PSA: That $60 heat gun from Harbor Freight melted my project in 10 seconds flat

I was trying to strip paint off an old dresser and the thing got so hot so fast it warped the wood and ruined the whole piece. Anyone else had a tool fail that cost them way more than the tool itself?

2 comments

2 Comments

sageellis7d ago

Did you test it on a scrap piece first, or just go straight to the dresser?

troy_reed6d ago

36 years of refinishing furniture, and I still won't skip the test spot (learned that one the hard way). I always sand a small hidden area on the bottom or inside a drawer first, just to see how the wood takes the stain. Jumping straight to a visible spot like a dresser top is asking for trouble with blotchy results or a surprise chemical reaction. That old finish leftover in a corner can mess up your whole day when the stripper turns into goo. Plus, your color match might look completely different after the sealer goes on, so you want to know that before you commit.