I recently found a cool vintage desk with rounded edges that someone had spray painted blue that I wanted to try and salvage since I wanted a different desk since the one I have looks like some kind of ugly blonde colored particle board "kit" computer desk from the early 1990s. Seeing as how I'm into vintage and antique stuff, I figured I should get something that better suits my interests.
Anyway, although the blue color was refreshing and I did like that color, it wouldn't go with any of my stuff and, truth be told, that would be okay as an accent color, but not an entire freaking piece of furniture. It looked like a giant robin laid an egg in the shape of a desk. But anyway, I now have a newfound respect for people who build or refinish/salvage furniture. Whoever painted this thing must have used a spray gun and must have been aiming it at this desk like some kind of alcoholic peeing on an alley wall after downing 6 beers or something. I have never seen so much thick paint in my life. I have now spent 12 hours applying paint remover and, literally, scraping the paint off with a metal putty knife. Well, after THAT was done there was still a haze of paint, so then I used an electric sander for 4 hours to get most of the rest off. NOW I have to hand sand a shelf that the sander wouldn't fit in and THEN I have to apply mineral spirits to get any excess off that I couldn't get and THEN I, finally, get to stain it. So, yeah, if you know anyone who refinishes furniture or repairs furniture or builds it, give them props, because this crap is NOT easy!
