Max Strip Paint & Varnish Stripper Gel, Safe Wood & Metal Stripper, 1 Gal

This product is amazing it work pretty well on removing wood stain. I followed the directions and within minutes it went to work. Best part is cleans up well with water and white vinegar, wear gloves because this can/will get messy, and then wipe down with plenty of towels. I will admit though I did need a Scouring pad like a scotch-brite green scouring pad, because scraping wasn’t always the best. Overall this product works well and I would even recommend combining this with Dumond Chemicals, Inc. 3332 Smart Strip Advanced Paint Remover because that will add to the sheerness of this product. For paint I might have to use something else because this product is just not strong enough for paint, especially oil paint. If it’s a single layer of latex paint or acrylic paint it’s fine or for a varnish surface, but if it’s a mixture of oil Paint and latex paint or acrylic paint this won’t work, I tried it, and it’s just not working. However, I may have not applied enough so I’ll try again then update my review if I get different results. However, for removing wood stain it seems to work just fine and combine with smart strip it really does work.

I could not have completed this project without this product, due to arthritis in my hands. Here is how I used it, based on other reviewers recommendations. I placed cardboard and/or paper down on the carpeting under this cabinet to keep it protected from the damp paint that came loose during this process. Here are the steps I used. 1. I wore nitrile gloves to keep my hands safe. 2) After emptying it of its contents, I thoroughly cleaned the china cabinet. It had a very old, shiny, faux gold with wood grain, paint effect under a heavy gloss varnish. There were at least four coats of paint, including black three layers down, and a wood stain, likely original from when the piece was first sold. 2. I applied this product to one small area at a time (the top, one side at a time, one surface at a time...you get the idea). I tried to paper and tape the glass, but that didn't work. The product was absorbed into the paper. I just cleaned the glass with left over product after the project was completed (I used heavy duty nail polish remover in tiny, hard to reach areas). 3. I used a sponge or towel to apply the product. I applied to an area of the cabinet about the size of a paper towel. I used a spray bottle to dampen a paper towel. I placed the damp paper towel over the product. I used painter tape to seal plastic wrap over the paper towel. After about 30 mins. I checked to make sure the paper towel was still damp. If it wasn't, I misted it with water again and returned the plastic over it. I repeated this as necessary in areas that were tougher to tackle (there were a few, especially at the beginning of the project, and the inside of the top of the cabinet was awkward. I had to do a few spots more than twice). After about an hour from first applying the product, I used a scraper to simply slide ALL of the layers of varnish, paint and stain off. It was amazing. I needed two bottles of this to complete the inside and outside of the china cabinet. The smell wasn't unpleasant. Not chemical. I did use a fan (which was why I started checking the paper towels were still damp every 30 mins or so) and was right next to an open window for ventilation. The fan was not facing the cabinet, but its effect was enough to start to dry the paper towels more than once. I tried another product that has a citrus base that has a smell I cannot tolerate. I prefer this product in every conceivable way. It is easy to use. It is safe. I like the size as I cannot handle heavy containers. This product sticks to the surface well, especially vertical surfaces, when using the damp paper towel covered with plastic wrap method. I never would have been able to tackle this project if I had needed to use elbow grease. I needed a few different sized scrapers, because there were very narrow, as well as rounded areas in the cabinet. I had some clay shaping tools that worked really well for this. I also used paper towels when removing the ribbons of paint layers that were coming off. That was sticky and messy. I went through a lot of nitrile gloves and paper towels, but both were critical to my success. Use the thicker quality gloves (6 mil or more), not the cheapest (3 mil). Overall, this is my go-to product now. I am eyeing lots of other pieces of furniture that won't be devalued by stripping, and will look so much better in their natural state. As a follow up. I cleaned this cabinet with Old English wood oil. It is an old but effective wood cleaner I've used for decades. Photo 1 shows the ugly gold paint still present inside on the bottom shelf of the cabinet. The whole thing looked like that. Photo 2 shows the new improved cabinet after stripping and then applying Old English Wood Oil. I did not add a stain. I'm very pleased with the results. Now I can fill it back up with my china.

Bought a vintage reel mower which I'm wanting to restore. Some previous owner had painted the wooden shaft and handle with light grey paint long ago which they dripped all over the metal blades. The paint is now cracked and flaking off on the wood handle & shaft. With prior paint stripping experience under my belt, it looked like it would be a quick job to syrip it off. Before deciding on this purchase, I did a little on-line research into the top rated stripping brands and this was listed in the top so I made the purchase. Received today, read the directions, then followed the directions leaving on the wooden shaft for 30 minutes. It was not dried out but it had done nothing. I re-applied to the shaft and this time I left it on for an hour. Came back out to scrape again and still, essentially, nothing. The interesting thing is I tried just hand sanding the handle (which hadn't had remover applied to it yet) and was able to remove almost all of the paint with just a little hand sanding. Looks like I totally wasted my money on this paint stripper and I guess I'll just be sanding the paint off instead. I would not recommend this brand nor purchase it again.

Used throughout a pool encloser to remove rust staining from zinc fasteners. Works well on horizontal surfaces where soaked material can sit for 1/2 hr. Did not work on vertical as I did not have the time. Expensive. Would recommend for floor stains. The green cast does go away

I bought this after reading several reviews. I followed directions and was not that impressed. For thinner areas of paint it worked fine. On thicker areas it was not as effective, even with wrapping and leaving it to sit several hours. The odor was not horrible so that was a plus (even with wearing a mask).

I wanted to strip a badly damaged and weathered varnish finish from a nearly 100-year old mandolin. I applied Citrus Strip to a section of the top and left it wet for about three hours. It took off the upper layers of varnish for sure, but left an inconsistent, patchy surface with plenty of finish still present where it was deeply absorbed. A second application didn't significantly improve the surface and I feared I was looking at either significant sanding (hazardous on such an instrument) or applying a dark, opaque finish that was not my preference.I tried Max Strip on another section of the top: after shaking it for a minute of two it poured and spread like a wet foam that was easy to control with a small sponge brush. I left it on for about an hour and half, and removed it using a Scotch Brite scouring pad rather than a plastic spatula that can be tricky on the arched, curved surface. The result was dramatic compared to the Citrus Strip. The Max Strip removed enough finish to reveal the wood with just a transparent patina of wash-ed out varnish. Additional rubbing with the scouring pad removed the final sheen and I was down to greyish wood - light sanding exposed fresh grain that can be prepped to accept a new transparent finish.To neutralize the stripping action, wipe the surface down with a damp rag and let the piece sit and dry out.Easy use, easy cleanup. Great product.

It works great at all, but you need to put a lot of chemical and then rinse it with water and let it dry. Everything will be perfect. All my cabinet has been tripped like this but it’s a small bottle.

This didn’t work for me at all. First, it tells you that you need to cover in plastic, so it doesn’t dry out, which when you’re doing a big piece of furniture is really difficult, and then it tells you that it needs to sit for an hour to overnight for it to work. The timing of that is challenging. So we applied it, draped it in plastic sheeting, and checked it in an hour, checked it at two hours. It wasn’t ready to go, so we had to leave it overnight and by the morning it was dry. Total waste of time and money. The only good part about it is that it doesn’t smell very strongly and you can clean it up with water.

The effect was not as good as expected. Cannot be completely removed

Brilliant product, would say if you know there is alot of paint then will definitely need multiple applications. Smell isn't terrible which is always beneficial, thickness is like pva glue. Good value for money.

After leaving for 1 hour, it managed to affect the 1st layer of paint, which still needed to be scrapped off with a lot of effort.To have any affect on paint, it needs to be painted on very thickly. Since it is a very water substance, it is only suitable for flat surfaces - it will drip off of vertical surfaces.In the end, using it is little better than just scraping the paint off by hand, without using paint a chemical stripper.I would also be careful using it indoors; it did make me feel very dizzy. You'll need to have all windows and doors open.

This gel like product was easy to paint on, didn't drip or run when applied. Directions were clear and easy to follow.Unfortunately, it did not work to remove any of the varnish or paint on my chairs. I tried all of the techniques recommended, wrapped it in cellophane, left overnight, kept moist etc. and still none of the varnish or paint lifted or was able to be scraped off.

Sadly never worked but speedy refund