Is there something simple for removing silicone prior to lacquering? You can add silicone to lacquer, but is there something that could be used beforehand every time you refinish?
John Brock: The only thing I know of is a seal coat of fresh dewaxed shellac.
Greg Williams: Mohawk Finishing Products sells a Silicone Wash specifically for that purpose. Many of the solvents which will dissolve oils will help remove the free silicone oil from the surface. Silicone oil which has penetrated into the wood, or into fissures in an old badly degraded coating, may not be completely removed. Shellac, or better, Zinsser’s SealCoat, will act as a barrier, locking in the silicone oil, preventing it from affecting the coatings applied subsequently.
Michael Dresdner: Here’s the sequence I use: First, scrub the stripped wood with mineral spirits, and mop up as much as you can. Mineral spirits is a solvent for silicone oil. Follow that by scrubbing with a mixture of warm water and household ammonia, which is a surfactant for silicone. As extra protection, plan on using Zinsser SealCoat for your first sealer coat.
