Which Paint Stripper?

[Flintstone]

Let's just take it for granted that I've already considered the napalm and flamethrowers. Sorry to spoil your fun but I'm in need of a quick, serious answer.

Am in the process of stripping the timbers associated with the stairs. Rails and newels only, no rods as they are being replaced with metal ones. The wood has several layers of white gloss and a final layer of that bloody awful brown stuff that is meant to replicate woodgrain. Don't ask why, previous owners clearly had money but no taste.

I tried Wickes own brand but that just dribbled down the surface and pooled on the floor. Nitromors 'Double Strength' lifted the brown crap but as that blistered the stripper could not then soak into subsequent layers of white. At the moment the Nitromors is removing about half a layer of gloss per application and I'm seriously considering the heat gun.

Suggestions?

[giw12]

Options are:

1. delicate use of a heat gun
2. nitromors.....repeated use of it
3. Peel Away/Kling Strip type product
4. porridge (apparently it works)
5. pay a man to do it

[amccan10]

http://architecture.about.com/library/bl-preservat...

gives some advice, may or may not help

[Flintstone]

giw12 said:

Options are:

1. delicate use of a heat gun
2. nitromors.....repeated use of it
3. Peel Away/Kling Strip type product
4. porridge (apparently it works)
5. pay a man to do it

1. Looking likely, at least in part.
2. Using it until I run out, will then resort to '1'.
3. Not heard of this. Will research.
4. And I'm the Queen of Sheba
5. If '1' and '2' don't succeed by the end of tomorrow I may resort to this.



amccan

Thanks for the link. Fortunately the house is 1980's so I don't need to worry about damaging anything of great architectural merit.

I should have gone with Plan A which was to cut all the timber out and fit new

[ExChrispy Porker]

Flintstone said:

1. Looking likely, at least in part.
2. Using it until I run out, will then resort to '1'.
3. Not heard of this. Will research.
4. And I'm the Queen of Sheba
5. If '1' and '2' don't succeed by the end of tomorrow I may resort to this.



amccan

Thanks for the link. Fortunately the house is 1980's so I don't need to worry about damaging anything of great architectural merit.

I should have gone with Plan A which was to cut all the timber out and fit new

I would persevere with the NItromors. I stripped victorian mahogany hand rails back to bare wood, and they had decades worth of paint. It is not a job to be rushed, but you cannot damage the underlying timber.

[Wings]

Make a mix of caustic soda and wallpaper paste, then paste on the mix over the area of wood needed to be stripped, rapping/sealing the same with cling film, leave over night.