RE: Flow-over Stripping

>Flow over systems recirculate the stripper thus agitating it 
>to the point where in my estimations it does  not work as well 
>as the pure stuff just flowing it on by hand.  



That could well be the case. One thing I know for sure is that 
the stripper evaporates quicker when it's flying all over the place. 

BTW, I think the Master Stripper Stevo uses an old pot liberated 
from the kitchen - like just about everyone else who strips for money.

Bobo

~~~~~~~~


Ozzie

I suppose it might evaporate a bit faster being in constant circulation, 
but I also think this circulation enables you to remove the finish faster, 
especially with a scrub brush working with the remover.

just my 2 cents

KevinHancock


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Steve Austin writes:
     
Whether you pour the stripper over the piece with a pan or you use a flow-over 
pump to put the stripper on the piece has no effect at all on how the stripper 
actually works. It will strip the piece either way.
     
Remember, one of the advantages of using a flow over is that you can take 
five gallons of stripper and keep stripping furniture with it until it finally 
evaporates into the air and it's gone.

Here's what I do.
    
I'll start out with five gallons of new stripper. I strip as many varnished pieces 
as I have with it first. That way the stripper stays clean enough to be able to 
see what you're doing and it doesn't evaporate as fast because varnished 
pieces strip a lot quicker than painted ones do. So, maybe, I'll lose half the 
bucket because of evaporation.

The stripper that's left is a little thicker because of the varnish that's in it , 
that will help slow the evaporation down a little. At this point, I've got my 
monies worth, I think, out of this five gallons.
 
I then use it to strip some painted pieces. As I strip these, the paint that comes 
off, gets into the stripper and thickens it up more. Good, that's what I want. It 
takes longer for the stripper to soak through paint and it's evaporating all the time 
it's on the piece, the paint in the stripper slows the evaporation down a little and 
it's also thick enough to stay on the piece.
    
The stripper that you use in a flow over system is literally, water thin. Take a 
bottle of dish soap, like Dawn, and wash your dirty hands with it without using 
any water. Sure, it's taking the dirt off, but look at the sticky , gooey, mess. 
Now , try drying your hands on a paper towel.
    
Take the same soap, wash your hands, then use a little water with it. 
Now, rinse your hands off with water and dry them.
   
Which system was the fastest, easiest, and most thorough and efficient? 
It's a clumsy comparison, but that's the difference between using a paste 
stripper and a flow over stripper.
   
Let's compare a water wash stripper with a chemical wash stripper. They both 
strip equally well, I've used both. You need to be careful about what manufacturers 
claim, though. I know of at least one, who is local, that will tell you their chemical 
wash stripper can be washed off with water. heh, heh. Sure, you can rinse the 
piece off with water and a lot of the stripper and varnish/paint will come off too. 
But, when you go to refinish it, you'll have hot spots like you wouldn't believe all 
over it. Your finish will not dry, it'll be tacky. Do you know how aggravating, 
frustrating, and time consuming it is to fix that? It's possible, of course, that 
washing it down with oxalic acid would take some of it out, but I doubt it.
 
But there is definitely some kind of petroleum substance in this type of stripper 
that needs to be chemically  removed with something like lacquer thinner.
   
Now, consider this. Which is more economical, water or lacquer thinner/cleaner? 
Which is more dangerous to have floating around in the air? Which one 
would you hesitate to use a lot of in order to give a really thorough rinse job to 
the piece? Which one could you use a power sprayer with? Which one is faster?
   
I am not a chemist at all, so I don't really know the chemical make up of different 
strippers and I really don't give a rat's behind, it either works or it doesn't. If it 
doesn't, I never buy it again, they get one shot with me.  I'm not a manufacturer, 
I'm a consumer. If I don't like the product, they have a problem, not me.
   
Why, on God's green earth would you use anything but a water rinse stripper?

Now, let me tell you, that I have used stripper from Kwick Kleen, Interstate 
Chemical, EMCO(a local), Bestway, BMD/Workbench, and Savogram (they 
sell industrial grade stripper by the drum as well as the retail stuff), and a 
couple of others I can't remember right now. With the exception of EMCO 
(chemical wash), I have really not seen much , if any, difference between the 
strippers. They all seem to  have the same basic chemicals in them in different 
percentages, they all have bad fumes, they all evaporate too fast( a common 
complaint among strippers), they all seem to strip equally well.
    
I'll be the first to say, that because of the variety of paints and varnishes and 
the combinations of them that you run into on every piece  (as well as 
temperature & weather conditions),  it's difficult to compare the efficiency of 
various strippers. Even when, like I have, you use each of them over a long 
period of time.
     
I go through a hundred gallons of stripper a month, which really isn't that much, 
twenty five gallons a week is all. I don't consider that a lot.
       
I will be trying Benco's stripper in the near future and I'll tell you what I honestly 
think of it as fairly as I can. I'd also like to try 30 gals, at least, of Master's Magic 
and Hood's strippers , just for the fun of it.  I use and have been using for two or 
three years, Interstate Chemical stripper, so I will have to compare Benco's 
stripper to that stripper.
      
Bear with me, I'm almost done with this subject.

The other important issue's when you decide to use a manufacturer of 
stripper are these:
    
Do they make it easy and convenient to pay? Big plus in my book is can I pay 
COD without paying a stupid COD charge? I hate that. You deliver and I'll pay 
you on the spot. Why should I have to pay a penalty for paying you when I receive 
the merchandise? Why should I have to pay you in advance or go to the bother of 
establishing an account with you? I'm trusting you to deliver a drum of good stripper
and not water, why can't you trust me to deliver a good check to you. Yes, I know, 
credit cards take care of that problem. I still don't like it.
     
How long does it take to get it after you order it. Anybody ever get caught short 
and have to wait two weeks for stripper or even a week?
    
How do they deliver? Benco and Interstate are the only two that I know of that 
still have their own trucks. Everybody else uses common carriers. Do they 
guarantee a liftgate truck if you don't have a dock? Is there a $40 rip off fee to 
make sure you get one? Yeah, I know, the rubber tires bit. No thank you and
why should you have to anyway? Bestway, will at least, sell you a drum of 
stripper and send it in five gal plastic containers if you request it, and at no 
extra charge. Big plus for them.
    
By the way, my own personal opinion of Minuteman is that they are a giant 
ripoff. Meaning, expensive as hell. The only good thing I can say about them 
is they have a good brass cleaner and a great brass antiquing solution. Other 
than that, anybody using them is getting a giant screwing. My opinion.
    
Do they pick up their empty drums? If you go through a lot of stripper, 
it's important. Benco and Interstate do. Is there a drum deposit? 
Kind of irritating, but understandable, though I think the first drum you get 
should have no deposit on it. Otherwise, the only way to get that first deposit 
back is to stop buying from them.  Why should you have $30 to $50 tied up 
in a deposit forever? Interstate has a deposit, I don't know if Benco does or not.
     
So here's what I want from a manufacturer. I want to pick up the phone, say, 
"this is Austin Furniture Stripping, I need a drum of stripper"  ...and thrn hear, 
" Ok, it will leave on such & such a day and be there on such & such day,
do you want us to bill you, put it on your credit card, or pay COD (with no 
COD penalty), the total is such, thank you for your business"
     
I realize that you can't do that, perhaps with a new stripping business.  But a 
business that's been established for two or three years is not going any place.
    
I would also like to see manufacturers give a free sample of a product to a 
customer to try out, at least, once in awhile,  to people who buy from them 
on a steady basis. I'm sure it  could be used as a write off, it would create
goodwill, and it might result in future sales. It seems like a common sense 
thing to do.
     
I don't know if I answered your question or not, Ozzie. I've been stripping for 
17 years now and what I've said is my own personal experience and opinion, 
but that doesn't mean that I'm always right. 

One last bit of advice to everybody. Never depend on any one supplier exclusively, 
always establish yourself with someone else and try their products until you find
one who will be your second choice. Protect yourself.
 
                                                                          
Steve Austin
-NY


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