Paint Stripper

danza

danza

danza

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Hey all,

I need a paint stripper that actually works. The paint could be water based, but I'm not sure. I know that since dichloromethane was banned all paint strippers drastically dropped in their effectiveness. It's for stripping paint off old wood.

Are there any available that are actually any good these days? I know nitromors used to be the nuts, but last time I used it it was a load of old chuff.

Any recommendations?
 
If the wood is removable like a door, you can get them dipped by a paint removing firm.
Does a better job than gouging away with a blade.
 
On curved surfaces or mouldinggs you could use a shave hook like this.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p81533/?gclid=CPG40dSIxrUCFUfMtAodGXwAKA

A heat gun is the best on painted surfaces, nitromors is better on varnishes/woodstains. For getting paint out of the wood grain, a drop of nitromors and a metal scouring pad can help. But you need to thoroughly wash the surface once finished. Some nitromors are water based, so can be rinsed off with water. The one in the green tin requires washing off with white spirit. A tip with nitromors is to dab it on, not brush it on. This helps it to soak in quicker.
 
TSP or muriatic acid will work.

Might ruin the door, mind. Muriatic acid certainly will, but TSP might be your go-to place if the standard cleaners no longer work.
 
Cheers guys, I'll have a look around.

It's an old (100 years+) carpenter's chest that someone has shabby-chiqued up with a couple of coats of paint. I have a feeling that the paint used is water-based, hopefully I can easily remove it!
 
Paint will probably have soaked in to the grain if they rubbed it down before painting. :(
I'd try warm soapy water first to see if it will wash off, If they've just bodged it with emulsion then it'll come off fairly easy.
If it's oil based you are ****** as even the green nitromors will leave paint in the grain, You can try using nitromors & some 000 gauge wire wool that should get most if not all of it out.


Last choice is a disaster really unless you have a serious amount of patience, You'd need to rub it all down to wood then the patience comes in when you add your own patina. There are varying methods you can use like Tea, Coffee, Waxes, Oils & as the wood is so old it would take to it really well.
You can even hit it a few times with a ball pin hammer to add even more character.
I'm into my wood & like restoring it but you do have to have a love for it to do it well. :)
 
4T5 said:
You can try using nitromors & some 000 gauge wire wool that should get most if not all of it out.
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I'm going to differ on that last bit, if any particles of wire get left in the grain they will rust. I think some kind of brass wool is available for just this situation?
I've certainly seen brass brushes in DIY stores.
 
I know one thing nitromorse is crap on gloss, it took me around 5 coats to get to bare wood and there only seemed to be 4 layers of paint
 
Burning off is better with gloss, 4 coats is about right for a paint system on new wood, 1 coat of primer, x2 undercoats finished with gloss. Of course on older wood the coats will have been built up over the years. And if theyve been done properly, this means more undercoat and then gloss. Unlike some houses ive done where idiots have just glossed over the top of the existing gloss coat. A nightmare as it starts to peel off in tiny strips once you start to sand it down.
 
setter said:
Burning off is better with gloss, 4 coats is about right for a paint system on new wood, 1 coat of primer, x2 undercoats finished with gloss. Of course on older wood the coats will have been built up over the years. And if theyve been done properly, this means more undercoat and then gloss. Unlike some houses ive done where idiots have just glossed over the top of the existing gloss coat. A nightmare as it starts to peel off in tiny strips once you start to sand it down.
Click to expand...

It was the wooden ledge at the bottom of my patio doors so I didn't want to risk a heat gun in case it shattered the glass or something
 
When working near glass, i use a large filling knife and hold it along the edge of the glass where it meets the wood. Turn the heat down a bit lower, does take a little longer but best to err on the side of caution. If using stripper, its always best to dab it on in a quick prodding motion. This way the bristles of the brush help to poke it into the surface.
 
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