Stopped by an old shop in St. Louis and noticed a shift in how they prep pieces

I was down in St. Louis last month visiting my cousin and we popped into this refinishing shop that's been around since the 70s. The owner, a guy named Frank, showed me how they now use a water-based stripper instead of the methylene chloride stuff I grew up with. He said it takes longer but the smell is gone and he's had fewer customers complain about harsh fumes. Anyone else see a big move away from the old chemical strippers in their area?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona13026d ago

Yeah, I gotta push back a little on this one. Frank might be getting fewer smell complaints, but that water-based stuff takes forever to work and you have to scrub like crazy to get it all off. I've tried both and the old methylene chloride stuff just does the job faster and cleaner, even with the fumes. Plus, you can strip a whole piece in one go instead of doing multiple rounds with the newer stuff. I get that health and safety matter, but I'd rather wear a respirator and be done in half the time.

val_wilson26d ago

Respirator or not, I'm pretty sure my lungs didn't sign up for that job.