I think he owes you a new table. I can't see gasoline soaked wood being usable in a home.

From a quick Google search, gasoline cannot be neutralized. What dilly_dally said.

"I can't see gasoline soaked wood being usable in a home."

Neither can I.

Are you sure it was gas or was it another petroleum based stripper? Is he going to finish the job? I'd ask him what he used and check from there.

He told me he used gas. He said he didn't let it soak in and was right behind it with a sander but I still smell it!

What in the world was this guy sniffing!

Where did you find him, was he recommended, and what did he have to say for himself?

What the heck!? Why would anyone think gasoline and would was a good mix unless you were planning on burning it? I'd call and speak to the fire chief in your county and see what he thinks. If you have a local woodworkers store call them first and see if they every heard of using gas as a stripper. To that's just insane.

Where did he do the work? I'm just wondering if the surrounding area has also absorbed the odor? If he already has stain on the table, any treatment for the odor may affect the stain. I've read online where people have used 91% isopropyl alcohol with success and others have used Febreze.
I'd call an auto supply store and ask if they have something to treat gasoline odors.

BTW, I hope you're happy with his work so far. I'm not sure I would have let him continue.

Even if you could cover up the smell, I would still be scared about the chemicals leaching into the air. Since you have young children (saw on your other thread) I would be frightened to have them exposed to it.

I think the guy owes you a new table too...and if he's a professional, his license should be questioned. I found this article that talks about stripping paint and here's what it says plain as day in item #7 at the bottom. Sorry, had to copy the section of the article or it wouldn't have made sense. Link for the entire read is provided below:

What you Should Know About Using Paint Strippers - CPSC Document #4423

IF NOT PROPERLY USED, PAINT STRIPPERS ARE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY.

Paint strippers contain chemicals that loosen paint from surfaces. These chemicals can harm you if not used properly. Some paint stripping chemicals can irritate the skin and eyes or cause headaches, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, or loss of coordination. Some may cause cancer, reproductive problems, or damage of the liver, kidney, or brain. Others catch fire easily. Proper handling and use of paint strippers will reduce your exposure to these chemicals and lessen your health risk.

General Safety Precautions
Paint strippers contain different chemicals, and the potential hazards are different for various products. Each product has specific safety precautions (see the section below on paint stripper types). However, there are some general safety steps to keep in mind when using any paint stripper. If you use paint strippers frequently, it is particularly important that you follow these steps:

1. Always read and follow all the instructions and safety precautions on the label. Do not assume you already know how to use the product. The hazards may be different from one product to another, and the ingredients in individual products often change over time. The label tells you what actions you should take to reduce hazards and the first aid measures to use.

2. Wear chemical-resistant gloves appropriate to the type of stripper being used (see manufacturer's instructions). Common kitchen latex gloves do not provide enough protection.

3. Avoid getting the paint stripper on your skin or in your eyes. Wear protective clothing and goggles appropriate for the project and type of stripper.

4. Use paint strippers outdoors if possible. If you must use them indoors, cross-ventilate by opening all doors and windows. Make sure there is fresh air movement throughout the room. Ventilate the area before, during, and after applying and stripping. Never use any paint stripper in a poorly ventilated area. If work must be done indoors under low ventilation conditions, consider having the work done professionally instead of attempting it yourself.

5. If you must work indoors, always work so the stripper fumes are blowing away from you and to the outside. A fan can be used to improve cross-ventilation and to ensure fresh air movement. A fan is particularly important for nonflammable products that evaporate quickly, such as methylene chloride. Electrical sparks from fans may increase the chance of flammable paint stripper's fumes to catch fire.

6. Do not use flammable paint strippers near any source of sparks, flame, or high heat. Do not work near gas stoves, kerosene heaters, gas or electric water heaters, gas or electric clothes dryers, gas or electric furnaces, gas or electric space heaters, sanders, buffers, or other electric hand tools. Open flames, cigarettes, matches, lighters, pilot lights, or electric sparks can cause the chemicals in the paint strippers to suddenly catch fire.

7. Only strip paint with chemicals that are marketed as paint strippers. Never use gasoline, lighter fluid, or kerosene to strip paint.

8. Dispose of paint strippers according to the instructions on the label. If you have any questions, ask your local environmental sanitation department about proper disposal.

Here is a link that might be useful: Paint stripping information

"he didn't let it soak in and was right behind it with a sander" - I'm glad he didn't start a fire!

He owes you a new table - just for chuckles, I'd like to see what bobsmyuncle on woodworking forum would have to say about this!

Hey Casey, what do you think she should tell this guy??

Thanks for the idea. Just posted on the woodworking forum. I'm very upset.

bobsmyuncle - you wouldn't happen to have his email address, would you?

"He said he didn't let it soak in and was right behind it with a sander"

I can't believe that any guy would be this retarded. Not knowing the gasoline would soak into the wood? Not knowing there could be a spark from the electric sander. Not knowing the dangers of standing right over the project breathing in the fumes. Not knowing the dangers of nearby pilot lights or other sources of ignition or the fact that you were unaware he would be using gasoline on the table in the home. (Did you send the table out to be done? It sounds like he did the work on premise.) If this guy really exists, he is dangerous and I would not let him back in. I wouldn't even talk to him except through an attorney. I would probably just dump the table at a hazardous waste site, and put the incident out of my mind - unless it was a very valuable table. Then go the lawyer route.

We are in the oil and gas industry...please take my post seriously as we know the risks of fumes from gasoline quite well.

Get that table out of your home this instant!!! I mean stop reading this right now, don't even sign off, get the danged thing out of your home instantly.

As long as the table is producing fumes it's not only highly flamable (gasoline has a very low flash point and it's fumes can be set off by as little as static electricity, or turning a light on or off....) It will cause an explosion whereever the fumes are present.

In addition, there are a significant number of toxic chemicals present in gasoline. These include benzene and other chemicals that once breathed in, do not leave your liver. Significant build up can and will kill.

Gasoline is not a natural substance. It's made of over 150 different chemicals all of which have different evaporation rates. The table needs to be put in an area where the chemicals can naturally evaporate. Do not seal in the gas with another chemical process! You need to let it "breath in some fresh air" in an area where there are no possible fire hazards (field, building with no power source, outdoor area, under a tarp etc). It can take between hours to weeks for the chemicals to break down and you must give it this time. If there are any fumes, it's still dangerous to have in your home in any capacity.

Some of the chemicals in gasoline are able to disipate via evaporation and some can be washed away. Wearing a mask appropriate for work with hazardous chemicals you can was the table with a large sponge, warm water and dish soap. Again wearing a mask for chemicals (ask at a paint store what the rating of a mask is...you don't want a simple little piece of cloth...you need an ansci rated mask with filters that are rated to protect you from toxic fumes as well as dust...they are expensive but worth the money...you should wear these when working with any chemicals involving paint, strippers, dust etc).

Don't treat the table as if it's a dirty dog :) just wipe it down with a wet sponge and then immediately wipe it with a dry old towel.

You then need to lay the sponge and towel out to air out just as you are the table. When the air born chemicals have evaporated you can then wash those items by hand in hot soapy water and then wash in your regular rag laundry immediately (don't leave them in a basket waiting for enough rags to build up).

I hope you have already removed the table...but if not, I can't say strongly enough...get it out of your home and away from your loved ones immediately. Perhaps ask to store it at the idiots house...he likely will put an ash tray on it and smoke next to it...which will take care of both problems (the table and the idiot). Personally I'd rather just let the idiot take care of himself :) (He will die doing this eventually, either quickly in an explosion or slowly from toxic poisons) and save the table.

I hate it when we never hear what happened so ladies and gentlemen...let's finish the story for grins and giggles.

I have two scenarios...

OP Reads the post explaining that the table can blow up....she's drinking a lovely glass of merlot and smoking a cigarette with her laptop resting on said table....cigarette, wine and laptop go flying as she singlehandedly wrestles the table from the...oh let's put it in a parlor,....wrestles it from the parlor and tosses it out the front window....

Unfortunately the furniture refinisher was just approaching the house to pick up his final payment....refinisher and refinished collide in one giant cosmic boom! Problem solved...she'll be back next week asking how to get wine stains and cigarette burns out of an antique persian carpet.

Second scenario:

She really wasn't a client of this guy...she's his wife. Her husband, a wall street banker who's out of work and looking for something to do. Money is tight, and he's not using the fuel in the car (since he's no longer heading into wall street regularly) so what the heck, let's soak the table, maybe we can sell it...

She's not been back because when she read this post she realized that he had made a huge mistake. Unfortunately he's working on another table at the very same time, same technique....and sadly the man is enjoying his last (both figuratively and literally) cuban cigar. End of story.

Anyone else? heh heh

Scenario 3: She doesn't REALLY believe the fumes are dangerous. Decides to have friends in for a quiet, intimate dinner and places on the table her lovely heirloom candlesticks which she just knows will cast such a lovely glow. As friends drive in, she lights the candles...

Ah well, igloochic, I am glad you posted because I was panicked for her and about to write the same thing, but your post was much more detailed than mine would have been. I hope everyone takes your words to heart!

Scenario 4: She's lying passed out on the floor at the foot of her table hoping one of her GW buddies will call the paramedics because she's almost out of...

C'mon guys. There's probably no end to the story yet because she's still trying to decide what to do.

She hasn't gotten much help over on the Woodworking Forum but she mentions she wants to remove the gasoline before bringing the table into the house.

Yeah, I just stopped to check on her and her table. It's no laughing matter. I was hoping I could email her through GW, but she's not set up that way. I hope she's found a way to get help. This is serious.

I don't think that we need to worry. In her post on the Woodworking forum the OP said

"I'm worried about my family's health and don't want to bring it in the house."

So I don't think that we need to worry that the toxic table is in the house poisoning the family.

Here is a link that might be useful: Post on woodworking forum

Yes, I saw that too terriks, but it's still not in good taste to make up stories of why she's not commented on this thread. She was sent to the woodworkers forum and she did let us know she had taken the problem there. I'm curious after reading their comments earlier if this was an older man that is working on her table. It may have been common in his day to use gasoline.
Did you post a message to her there by any chance? I thought about it, but didn't.

"not in good taste" Oh for goodness sakes someone is taking themselves and the entire forum too seriously.

Let's start with this:

Many posters don't follow six forums to check on one post.

The fact that people checked back means they acutally cared...horrific I know, but they cared.

And lastly, a little gest in life won't kill you unless you have a gasoline stick stuck up...umm your chimney, an in this case it's dangerous as the above posts point out.