Finishing and Refinishing

[thewardlodge]

I recently purchase a old cabinet at a garage sale.   the owner had stripped it of its paint and let it stand in her garage for many years to store her canning jars.   the wood is very old, unfinished and very dirty.  what is the best way to clean the wood prior to finishing.  my wife wants to paint.  I am leaning toward a simple coat of clear varnish to seal.  any suggestions or clues would be appreciated.  thanks, jim ward

[JL North GA]

I've cleaned up a number of old pieces.  I usually "restrip" them.  I like Citristrip - unless the piece has a lot of finish on it still - then I use another stripper.

If it has metal stains, I use oxalic acid to get out the stains that the Citristrip doesn't get out.  I have cleaned really dirty pieces with Murphy's oil soap and warm water.  You just have to sand a bit afterwards to knock down the fuzz.