Wood & furniture
Stripping and re-staining a dresser
Furniture-grade finish without a chemical stripper.
A four-stage hand-and-machine climb that takes a tired dresser through to fresh stain without ruining the veneer or rounding the edges.
The climb
The exact sequence, in order.
- 1 80
Remove old finish from flat panels
Random orbital with light pressure. Stop the moment you hit raw wood — going further wastes wood and rounds edges.
Reach for
Mirka Gold 5-inch Hook & Loop Disc Assortment
- 2 150
Refine before pre-stain conditioner
ROS for flats, sponge for profiled edges. Pay attention to grain direction at joints.
Reach for
3M Cubitron II Hookit Disc 5-inch
- 3 220
Final sanding before stain
Hand sand with the grain. Wipe with a tack cloth before the conditioner goes on.
Reach for
Indasa Plusline 220-Grit 9×11 Sheets (50-pack)
Watch out for
The things that quietly ruin the job.
- ·Veneer is thin — usually 1/40" or less. A few too many passes at 80 and you're sanding through to substrate.
- ·Don't round the corners. Sharp edges read as quality; rounded edges read as refinished.
- ·Stop sanding curves and details by hand at 220. The detail is the point.
Questions people ask
The practical part.
Should I use a chemical stripper instead?
If the piece has heavy carved detail, yes — strippers reach where sandpaper can't. For flat-panel work, sanding is faster and you're not waiting for chemicals to cure off.
How do I know if it's veneer?
Look at the edges. If the grain pattern on the top doesn't continue around the edge, it's veneer. Sand it gently.
Keep going