How does one remove the old varnish off of a 50 year old bamboo rod. Is it practical or a waste of time. The one I I was given to rebuild need a full refurbish. Help i have never done this before.

The best thing to use is a citrus stripper. Takes longer than chemical strippers, but is much safer. Another way is to use a sigle edged razor blade held at 90 degrees to the blank surface and scrape it off.

Bill in WV

If the finish needs to be removed, personally, I would scrape it. I don't use strippers on anything. Too many formulations that you have no idea what they will do to glues or binders.

I have done several dozens using a citrus stripper. The key word here is "citrus", any other type could cause damage to the blank. You can purchase it at most building supply stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. The other advantage is that this is a very safe stripper to use, no fumes and no special clothing and can be safely used in most enclosed spaces such as a room or basement. It gives off a very pleasant odor. I apply it liberally with a brush and let it set one hour then wipe off excess with a paper towel and use one of the green scotch brite pads. Do not use steel wool and be careful not to get splinters in your hands when wiping it off. It will work and work safely

Rick,
I have had good luck with Citristrip, a mild, slow-acting citrus stripper that's available at Wal Mart and the home improvement stores. I haven't had any trouble with this stripper hurting glue. Using a single-edge razor blade as a scraper also works well but it takes a little practice to get the technique down.

Thanks for all the good advice. I am a little nervous about this, but will go ahead anyway

Sam, what issues have you encountered in using steel wool?

Thanks

Ray Zarychta
Glastonbury, CT