Stripping old doors

PH321

I'm stripping the paint off our 1950s doors. The first three layers come off quite easily with a heat gun and scraper, but the bottom three blister and then harden again before I can scrape them and are then a powder when they come off (eventually, it takes a lot of scraping). The pain seems very different from the top gloss layers. I'm wondering if this is normal for old gloss paint or if it means this is emulsion?

If it is emulsion would it be safe to sand off (as it won't contain lead). Or do I still have to assume it might be gloss paint with lead in?

saverbuyer

PH321 wrote: »

I'm stripping the paint off our 1950s doors. The first three layers come off quite easily with a heat gun and scraper, but the bottom three blister and then harden again before I can scrape them and are then a powder when they come off (eventually, it takes a lot of scraping). The pain seems very different from the top gloss layers. I'm wondering if this is normal for old gloss paint or if it means this is emulsion?

If it is emulsion would it be safe to sand off (as it won't contain lead). Or do I still have to assume it might be gloss paint with lead in?

Was dipping not an option? Saves a lot of time.

PH321

From what I understand, if it is emulsion, dipping won't remove it anyway, so I'd be paying someone to do the easy stuff and still have the hard part to do myself! And the only local company I can find ask for payment up front, which instantly raised alarm bells.

saverbuyer

PH321 wrote: »

From what I understand, if it is emulsion, dipping won't remove it anyway, so I'd be paying someone to do the easy stuff and still have the hard part to do myself! And the only local company I can find ask for payment up front, which instantly raised alarm bells.

Good luck. Could be quite a job removing the emulsion. I dipped several doors but these were all gloss.

Stevie_Palimo

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=emulsion+remover&!!!!!mh0a9-21&index=aps&hvadid=3171116812&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_48i2ggr7pj_e

PH321

But is it definitely emulsion?

Ebe_Scrooge

Nitromors is pretty good stuff - be careful with it though, you don't want to be getting it on your skin.

DaftyDuck

But, from experience over the last two decades, nowhere near as good as it was. The gap between it, and the cheap generics has narrowed.

Have you tried fine steel wool and an oil/water mix? Linseed oil, mixed with water to make an emulsion gets all sorts of paint off when you get down to the last layers, including emulsion. Cheap too.

PH321

I can get it off with a scraper. But I reckon in two hours I've done about 1/16th of one side of a door (I'm not very strong, which doesn't help!) and there's still a residue that looks like it'll need washing or sanding off. I do enjoy doing it, but it takes such a long time!

I will try linseed oil, water and wire wool. I have both. Willing to try everything!

phil24_7

Nitromors has been terrible ever since the EU demanded the removal of certain chemicals (the new improved formula is most definitely not). You can still get paint stripper with this chemical (I forget what it is now) but it is regulated and you can't get it unless you have a commercial premises with breathing apparatus etc!

Ebe_Scrooge

phil24_7 wrote: »

Nitromors has been terrible ever since the EU demanded the removal of certain chemicals (the new improved formula is most definitely not). You can still get paint stripper with this chemical (I forget what it is now) but it is regulated and you can't get it unless you have a commercial premises with breathing apparatus etc!

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. It was certainly powerful stuff the last time I used it - mind, that was probably 15 years ago ! Flipping meddling Eurocrats
:mad: