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Anything better than Nitomorse? Problem Varnish Layer! Help

General decorating
#1

Morning all,

Daughter No. 3 has a late 60’s/early 70’s property and whoever built it put a superb piece of real English Oak Mule post & banister in … really beautiful piece you rarely see.

She wanted to strip it & oil/Osmo it. I give her the step 1 - 6 of what to do (learnt from team TP members) and stand back.

Nightmare. What looked like polyurethane varnish simply refuses to budge.

They made a mistake and bought a gel stripper from Screwfix. It sat and did zero. They cleaned it off. They applied Nitromorse and tried the wire brush … a very minor improvement but not what you would expect.

Question - is there anything stronger than Nitromorse that we can escalate to?

We don’t actually use nitromorse, we have been using this stuff linked below off ebay very successfully for the last 7+ years … I think same formula but much lower per liter price …

The wife went up (a veteran of many hundred’s of square meters of oak stripping) and she said it was really odd. Some came off in patches, most just laughed at her. I’m wandering if it was some sort epoxy resin seal? Only thing I can thing of.

The Oak is too good to sand down and the profile I think would mean it would end up a dog’s diner.

I’m hoping someone on TP has an escalation plan!!! A stronger stripper? Different approach? First time to see anything like this. That said I have not seen it first hand but if there’s one area the wife knows about it’s stripping … queue for gag! :slight_smile:

Help would be really gratefully received.

Thanks all

#2

Hi take a look at paramouse paint stripper.cheers

1 Like
#3

Hi Jason, yes I saw this stuff once when ordering our normal stuff.

Have you used it? Is it definitely a notch up in terms of result?

Will happily order some if it improves the odds of a better result.

Thanks

#4

Hi Amateurhour64
Is varnish oil based? Could be there a long time if not.

Sounds like its a rub down with sand paper

They altered the nitromorse formula years ago. I remember when it would burn your hands and then the change and you ended up going through a tub just to remove a few square inches

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#5

Hey Howzz how you doing, been a while.

I don’t know to be honest. Looked like Polyurethane but age wise (late 60’s) who knows?

The Synstrip stuff I mentioned above has chomped through anything we have thrown at it the last 6-7 years. Stronger than Nitromorse and a sight cheaper. It is lifting it but very slowly.

They have been apply/repeat and then light sand but the patena in the wood I think would suffer if they go too aggressive with that.

I think it’s just going to be the long shift with repeats and wire brush.

They used a gel from Screwfix first pass and it just laughed at it.

Hopefully the mule and banister are the only bits finished in this fowl stuff. Looked good mind.

Cheers

AH64

#6

Worn out and waiting for surgery - the stresses of the building trade.

Thought about wrapping and leaving for a period of time. There is a technique where the stripper is applied and then wrapped with cling film. Never tried it, gave up using paint stripper when they change the formula. It was one area that regulation spoilt the party.

1 Like
#7

Oh bugger, that’s not so good. Let’s hope you get that sorted asap. Yeah it gets a tad harder each year I have to admit.

Never heard that one. Will have a little search and see if I can find more about that.

I also think between you and me that this is the junior slopes of learning that things are just hard sometimes!

It turns out they started out with a gel stripper that was a waste of time so they went to Nitromorse with the weaker formula as you rightly say. And it’s realistically the first job of work No. 3 has done bar a little painting. I think between you and me she’s just learning what physical decorating work is all about and that often it is just hard work and multiple goes at!

The photos I’ve seen of where she has got to look pretty good in reality now.

So maybe it was an adjustment effort and material wise pulling in to near normal results.

We’ll find out soon :slight_smile:
Cheers

#8

Take a look at peel away 1 safest most effective way I’ve used to strip paint, it’s a bit on the expensive side but I have always had good results with it. Im sure it will remove up to 30 layers.

2 Likes
#9

Hi used on old parque flooring,you will see my post worked superb,nitromoors didnt even touch it.

1 Like
#10

Many thanks for the steer Rod. I’d not heard of that one but will be giving that a try next project.

As it goes they have crashed on with the Nitromorse solution. I think the reality is that maybe the expectation was too high that it would be a walk in the park.

But that aside, even though I have had zero problem with the Synstrip product, I will give this a go for sure. Even at a slightly uplifted price, it’s nice to make the job easier were you can.

Many thanks

#11

Do you have a link to that? Interested to see the results.

#12

Concrete floor varnish floor,thats the post, my friend, restores floors,he said,to sand the floor,it would have just cloged up his abrasive, this stripper is used by antique restores and works very well. When he saw the results he was very suppriced.Sorry for late response been busy.cheers

#13

As I’ve never heard of PeelAway 1 I had a look at it on their website https://www.peelaway.co.uk/130/peelaway-1 and it looks very impressive.
However, I did notice that they caution that it may discolour some hardwoods including oak and suggest using PeelAway 7.

#14

Yes I read that also, we always do a sample area first, Ive used it on various timbers and metal work, I’ve never had a issue with it discolouring timber as yet. Both peel away 1&7 are great products.