Paint stripping woes

[pgh13]

I have a steel garage door that has had many coats of paint over the years I've had a few occasions where the paint has come off in a piece back to the metal. I've painted over these a couple of times but never been very happy with it because you end up with a step which shows through the new paint. If it had been on a car, I'd have sanded down to feather the edge but the 'bare' metal is galvanised so I don't want to damage that. This time there have been some fairly large patches which have flaked off so I thought I'd strip the whole thing and then spray it with one of those Hammerite electrostatic thingies, but the stripper I've got is some (supposedly) eco-friendly white gloop which is working but only taking off one coat at a time.

Question: Can you still get the old yellow can Nitro-Mors and does it do a better job than this stuff?

 

[PaulR]

My wife is a furniture restorer and she says that she can still get the old style stripper (not Nitromors by name) but it's specially mixed for her and very expensive - at least £30 - £40 for a 5 litre can. She's mostly retired now and uses the white gloop which, as you say, is very slow. She says to really slop it on and leave it for an hour or two (have a long lunch!) and then it should be be mostly ready. She says that if she were still full time she couldn't afford the time and would get the old Methylene Chloride stripper every time.

Have you thought of using a hot air gun?

 

[Lazarus]

What the hell was that effective but unpleasant stuff that smelled of cabbages and was banned in the 1970s?

 

[pgh13]

Don't know that one, perhaps they who think they know better than us plebs maybe decreed that something unpleasant smelling was put in it to discourage glue sniffing? Seem to remember they did something similar to Genklene in the 80s. I rerecall Ronseal did a stripper based on caustic soda which was also white gloopy stuff that needed to be covered with some sort of plastic to stop it drying out. I used some once and then wrapped the brush in cling film intending to use it again shortly and when I came back to it the (natural) bristles had dissolved ..... and thinking, 'Oh yes, of course they would.'

 

[Topper]

As Paul says I would have thought a hot air gun would be ideal for galvanised steel

 

[Channel Hopper]

Or taking the door off and lighting a fire under it.

 

[Archived-1]

in and around my home ive found certain types of scrapers more effective than anything :-).

 

[Lazarus]

Don't know that one, perhaps they who think they know better than us plebs maybe decreed that something unpleasant smelling was put in it to discourage glue sniffing? Seem to remember they did something similar to Genklene in the 80s. I rerecall Ronseal did a stripper based on caustic soda which was also white gloopy stuff that needed to be covered with some sort of plastic to stop it drying out. I used some once and then wrapped the brush in cling film intending to use it again shortly and when I came back to it the (natural) bristles had dissolved ..... and thinking, 'Oh yes, of course they would.'

I remember now >>>>> Carbon Tetrachloride.

 

[pgh13]

Thanks all! I'll try the hot air gun. like the 'light a fire' idea.

 

[PaulR]

My wife bought a cheapo Aldi/Lidl hot air gun and burnt it out the first time she used it. She then bought a quality one (Bosch I think) which is still going strong years later. If you're using a cheapo type then use it only in short bursts to allow it to cool down sufficiently.

pgh13, on 17 May 2013 - 11:12 AM, said:
...like the 'light a fire' idea.

Please don't. Not even in jest. You'll cause the metal to warp and distort

 

[pgh13]

Please don't. Not even in jest. You'll cause the metal to warp and distort

Don't worry; no intention of doing it (even if it would amuse the neighbours)

 

[2cvbloke]

Have you thought about just replacing the door? Maybe with one of those which are painted with murals of expensive cars, to give the illusion of having an expensive car on show...

 

[Archived-1]

this link might help :-)

hxxp://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/paintgaragedoor.htm

 

[Channel Hopper]

Or one that just shows alternative stuff inside