You Just Bought Stripwell QCS - Now What?

11/13/2022

Welcome to QCS!

Congratulations!

You did it! You just unboxed our flagship product - QCS! You made the bold choice of choosing your health and well-being over the status quo. You are an early adopter and we are so grateful that you are! We also believe that you will not regret your decision! QCS was born out of 35+ years of furniture restoration which led to the question that begins most journeys toward innovation - “Why?” In our case, we asked why are we using such hazardous products? That is where it began.

QCS was developed to keep YOU safe as you remove paint and finish from your projects. This can be a tedious and often hazardous task that many try to avoid, but our goal is to make stripping a safe experience for all.

When we set out to develop QCS for the furniture refinishing and restoration industry we had two primary goals.

First, QCS had to be super safe for everyone and the environment we all share. Second, QCS had to work really well. It needed to be both safe and effective. Does QCS work a bit differently? Yes it does...but it works and it won’t kill you while it does. The secret ingredient to QCS is patience. Let QCS work for you while you do other things. Your time and your health cost a lot more than QCS does.

QCS stands for QUICK, CLEAN and SAFE and QCS is all of those things. It is non-flammable, biodegradable, nearly completely non-toxic and contains no carcinogens. It was developed for furniture refinishing and restoration professionals, but is safe for everyone!

So, thank you for valuing what we value at Stripwell and giving QCS the opportunity to prove itself to you. We believe that if you care about starting your projects safely and effectively, then QCS is going to become your go to finish remover.

Sincerely,
Your Stripwell Team

QCS Instructions

For the best possible results please read the following instructions.
For application, we recommend spraying QCS on, but you can also apply with a brush or pad.

ONE: Apply a light and even tack coat of QCS (not too heavy) over the entire surface you wish to strip and wait 15 minutes.

TWO: After 15 minutes, apply a second even coat of QCS over the entire surface. This coat should be heavier. Wait 15 to 30 minutes.

THREE: Check the results. If the coating is loose and gummy and feels ready to release from the surface, you can move forward to step FOUR. If it is still clinging, coat the surface again and continue to recoat every 15 minutes until the finish feels ready to come off. NOTE: You can walk away from your project and QCS will not stain the wood like other products, but if you let QCS sit for too long, you may need to use more product than necessary to “reactivate” it.

BE PATIENT AND LET QCS WORK FOR YOU.
Your time and health cost more than QCS does, so just let QCS work and enjoy life a little bit more or just work on another project while you wait.

FOUR: Once the coating is showing signs of letting go, begin to remove the coating with a putty knife, scraper or blade on flat areas. Use a toothbrush or wire brush with softer brass bristles for cleaning the details. Finally, use a 0 - 0000 grade steel wool to scrub the entire item being stripped. VERY IMPORTANT: be sure to pour some QCS into a small container and dip your steel wool as you scrub OR spray QCS onto your steel wool pad. You DO NOT want to scrub the surface with a dry piece of steel wool. You will cuss and become quite angry. Always scrub wet.

FIVE: Once you have scrubbed all of the surfaces thoroughly, wipe off all of the residue with paper towels. These will not become a fire hazard because QCS is non-flammable.

BONUS STEP: If you are stripping paint off of a piece and the paint is still in the grain of the wood after you wipe off the surface, apply some fresh QCS to the surface and allow 15 - 30 minutes for it to weaken the remaining paint. Then use a wire brush with softer brass bristles and scrub in the direction of the grain periodically dipping the brush into QCS. Then repeat step five.

SIX: Apply some clean QCS to a cloth or paper towel and wipe down all surfaces. QCS is also your after wash and replaces the need to use mineral spirits, acetone or alcohol.

SEVEN: This step is optional. Rinse or wipe down your project with water. This is not fully necessary, but in some cases it will help to capture the remaining residue. Wipe dry.

EIGHT: If necessary, spot treat any areas that you may have missed by applying some more QCS and repeating the previous steps.

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