How Do You Get Varnish Off

lofty22810 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-11-2008

on a old boat there is varnish in the nonskid and i was wondering what approach i should take to get it off??

poopdeckpappy · #2 (**permalink**) 12-11-2008

A Dremel Tool w/Bronze wire wheel, with just a tad bite of little CitrusStrip on the varnish

lofty22810 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-11-2008

thanks i will try it

resdog · #4 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

Lacquer thinner and a stiff tooth brush.

jgeissinger · #5 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

NOTHING works better, faster, easier, and more thoroughly than a heat gun and a scraper. I've tried almost everything else. Obviously it helps if you can remove the pieces your working on.

jgeissinger · #6 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

Forget everything I just said, I read too fast and didn't see that it was in the non-skid. My mistake!

chris_gee · #7 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008

Having just spent many many days doing just that I don't think there is an easy way, if it is 2 pot. Paint remover didnt touch it.
I agree with heat gun and a backwards scraper. It seems to help just to do a small piece pulling the scraper over it at the same time. Watch for burns of timber and self. The veneer is not thick so there is a possibility of some damage being increased if any bits are damaged. I reckon it took well over an hour each square foot because I couldn't get a whole layer at once. Other parts were easy different varnish I guess.