Removing ingrained old varnish

[arthurbutler]

Hi,

I'm revarnishing an old plywood wooden dinghy, which even after sanding back has some old varnish left in the wood grain in places. I don't want to sand much more as I may go though the top veneer. I'd like to remove the marks before revarnishing as they remain as white visible lines. I have tried varnish remover. Would a stain cover them? Any other ideas?

Thanks,

 

[Poignard]

Nitromors and a toothbrush might do it.

 

[Peterduck]

I doubt very much that the old varnish would show up as much as you fear. You could try brushing some Shellac on the hull, and this will show you what is going to happen without putting on any buildup. It has been common practice to apply a couple of coats of Shellac to seal the wood before applying varnish. The varnish is quite compatible with the shellac.
Peter.