Method 1: Walnut. The walnut method goes something like this: take a walnut, crack it in half, and rub the inside of the walnut on your scratch. Theoretically, the walnut oil both stains and expands the wood, filling the crack and blending it with the surrounding wood. This method actually worked pretty well, although it took a few minutes for Stripping your log home refers to when you take a layer off the outside log walls, typically to remove a layer of stain. Stripping methods include blasting with: crushed glass, sand, corn cob grit, walnut shells, or dry ice/baking soda. There are a variety of reasons that you may want to strip your log cabin; UV damage or discoloration, extreme What I would do is clean off the table with a wax and grease remover such as Dupont Prepsol Solvent, frequently changing rags. Then go over it again with a methylene chloride type paint and varnish remover and rinse the residue off with lacquer thinner. Then sand the wood and prepare it for finishing. Using a dull-end scraper, start scraping off the old varnish. Place waste in a disposable pan. Spray again over detailed spots and gently scrub with steel wool. Repeat this process until the piece is free of varnish. Clean off the entire piece with steel wool and lacquer thinner. Place doubled-up paper towels on a section of the top and saturate them with denatured alcohol. Smooth out any bubbles and then cover the paper towels with newspaper or plastic to slow the evaporation. After about 10 minutes, roll back the paper towels and wipe off the loosened shellac. Repeat until all of the shellac is gone, then refinish the Clean and Polish the Wood Surface. To remove any small traces of wax that remain or stains from colored wax on light wood finishes, dip a soft cloth in a mixture of one part distilled white vinegar and two parts water. Wring the cloth well so it is just damp. Wipe the surface following the grain of the wood. Move to a clean area of the cloth as Take the rag and rub it a bit over the stain to wet the wood. Then lay it down directly over the stain and press it a bit so the peroxide soaks into the wood. [2] Make sure you cover the whole stain. If it’s a very large stain, you may need another rag. 3. Leave the cloth over the stain overnight. X Research source. 2. Use a steel brush to get into small areas. In curved or decorative areas, a scraper won't work as well. Instead, scrub it with a metal brush, as the bristles will get in all the nooks and crannies and remove the polyurethane. [10] 3. Rub the polyurethane down with after wash. Step 7. Replace the finish by brushing or spraying it. Apply one coat, let it dry; scuff it with 220-grit sandpaper, and apply a second coat. Advertisement. Spilling an alcoholic drink on wood often results in a dye stain that you may be able to remove with bleach or by sanding. Step 1: Sanding. Sanding uses abrasive paper to remove the glossy top layer of paint. This will dull the finish and give it a more matte appearance. You’ll need to start with coarse sandpaper and move up to finer grits as you go. The goal is to remove the glossy top layer without damaging the underlying paint job. str9s.