Removing paint from wood project

If you have a hand plane, it would work. I have a “beater” #5 hand plane just for situations like these.
On furniture, I wouldn’t use paint meant for houses. I have had bad luck with these. Use furniture paint.

I use a card scraper for removing paint and finish when refinishing. Sanding is difficult to do because the latex is rubbery and not hard. One of the paint scraper tools may work well too.

I like using Sherwin Pro-Classic latex or Pittsburg Paint Manor Hall. These paints are latex but they dry hard like oil. They have great application performance in that they glide on and self level very well. I prefer spraying whenever possible. This avoids the blending and brush mark issues.

Brush marks can be avoided by a couple of things. Make sure the brush is properly loaded with product and you might try adding a little Floetrol latex paint additive. Floetrol conditions the paint so that it has a longer open time and it helps alleviate the lap marks, it is not the same as thinning the paint with water, it is better. This product also helps the paint level out to get rid of brush marks.

One of the benefits of latex is the quick dry time. This obviously can work against you by creating the problems that you have had.

There may be no single answer here but rather a combination of these; using Floetrol, loading the brush properly, having a good painting sequence plan, and moving quickly.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

I agree with cmaeda. The paints that I recommended are not used on walls, but rather trim and doors. Professionally speaking, this is the paint that many use on projects like your mantle.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Thank you I appreciate your advice and I will let you know what happens.

-- Elvin, Southern California, "How great would life be if we lived a little of it everyday"

Like Todd said scraper works…I’ve redone allot of old mantels and doors, 60 to 70 years worth of paint…so I don’t know if this will help…..I will use a heat gun with a scraper that you can get with the heat gun…...it seems to work the fastest for me…In TN we do allot of painted trim, mantels, bookcases, and so on in the homes we work on and Todd is right on about SW Pro Classic…great paint I’ve never had a problem, spraying is the best if you can, but the Floetrol that Todd talks about works great, make latex paint more “oil like” in regards to open or drying time and brush marks….I have not heard of a SW product or any paint that you have to work a small 2-4 inch area at a time….what was the name of that product? I want to make sure I avoid it at all cost…. also when priming bare wood, primer will dry/absorb fast….good luck let us know how it turns out

-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †

Sometimes I use a roller on paint I brushed on to eliminate brush marks and overlaps. It’s especially useful on vertical surfaces where self leveling isn’t as good.
d

-- If a man says something in the forest and there's no woman to hear it, is he still wrong?

I have been using a gentle paint stripper called Soy-Gel.

Soy-Gel

I agree that Floetrol from Flood will help increase the open time for your paint.

Floetrol

-- Randy, Rustic Artisan, a family tradition. (No PM's - auto-deleted.) - "I am a seeker, not a follower."

I agree with using the heat gun. I use the heat gun or propane torch (with care) as needed. Paint peels right off.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Todd, Randy,Don & Todd, Thanks for taking the time to respond it is a big help with several options.
El

-- Elvin, Southern California, "How great would life be if we lived a little of it everyday"