Sanding is slow

d0nkeyk0ng

Using an orbital sander to sand window boards. There’s 5 layers of paint. I’ve been at the same one for an hour and whilst I’m down to bare wood in a few spots, it will genuinely take me until bedtime at the least to get rid of all paint. And that’s one room!

Are there any better options?
I’m thinking about a belt sander but sorry I might cause more damage. 

bbat

Paint stripper? There is stuff like peelaway you apply then leave for a while (couple of days) then remove. Might not take it all off but certainly less sanding afterwards. You can buy sample pots of both peelaway versions to see what works best for your windows/paint.

joe90mitch

Heat gun and scraper worked well for me on flat surfaces of wood - obviously be careful to not leave it on the wood too long otherwise it can scorch it.

stuart45

joe90mitch said:

Heat gun and scraper worked well for me on flat surfaces of wood - obviously be careful to not leave it on the wood too long otherwise it can scorch it.

I'd burn it off as well. Much quicker and less dust. Belt sander might do a bit of damage.

FaceHead

Yes to paint stripper, and potentially some of the tools that are intended for paint stripping, e.g. those sanding wheels that go in the angle grinder. Generally, however, yes proper prep takes a long time.

d0nkeyk0ng

bbat said:

Paint stripper

FaceHead said:

Yes to paint stripper, and potentially some of the tools that are intended for paint stripping,

Given that we have newly installed new UPVC windows, are any of these methods likely to cause damage to them?

Alanp

What grade sanding disc are you using?, corser grade will be quicker, but I’m with the others, burn it or use paint stripper, do you need to go to bare wood? are you varnishing, ?

d0nkeyk0ng

Alanp said:

What grade sanding disc are you using?, corser grade will be quicker, but I’m with the others, burn it or use paint stripper, do you need to go to bare wood? are you varnishing, ?

60-80 grit. 

It was gloss paint that I used used a Zinsser product over. I felt rather than keying and painting on top again, it’d be better to go back to bare wood and start again. 

youth_leader

I had a tip from a cabinet maker, when you use paint stripper on small areas, remove with handfuls (gloved) of sawdust.

FreeBear

d0nkeyk0ng said:

bbat said:

Paint stripper

FaceHead said:

Yes to paint stripper, and potentially some of the tools that are intended for paint stripping,

Given that we have newly installed new UPVC windows, are any of these methods likely to cause damage to them?

Can you remove the window boards ?

Heat will certainly damage the uPVC, as will most paint strippers. Although, if you are real careful not to get any stripper on the frame, you'll be OK.

Norman_Castle

Orbital sanders are for finishing rather than paint removal. If you're repainting it getting the surface flat will be fine. As above either paint stripper or a heat gun is much easier. Masking tape might protect the frames from the paint stripper. I've stripped a lot of furniture using old full strength Nitromors wiping the still wet mess that comes off into a plastic dustpan with no sign of damage. Paint stripper is unpleasant but only trial and error will establish if its harmful to your frames. Another alternative is a strong scraper. If you do this wear safety glasses as the paint pieces can fly off into your eyes.