Paint stripper

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

I always used Nitromors paint stripper. Never failed , apart from with stove enamel.

Steve.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Posted by AJAX on 07/10/2021 22:07:16:

Posted by duncan webster on 07/10/2021 18:36:14:

Posted by AJAX on 07/10/2021 17:44:25:

Posted by duncan webster on 07/10/2021 17:40:21:

Caustic soda on the cast iron, but it will attack ally

I may give that a try. Any particular technique to use? Can I wash down after with solvent?

I just make up a bath in a plastic container and soak. Afterwards rinse well with clean water. . I use hot water so it dries off quickly. It also degreases, so no need for solvents. As Thor no says, it's unpleasant stuff, so care needed. Make sure you get Caustic Soda, not washing soda

Hot water for the solution, or hot water for the rinse? I think it has been mentioned elsewhere this solution generates heat so I'm presuming you use cold water when making your solution.

Hot for the rinse. As others have said when you add the caustic to water it gets hot, so start cold. I've not had it get hot enough to worry a plastic bucket, but you could mix it in a stainless saucepan to be on the safe side

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Good old Baking soda acts as a neutraliser.

Steve.

[Anthony KnightsParticipant @anthonyknights16741]

Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is sold in the local DIY shop as Drain Cleaner.

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Posted by AJAX on 07/10/2021 22:32:37:

Posted by Thor 🇳🇴 on 07/10/2021 17:44:51:

Hi Brian,

If you can buy sodium hydroxide (NaOH – caustic soda) where you live that may be one option. Cast iron or steel objects should be able to survive a dip in strong sodium hydroxide solution. Wear rubber gloves, safety glasses/face shield (preferably both) and protective clothing. Sodium hydroxide must be handled with care, after use you should neutralize it with acid, strong vinegar is one option.

Thor

Thor, giving this some more thought, can you suggest a mix ratio for stripping paint from iron / steel? You also mention neutralizing it with an acid, but how much would I need? Vinegar is easy to buy but I also happen to have some brick acid if that is useful. (**LINK**) Assume that I know nothing about chemistry and you won't be far wrong.

If you can find pH paper at your local chemist that would tell you when the solution is neutral. "Brick acid" or hydrochloric acid (HCl) would work well to neutralize the lye solution, just note that this too is an exothermic reaction so it may get hot. If using HCl to neutralize you end up with salt water so easily disposed of.

I have found a few notes on using caustic soda as paint stripper on the Internet that may be of help:

'''Link'''

'''Link'''

'''Link'''

If you "Google" using caustic soda as paint stripper you should find many more.

Thor

Edited By Thor 🇳🇴 on 08/10/2021 06:13:58

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

I use a product called kling-strip on common substrates to remove paint, varnish and grease from 'normal' substrates. Again it's essentially caustic soda in a clay base (so no use on ally). Trowel it on and cover with old plastic bags/cling film etc to prevent it drying out… leave from a few hours to days and wash off. Used judiciously a trial pot goes a long way – my go-to method for horrid things like cleaning the greasy grout on the tiles by the cooker: fill the grout lines, cover, leave. wash off, job done.

pgk

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Be extremely careful when making a concentrated mix of sodium hydroxide and water as it gives off choking fumes which can burn your airways, don’t ask how I know. Dave W

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Posted by Steviegtr on 07/10/2021 22:45:48:

I always used Nitromors paint stripper. Never failed , apart from with stove enamel.

Steve.

Nitromors used to be my "goto" but it seems to have been watered down in recent years – doesn't seem as effective. Purely subjective but I changed to using Paint Panther a few years back.

Regards,

IanT

[PackmuleParticipant @packmule]

Could use this, Good gloves and eye protection

https://www.morrells.co.uk/products/sprayshop-supplies/consumables/sprayshop-paint-strippers/sprayshop-thickstrip-stripper/

regards

Bob

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I don't think there's a Universal Paint Stripper that works on everything, and you always have to be careful about damaging the surface underneath.

• Caustic Soda works well on Oil Based Paints, but don't use it on Aluminium or Zinc plate. It can be aggressive on wood and it attack glue: beware dipping pine doors and kitchen chairs – they might fall apart.
• Car and some other spray paints are cellulose based; Cellulose Thinners works on them. Hydraulic Fluid works by accident, but isn't ideal because it leaves a difficult to clean off oily residue which can spoil repainting.
• Most paints come off reasonably well with Methlylene Chloride, which is, or was, the active ingredient in most commercial paint strippers. As Methylene Chloride is harmful, it's being phased out in favour of various alternatives.

In general, commercial products are safer and work better than home-brew alternatives, plus they come with instructions, including what they're compatible with!

Dave

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by Pete. on 07/10/2021 22:39:43:

Not paint stripper, but Bahco Tungsten Carbide scrapers are now my go to for paint removal on cast iron, the 625 is probably the most useful, you'll wonder how you got by without one when you use one.

I removed a few layers of paint from these castings with ease, it comes off in one scrape, as it comes off in dry chips it's probably one of the least messy methods of paint removal.

The blurring around the last picture makes it look like a miniature version of the real thing.

Martin.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

There is a company local to me that supplies the furniture trade, french polish etc. That still sells Nitromores stripper they buy in large quantities and decant it. I wouldn’t think they are the only company in the uk who are doing it.

[colin branniganParticipant @colinbrannigan54160]

I can recommend Final Systems paint stripper, it's available at your local auto paint shop but it's not cheap at £40 for 5L but it does work. I use for stripping paint off motorcycles and one tin will do about three to four machines, it is nasty stuff so take care.

Kind regards Colin

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Trouble is with most volatile paint strippers, the nanny state has to account for those who think DIY is a HOBBY. At the time when chasing globules of Mercury on the Skool bench and acids could be bought over the counter, we didn't need to be told to take care with knives as they could cut you, sorry you could cut YOURSELF with them. Thanks to TLOTF, we had to be told that sniffing Balsa cement gave you a high, same with "Dope" (NOT the drugs version). If there was a universal solvent for all paint finishes, we wouldn't need a proliferation of different glues to stick things together. Thanks to t'internet, we don't have to get off our butts to visit the public library to find which paint base can be decimated by which solvent, problem is, resultant slush has to be neutralised for disposal, an effect which seems effective on some users brain cells.

Anybody else found that suds effectively works on ORIGINAL Hammerite?

Regards Ian.

[oldveloParticipant @oldvelo]

Personal preference for stripping paint from Steel, Caste Iron, Aluminium using Electrolosys.

Not being a fan of using very harsh chemicals and the dangers with their use and disposal.

Washing Soda Solution in a plastic container. Battery charger, Lead sheeting to positive lead, job to negative lead.

Rinse under running water while wire brushing the loose paint and nuetralised rusting.

Dewater parts with WD40 Or CRC etc to preventfurther light rust that will form if air dried only..

Has worked for me over many years now for cleaning for painting machinery overhauls – rebuilds.

[AJAXParticipant @ajax]

Posted by Pete. on 07/10/2021 22:39:43:

Not paint stripper, but Bahco Tungsten Carbide scrapers are now my go to for paint removal on cast iron, the 625 is probably the most useful, you'll wonder how you got by without one when you use one.

I removed a few layers of paint from these castings with ease, it comes off in one scrape, as it comes off in dry chips it's probably one of the least messy methods of paint removal.

Pete,

That press looks very nice!

My next job will be the Portmac vertical mill but I need to get this Multico A3 table saw completed first. All I've got left to do is a quick clean up of the cast iron top and then it can all be reassembled. It was a bit neglected and rusty when I picked it up (didn't pay much for it) but it's looking much better now. Hopefully it will be the last machine I do with a knotted wire brush on an angle grinder as I don't like getting blasted with wires as they break free.

[AJAXParticipant @ajax]

Posted by colin brannigan on 09/10/2021 08:44:43:

I can recommend Final Systems paint stripper, it's available at your local auto paint shop but it's not cheap at £40 for 5L but it does work. I use for stripping paint off motorcycles and one tin will do about three to four machines, it is nasty stuff so take care.

Kind regards Colin

I guess it's no worse than the "good ol' stuff" I used as a kid with absolutely no PPE at all. Thanks for the suggestion.

[AJAXParticipant @ajax]

Posted by Thor 🇳🇴 on 08/10/2021 06:12:39:

Posted by AJAX on 07/10/2021 22:32:37:

Posted by Thor 🇳🇴 on 07/10/2021 17:44:51:

Hi Brian,

If you can buy sodium hydroxide (NaOH – caustic soda) where you live that may be one option. Cast iron or steel objects should be able to survive a dip in strong sodium hydroxide solution. Wear rubber gloves, safety glasses/face shield (preferably both) and protective clothing. Sodium hydroxide must be handled with care, after use you should neutralize it with acid, strong vinegar is one option.

Thor

Thor, giving this some more thought, can you suggest a mix ratio for stripping paint from iron / steel? You also mention neutralizing it with an acid, but how much would I need? Vinegar is easy to buy but I also happen to have some brick acid if that is useful. (**LINK**) Assume that I know nothing about chemistry and you won't be far wrong.

If you can find pH paper at your local chemist that would tell you when the solution is neutral. "Brick acid" or hydrochloric acid (HCl) would work well to neutralize the lye solution, just note that this too is an exothermic reaction so it may get hot. If using HCl to neutralize you end up with salt water so easily disposed of.

I have found a few notes on using caustic soda as paint stripper on the Internet that may be of help:

'''Link'''

'''Link'''

'''Link'''

If you "Google" using caustic soda as paint stripper you should find many more.

Thor

Edited By Thor 🇳🇴 on 08/10/2021 06:13:58

Reading that first link was sufficient to put me off using caustic soda. I'll just buy a commercial paint stripper and see if it works.

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Yes, caustic soda is nasty stuff and you should know what you are doing before handling it.

Thor

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

A couple of posts mention Brick Acid or Patio Cleaner (ie Hydrochloric Acid) as a way of neutralising Caustic Soda. Although cheap and readily available I wouldn't bother: Caustic Soda is very water soluble, so just wash well in water. Dilute rather than neutralise. Less fuss and it saves money.

Another good reason to avoid. Neutralising stripped steel with Hydrochloric Acid promotes rust. Chloride ions penetrate deep into the pores of iron and steel and are difficult to remove. Over time they cause rust under paintwork. Neutralising Caustic Soda with Hydrochloric Acid is particularly bad because it produces salt-water which is notorious for rusting metal.

A big advantage of commercial paint strippers is they come with instructions. Following them is a good way of avoiding unexpected side-effects!

Dave

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

And just to reassure everyone, In my parents pub sixty years ago, standard operation Saturday night after the last of the great unwashed left, disconnect barrels from pipework and draw through cleaning fluid and fill pipes and hand pumps and leave overnight. First thing Sunday morning, connect pipes to mains water and flush whole system for 15 minutes. Lastly reconnect to barrels and pull through fresh beer.

Oh yes, cleaning fluid heavy concentration of Caustic soda. Never lost a customer, must have been lucky. As this was/is standard practice, Flushed straight down the Drains?

Regards Ian.

[AJAXParticipant @ajax]

A quick update to say that I ended up trying "No Nonsense Paint and Varnish Stripper" (£5.99 for 0.5L) and it has worked better than expected. The paint doesn't fall off, but with a couple of applications the paint is greatly softened and can be scraped / wire brushed off with relative ease. I've tried it on iron, steel, brass and aluminium alloys and there has been no adverse reaction. I used it to strip the crown guard on my table saw (which I have since repainted) and I'm in the process of stripping parts on a small milling machine.

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