KWIK Liquid stripper?? Alternative??

[outune]

Hi All-- For many years, I have used KWIK Liquid No-Wash stripper for projects. I no longer do much refinishing, but today my last can of KWIK ran empty...

KWIK.jpg (77.68 KiB) Viewed 1576 times

In the intervening years, since I purchased my supply, I guess "they" have concluded it is a health hazard--- Really- There's nothing wrong with my brain..my brain..my brain..my brain...

Has anyone found a comparable product? I like the thin, liquid consistency of the KWIK No-Wash, rather than a gel or paste.

Anyone use something they can recommend??

Thanks-
Brad Abell

[VanEpsFan1914]

Hello Brad,

Here's a replacement. I found the website of a wood-finishing supplier saying that KWIK No-Wash has been discontinued by the manufacturer due to some of the health hazards or something.

It appears to be an old-fashioned paint stripper--Methylene chloride type. Thankfully the manufacturer has recommended BENCO B-1 as a substitute, which, though it doesn't mention methylene chloride, does seem to take off pretty much everything including shellacs, varnish, and polyurethane. Pretty tough stuff to go after polyurethane.

Here's the page for KWIK--
https://prowoodfinishes.com/product/pai ... -stripper/

And here's the page for Benco B-1, the recommended replacement--
https://prowoodfinishes.com/product/pai ... -stripper/

Hope it's as good as the advertisers say it was--

Charles

[outune]

Thanks Charles- I, too, had run across that site. It appears that they are wholesale only, with mini,um quantities-- I may call them to verify, but I don't need 100 gallons!

Brad Abell

[Dave D]

I've used a mix of 50% denatured alcohol and 50% lacquer thinner for stripping old phono finishes. You can vary the amount of lacquer thinner to make it stronger.
Dave

[outune]

Thanks Dave--- The KWIK that I've used for years is very thin--like water-- and quickly dissolves old varnish without bleaching out the wood. The way I did it, I guess is sort like "reamalgamation" (Did I spell that right?) It's work for me for 40+ years-- No I have to change---but I'm an old dog-- and this is a new trick!

I'll try your recipe-- I used to refinish lots of furniture and the occasional phonograph (I don't strip phonos unless the finish is really bad)-- I don't do as much of that work as I used to, but it would be good to have a product on hand that would work well.

Thanks!!
Brad Abell

[JohnM]

Thanks Dave--- The KWIK that I've used for years is very thin--like water-- and quickly dissolves old varnish without bleaching out the wood. The way I did it, I guess is sort like "reamalgamation" (Did I spell that right?) It's work for me for 40+ years-- No I have to change---but I'm an old dog-- and this is a new trick!

I'll try your recipe-- I used to refinish lots of furniture and the occasional phonograph (I don't strip phonos unless the finish is really bad)-- I don't do as much of that work as I used to, but it would be good to have a product on hand that would work well.

Thanks!!
Brad Abell

It’s actually ‘amalgamation’ since it wasn’t amalgamated to begin with, so there’s no ‘re-‘ to it.

One useful bit of advice that I can give is to cover the area that is being stripped with plastic wrap to prevent the stripper from drying-out while it is working.