Wood paneling restoration 2
This was my method for refinishing the interior paneling. I tried several alternative methods this one seemed to work the best within the least amount of labor. The materials used were a brush on varnish remover, putty knife used to scrape off the varnish once it was softened, steel wool, sand paper and marine varnish
Each panel was removed, varnish striped sanded and replaced. A lot of scratches can be seen in the old finish but once it was refinished they looked like new.

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This photo shows the panel after the old varnish has been removed. Notice the old discolored varnish on the newspaper. A lot of smoke had been absorbed into this original finish. A spray bottle helps with the application of the stripping material. Clean the surface with mineral spirits after stripping to halt any chemical reaction the stripping material may have.
   
The panel after initial sanding. I am only using a very fine paper 100-200 finish and 000 steel wool. The veneer is fairly thin and you do not want to sand through this to the base wood. Initially I tried using polyurethane to refinish the wood but found that a good marine spar varnish gives a much richer finish. 3 coats sanded between each application for a nice deep glow.
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 wood panel restoring 1