If you are looking for a way to remove polyurethane without damaging the surface below, then this post is perfect for you. With the use of a heat gun and some patience, your project will be done in no time.
The great thing about using a heat gun is that you can use it on any surface as long as there’s enough room to get close with it. Moreover, this method does not contain any toxic chemicals. You can do this work without any prior experience. So, let’s talk about “How to use a heat gun to remove polyurethane.”
Things You Need to Finish This Project
- Paint scraper
- Professional Heat gun
- Safety glasses
- Heat resistant gloves
- Dry cloth
Step by step Guide to Remove Polyurethane with a Heat Gun
Step 1
Wash the surface before heating it. You can clean using soapy water. It will be better if the water is warm. Avoid using any chemical substances because these can react in the presence of heat.
After washing, dry the surface and wipe it with a napkin.
Step 2
Cover the area with a drop cloth from which you want to remove polyurethane. This cloth will protect the wood below polyurethane. But if you are confident that heat will not burn the wood, you need not use any cloth.
Step 3
Set the temperature medium and slowly move the heat gun back and forth. For better performance, at first, heat a small area. Then another small area.
One more thing, you should keep the heat gun minimum of two inches away from the working surface.
Step 4
After some moments, the polyurethane will start bubbling up. Now you should low the temperature and start scrapping the polyurethane with a paint scraper.
You need to continue heating the surface when you are scrapping the polyurethane. Otherwise, it will be stuck with the wood surface again.
Step 5
You will notice some small pieces of polyurethane stuck here and there on the wood surface. To remove them again, heat them and scrap them with the paint scraper. Or you can take sandpaper to remove the small pieces of polyurethane.
Here, my suggestion is to use sandpaper because using a heat gun in this stage can damage the wood surface.
Tools Suggestion to Remove Polyurethane
For this task, I suggest using “DEWALT Heat Gun (D26960K) with LCD Display “This professional and powerful heat will ease your task. Moreover, you can use this for many other projects too.
FAQs
Can I use a heat gun to remove varnish?
The hot airflow from the heat gun softens the varnish, and this makes the work easy. To do this job perfectly and avoid damage, keep the heat gun’s temperature medium. And keep a distance of about three or four inches.
How do you get hardened polyurethane off?
To remove hardened polyurethane from a wood surface:
- Take a paint remover.
- Spray the paint remover on the polyurethane.
- Wipe it with a napkin.
After that, take a sander and polish the wood to remove the polyurethane coat perfectly.
Heat Gun Safety Rules
- You should follow the safety rules for safe usage of a heat gun:
- Wear heat-resistant gloves and, if possible, wear safety goggles.
- Do not aim the heat gun at cloth or flammable objects.
- Do not block the hot air flow channel.
- Keep a safe distance [ minimum one inch is preferable.
- Before storing the heat gun, cool down it properly.
- Please do not keep the heat gun from your hand without switching it off. And be careful of the direction of hot airflow when you are using it.
Conclusion
In this step-by-step guide, I have tried to explain the process easily so that you can implement them without any trouble. From my experience, using a heat gun is the easiest and cheapest method to remove polyurethane from wood. Moreover, this method is safe and eco-friendly.
So, pick up the heat gun from your toolbox and finish the polyurethane scraping project. If you have not a heat gun, you can check this post’s tools suggestion or go through this article where I have reviewed the best heat gun on the market.
Oh! one more thing, if you have an interest in electronics/ electronics projects and searching for the perfect heat gun for this kind of job, then you can look at my other article on “heat gun for electronics“.