Any tips on restoring a banister with spindles..

Any tips on restoring a banister with spindles..

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Matt Black

Original Poster:

420 posts

169 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
... back to the original wood?

I'm currently redoing my HS&L and her indoors has decided the banister is to lose the gloss paint look and go back to it's natural wood and varnished.. So any quick tips on removing the paint, I've removed most of the Gloss with Nitromores but the water based undercoat is a PITA, I've spent the whole day with sanders etc and have only 6 of 30 spindles looking ready to varnish apart from the intricate bits which are still white, any thoughts or tips greatly appreciated.

TIA
Matt

shirt

22,506 posts

200 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
heat gun, elbow grease, and patience.
also think long and hard about whether it'll look good. most varnished ballustrading looks poor imo unless its really nice wood & craftsmanship. a repaint is far less hassle.

Sheets Tabuer

18,895 posts

214 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
I did mine with wire wool dipped in nitromors/paint thinner. it took me 3 months to restore the whole staircase (it won't take you this long, I mean rebuilding, stripping and sanding) and then the people I rented the house to painted it with white gloss the first week they were in.

They left a few months later and took the kitchen, anyhow I digress, yes wire wool dipped in the above, works like a charm.

Matt Black

Original Poster:

420 posts

169 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
shirt the real wood look will go well with the karndean wood effect in the hall as there's too much white wood in my Other halfs opinion!

I'll try the wire wool with nitromores tomorrow as I feel like a burst ball tonight! I thought holidays were meant to be fun too, meh, thanx for your replies though thumbup

When at work I look forward to holidays/time off, when I've got time off I look forward to being at work! I just can't win!

Sheets Tabuer

18,895 posts

214 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
The wire wool works like a hot air gun, it is fantastic as it doens't harm the wood yet strips the wood quite fast.

Wear gloves and put some paper where it might drop and remember to wash down any wood after as painting over dried paint stripper will bubble like mad.

Good luck with it.

Edited by Sheets Tabuer on Thursday 12th August 02:33

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
You did better then me. I got 4 spindles done before I took a saw to the whole lot and bought this stuff:

http://www.richardburbidge.com/stair-balustrade/co...


MrV

2,748 posts

227 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
I learnt the hard way and spent months stripping the spindles ,second time around I just knocked them all out and sent them to be stripped iirc it was only a £1 a spindle at the time so far more cost effective when I weighed up the time I had wasted doing the first batch.

Simpo Two

85,147 posts

264 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Spindles are cheap; just buy new ones.

Laurel Green

30,770 posts

231 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
^^^^^^ Was going to suggest this. Best remedy for time consumption. Oh and, if using paint stripper; don't forget to use eye protection.

Fume troll

4,389 posts

211 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Me too, the runners, risers and strings etc were all sanded and stained, but the balusters all got replaced. The timber merchant had very cheap offcuts from the edges of oak boards, and I ran them through the planer.

Cheers,

FT.

rudecherub

1,997 posts

165 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
dipping will be the fastest way to do this, if they are pine it'll be straight forward, if this is hard wood. then you'll need to know that chap doing the dipping is good, hard woods can change colour noticeably when dipped.

doing the work in situ will take a long long time, you could try a scarsden scraper, but for the fiddly bits on a mahogany fire place surround I resorted to using cocktail sticks, had to be nitromors as mahogany turns almost purple in hot dip caustic.

If you want some advice you could try your local antique reclamation yard

shirt

22,506 posts

200 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Laurel Green said:
^^^^^^ Was going to suggest this. Best remedy for time consumption. Oh and, if using paint stripper; don't forget to use eye protection.
is it just me who quite likes the pain of nitromors on skin? its a slow burn like you get leaning against a radiator.

Busamav

2,954 posts

207 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
My wife spent the time doing ours , using nitromors and wire wool , over a period of about 4 months.

I really could not have found the patience to spend that amount of time on them , although it does look fantastic and is very much in keeping with the building.

Matt Black

Original Poster:

420 posts

169 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Thanx for all the replies, much appreciated smile

I have thought about replacing the spindles, but SWMBO is insisting it can be done, the square bits and the cylindrical centre bit are easy enough, but the little ball bits are a ballache, I thought about varnishing the rest and painting the ball bits silver or something but not sure if it would look odd.

I've got eye protection on being a natural specky and got latex gloves but my fingers keep popping through them.

Fatboy that banister looks stunning thumbup


rudecherub

1,997 posts

165 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Matt Black said:
Thanx for all the replies, much appreciated smile

I have thought about replacing the spindles, but SWMBO is insisting it can be done, the square bits and the cylindrical centre bit are easy enough, but the little ball bits are a ballache, I thought about varnishing the rest and painting the ball bits silver or something but not sure if it would look odd.

I've got eye protection on being a natural specky and got latex gloves but my fingers keep popping through them.

Fatboy that banister looks stunning thumbup
you need to get yourself a pair of rubber gauntlets - most good DIY / builders supply should stock them.

http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&q=rubbe...

annodomini2

6,860 posts

250 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Matt Black said:
Thanx for all the replies, much appreciated smile

I have thought about replacing the spindles, but SWMBO is insisting it can be done, the square bits and the cylindrical centre bit are easy enough, but the little ball bits are a ballache, I thought about varnishing the rest and painting the ball bits silver or something but not sure if it would look odd.

I've got eye protection on being a natural specky and got latex gloves but my fingers keep popping through them.

Fatboy that banister looks stunning thumbup
Find a furniture restoration place near you, odds are they'll have a triclorate tank, (assuming they're still legal) and dip them for a fee.

For the spindles see if you can borrow a lathe (little one should be enough) and sand the remaining dirt and paint on the lathe.

fatboy b

9,492 posts

215 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Matt Black said:
Thanx for all the replies, much appreciated smile

I have thought about replacing the spindles, but SWMBO is insisting it can be done, the square bits and the cylindrical centre bit are easy enough, but the little ball bits are a ballache, I thought about varnishing the rest and painting the ball bits silver or something but not sure if it would look odd.

I've got eye protection on being a natural specky and got latex gloves but my fingers keep popping through them.

Fatboy that banister looks stunning thumbup
Just to clarify - that's not a pic of mine, but it is the same as in that pic.

It cost me about £700 and a couple of days work. Looks fantastic - and no painting required, other than the existing stairway sides.

Edited by fatboy b on Thursday 12th August 15:00

Matt Black

Original Poster:

420 posts

169 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Having removed some paint it seems the top handrail is nailed (Pasload(sp)) on from underneath next to every spindle, So looks like It'll be a nightmare to dismantle frown I'm gonna persevere with Nitromores and sanders, were getting on pretty well TBH, there only seems to be 2 coats of gloss and 1 undercoat, those little Mouse sanders are great smile

Cheers
Matt

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

197 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Latex gloves are no good with Nitromors, it dissolves them pretty quickly. You either get used to the pain, or use polyurethane ones instead, which are better.

Busamav

2,954 posts

207 months

Thursday 12th August 2010
quotequote all
Matt Black said:
Having removed some paint it seems the top handrail is nailed (Pasload(sp)) on from underneath next to every spindle, So looks like It'll be a nightmare to dismantle frown I'm gonna persevere with Nitromores and sanders, were getting on pretty well TBH, there only seems to be 2 coats of gloss and 1 undercoat, those little Mouse sanders are great smile

Cheers
Matt
It shouldnt be the handrail that is nailed on , just the spacers between the spindles that will have a light fixing , once you get one out it shouldnt be toooooo difficult