Stripping and scraping bubbling water-based poly on Vic Ash

**rogerwilco** · 27th May 2023, 02:35 PM

All the external door and window frames are Vic Ash.
They're about 5 years old. When the house was renovated, I vaguely remember they got 1 maybe 2 coats of a cheap water based poly (can't remember which one, I didn't do it).
The ones that are West facing get absolutely cooked in the afternoon sun.

I'm intending to strip this back to bare wood, and refinish with Sikkens HSLe and Filter 7.
To do that, I need to get it back to fresh wood.

See photo for example of typical condition.

For doors, I'll take these off their hinges and use a thick cabinet scraper or sander. That's no problem.
Window frames are more fiddly. I tested one with Poly Stripper, but it was awful. Big goopy mess, clogged up the grain, and will require a lot of sanding or scraping to get it finish ready.

What's worked for you?
I'm thinking a big heavy duty carbide paint scraper and a different stripper product. Just don't know which one... they all seem to be poorly rated.

Love to hear what you'd do in this situation.

Thanks a mil. -RW

**rogerwilco** · 27th May 2023, 02:36 PM

Now with photo
IMG_2159 Large.jpeg

**rogerwilco** · 27th May 2023, 03:32 PM

Quick test with the triangle blade scraper... that works pretty well.
I've got some lacquer thinner that I use for spray finishes. That will probably soften/dissolve polyurethane a little bit, without making a huge mess.

I'll give that a go...

Probably the case of doing heavy scraping with a solvent. Then light scraping to touch up the surface before refinishing. I can deal with that.

**jack620** · 27th May 2023, 03:37 PM

Cheap water-based poly on the exterior timbers? Good Lord!

I had a similar problem with the internal timbers of my Vic Ash windows. Condensation and UV had destroyed the water-based poly finish. I sanded back to bare timber with a Festool DTS400 sander connected to the Festool dust extractor. Worked up through 80-120-150-180 grits and applied Intergrain UltraClear water-based marine varnish. Sanded 220 grit between coats. 3 or 4 coats depending on which way the window faced. To remove the old finish from the mouldings I ground matching profiles on each corner of a cabinet scraper. I also ground a round-nosed scraper from a stick of 8mm square HSS and fitted a small handle.

As you're working outdoors, you have a few more options. You don't need to be fussy about dust or chemicals.

The whole job took 18 months. Enjoy!

**rogerwilco** · 27th May 2023, 03:46 PM

Yeah, I can tell it's going to be a pig of a job.

I'm only going to do the outside parts, because the internals are fine. And I don't mind that it won't be a furniture level finish. It's just window frames after all.
No way am I sanding to 220 (even though I have a good ROS and dust extractor). Most of the parts that need attention cant be sanded anyway. I'll have to get in there with scrapers.

**rogerwilco** · 27th May 2023, 03:54 PM

So far I'm liking the carbide scrapers for this.
Cabinet scraper works, but it's a bit fiddly, and difficult to get in the tight corners.
I've got Bahco 1 inch and 2 1/2 inch scrapers with handles that help with leverage.

I might end up back at Polystrippa (methylene chloride), but I don't like the goo, so gonna try thinner first. Should work, it's obviously a pretty thin/weak layer that needs to be removed.

I have the right PPE to work with this stuff. (nitrile gloves, respirator with VOC filters)

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