Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Black lacquer removal from black lacquer table

I have a gorgeous black lacquer table and chairs, but I hate the black.... I want to take it down to the natural wood. I have started on one of the chairs and the wood is beautiful. But the only way I have found to remove the lacquer is to sand it away. The chairs have slats that I am finding I cannot get the corners sanded. And the time it is taking to do just one chair, I will never got this done. I have tried to use paint remover and that doesn't even touch the finish, I have tried paint thinner and that isn't doing anything as well. Any suggestions? I love this table and want it in my kitchen but at this point I have it in the basement collecting dust. Please help!

Thanks so much!

Andrea S [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Mt Zion, Illinois, USA
2002

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I have a bedroom set that have a off-white lacquer finish to it. I got tired of the set and would like to remove the lacquer to reveal the wood. Can I get a suggestion of what to do and how to do it. I haven't tried anything yet because I'm afraid to do it.
Thanks!

Leila L [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
HOMEMAKER - Braintree, Massachusetts
2005

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I too, am having trouble with removing black lacquer, from a 200 year old carved Asian table. I removed some of the lacquer (by scraping, one fleck at a time, with an Exacto knife [on eBay or Amazon]) and found beautiful wood.

Mind you, I have restored antique wood furniture for 45 years, and done some exacting, professional work on heavily carved Victorian pieces.

I have tried two brands of paint remover (both excellent on standard paint and varnish), acetone, lacquer thinner, paint remover, mineral spirits, naptha, denatured alcohol AND a heat gun that removed 32 years of paint from my kitchen cabinets, but couldn't touch this stuff.

NOTHING WORKED!

I am still scraping one fleck at a time, with an Exacto knife.

Anyone got any ideas?

Kari Nation
- San Luis Obispo, California
July 7, 2008