Hi,
I have just bought some furniture; unfortunately not solid wood as normally preferred, but I want to stain it down from a birch colour to a dark black brown as I could not find real wood option I liked and the store I bought it from is discontinuing the darkest version they do.
It looks like a real wood veneer but I want to know the best way to lift the top coat of laquer/varnish in order to allow the stain to take. Can you do this or is it best to prime and paint? I would like to get the most "woodlike" finish possible and am not concerned if the finish is not flawless - hence the preference for stain over paint.
Any suggestions or tips? We are going to buy a plank in the same material to test on but if there are some tried and tested methodologies and products, it would be really useful to find out.
Thanks!
Amy

 

If it's commercially finished, it's probably lacquer and can be dissolved with rubbing alcohol.

 

Mitch is correct in stating alcohol will dissolve a lacquer finish. Even a spilled mixed drink will cut a lacquer finish, but you'll be there quite a while trying to remove the 'melted' residue with a putty knife and/or steel wool.

My favorite 'home brew' is a 50/50 mix of lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol (shellac thinner). It cuts even catalyzed lacquer finishes and costs about 1/2 as much as a good paint & varnish remover...