Stripper geeks unite!

We bought a kitchen from the newspaper. All of the cupboards and whatnots. It's very ugly.

I am trying to passively strip it all. Passively is a strange word choice, I realize, but if you had this daunting task ahead of you you'd be passively doing it too. We have about 6 upper cabinets, 4 lower cabinets, a dishwasher cover and about 10 drawers. The idea of doing all this at one time is just too overwhelming. I've decided to do it in acceptable, little stages.

Stage one is this little collection you see in the picture. I've had alot of success getting down to the natural color of the oak. But as with any stripping project the real work is the final detail work. This sneaks up on the piece when it's dried. You really thought you were getting somewhere and then there's a whole corner section still needing work. Hate the damn corners! So, I'm just working to get all the big stuff off before I go back and do the finish work.

Stripping varnish is not one of my favorite wordworking projects. I must admit I do like the feeling of accomplishment when you see the beautiful bare wood emerging. That part keeps me going. But it is right up there with, I dunno,defrosting the freezer. Mundane as it gets.

I'm sure there are those who like stripping cabinets. If that's the case please drop my place in the next month. I will serve you yummy strawberry muffins and jasmine tea. Or maybe hot, fresh croissants with jam and a nutty, Italian expresso. But bring a dental pick with you. Yes, I've heard tell it's the ony way to really get the varnish out from between the wood grain. Oh uh, wait, wait. Where are you going? Come back! Was it something I said? No, really...hold on!

Geez, some people.