could be nice with a paler taupe ish color.
Thanks for sharing !!
Hi P, so glad you love this table makeover! For a pine paint wash, adding some green to counteract the orange tones is key… and when I’ve done it, I had to ‘play’ around with the paint wash color to get the results I wanted. It’s doable though!!🤗
Stunning! You are so talented to think to do this.
Aw, thanks so much Nancy!
Wow! What a change for the better. I love what you did with it. And the carbide scrapper thingy, it’s a winner for sure. It works like a champ! Thanks for sharing your always inspiring work with us.
xo 😘 Do
The carbide scraper is a WINNER! For many project, I prefer it over using a smelly chemical stripper. Thanks my friend. XOXO
Lovely – you have so much talent for seeing the potential of a piece.
Sheila
This table had such great lines, right!?! Thanks so much Sheila! xo
Hi Denise! The table is now beautiful!! O bought the car it’s scraper using your affiliate link but I haven’t been painting furniture much these days. How do you know if your scratching the wood? Anyway, great job!!
Hi Cheryl! Thank youuuu! And believe me, you’ll know. So long as it’s flat against the project and you start out with a lighter hand, you’ll quickly get the feel of this tool. It will either be removing the finish or gouging the surface. If had a few ooopsies and learned quickly so I know you will as well.🤗
oh WOW, this table is stunning! I wouldn’t have thought to paint the bottom portion black with the light wood. Very creative with beautiful results!
Thank you Nicki, I’m so happy you like it! XOXO
This is absolutely stunning, Denise!! I can’t believe how the two toned wood really elevated this piece! XOXO
Aw, thank youuu! I had a lot of fun working on this one! XOXO
The transformation is stunning but I can’t help wondering just how much more striking it would be in all natural.
Hi Char, thank you! All natural would have been beautiful as well, I’m sure. 🙂
O.M.G.! That’s amazing! It doesn’t even look like the same table. So pretty!
Right!?! I don’t think it looks like the same table either! I’m so happy you like it Cyndi, thank YOU! XOXO
You made that table absolutely gorgeous.
YAYYY, thanks so much Donna!🤗
It is so gorgeous. The black makes all the details pop and it looks modern and sophisticated! Great job!
Thanks so much Janet! I think the black really moderns the wood up too! 🙂
Absolutely beautiful!
Very creative and stunning.
Yay, thank you Ruth! xo
WOW – You took a piece that honestly didn’t look very special anymore, and turned it into a true architectural masterpiece. It’s gorgeous, truly. You really did the piece justice, and the contrast between painted and unpainted wood highlights the structural beauty of this piece far better than it was to be sure, but even more than just paint or just all wood could have done. I would never have thought of this, and it was kind of thrilling to watch it unfold in your photos. Well done!!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the tutorial and the finished piece Allita, thank YOUUU! XOXO
Hi Denise. I’m absolutely in love with this little table. The natural wood mixed with the black is stunning. You knocked it out of the park!
Awww, thanks so much. I had fun working with the details on this piece! XOXO
Beautiful make-over, I just love what you did and its so classy.
Thanks Janette, I love your description ‘classy’! It was a beautiful table to start with and it was a fun challenge to modernize it!
Oh my, the table is beautiful!!!
Thank you Denise!🤗
Wow, that carbide scraper really did get the finish off quickly! Love how this table looks now!
Yes it did, it’s an AWESOME little tool! Thanks so much my friend! XOXO