Wrought Iron stripping

[John Terefenko]

Need to strip the paint off a outside stair railing system that has many many layers of paint. I am pretty sure the paint is not lead based because it was painted with outdoor basement foundation paint to match colors. It has held up pretty well over the years but the details are being abscured now and needs to be stripped. There are some rust spots that need to be treated. I am asking for products or methods to make this less painful.???? I kow there will be tedious hand work. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. By the way sandblasting and taking to get dipped are out. It will have to be done in place with caution.

[Matt Meiser]

There is a product called "Aircraft Stripper" that you can probably get at an auto parts store. It will eat the paint right off. But, it is not an environmentally friendly product so you probably want to contain the mess, and it will burn you if you splatter it on yourself--even brushing with a wire brush and getting pin size droplets on your skin.

[David G Baker]

I agree with Matt, Aircraft Stripper is the way to go if you want low labor intensity. He is right about the burn, DAMHIK, wear protective gear if you use it. Don't know what the main ingredient is but it sure works great.

[Rob Russell]

By the way sandblasting and taking to get dipped are out. It will have to be done in place with caution.

Why is sandblasting out? You could still do it in place provided you could get to both sides of it.

[Craig Summers]

Why can't it be removed? Its actually easy to remove and place back in if you have concrete steps and a drill. When i was younger, i used to install metal rails for a summer job. They are usually installed after the concrete steps are poured, so there are slightly oversized holes that the installer drills for installation

The holes that the rail sits in are grouted with a 'soft' concrete called "pour-rok'. Given the age of the rail and coats of paint, it should be easy to drill with a 1/4" dia x 12" long concrete bit & then chip out the other pieces. Use compressed air to finish the cleaning.

Placing back in is quick, use some small wood blocks/wedges and some 2x4 bracing with clamps for plumb and level. Mixing a new batch of por-rock grout is easy, it looks like a Wendy's Frosty when mixed, and pours in nicely, and hardens up in less than hour. Mix it in a large disposable cup and pour the grout in until its slightly higher than the concrete (it has a slight shrink). Trowel the top smooth when it sets up, but keep it flat to the concrete. (if it is depressed below, that is a place for water to pool, and rust will develop)

One reason you might want to remove the rail is to get a good de-rust and painting on the underside of the lower channels. They tend to rust out there because welding alters the metal composition and alot of people don't paint there (out of sight and difficult to reach)

Whether you remove it to your garage or if you must do it in place, i would use chemical strippers to start, then follow with lots of grinding/sanding

Given the warmer weather, you might want to apply stripper and then immediately wrap the metal with saran-wrap, so that the solvents don't immediately evaporate. This allows the paint to be softened for removal with a putty knife / scraper

I would get a 4" grinder, a good face shield /dust mask, and use the following sanding materials:
1) Wire wheel cup (for the molded top bar and tight spaces)
2) Wire Wheel (for the underside of the lower channel)
3) Lots of sanding discs with rubber backer. Use the 36-50 grits for quick removal, finish might be 80-120 grit. Metal grinding wheels are too much for this job and would spray sparks (they might etch nearby windows).
You could use other sanders, but the grinder is alot faster at quick removal. However, all the paint dust will be thrown around the outside, so either cover or be prepared to clean after sanding. IMHO the 7-9" grinder is too big for this, although thats even faster.

You might want to consider how much paint you want to remove, whether you plan to go down to white metal, or just down to the primer

[John Terefenko]

Craig

I thought about what you said about taking it out. I did that with my sister's when I did hers many years ago. I just might try some strippers and then the wire brush things and see how it comes out. There really are only a few real rusty places but the paint has built up over the years and the details are being smothered so would like to freshen it up. Will have to see how this project goes because there are so many more I have to do.

[Bill Cunningham]

I remember when I was a kid.. 17 or 18, I worked as a weldor for a ornamental iron company.. They used to 'sulfur' railings into place.. I can remember using the oxi-acet cutting torch to heat the ladle and melt the raw sulfur. The railing would be set in the concrete hole, and molten sulfur would then be poured into the hole . The sulfur would harden, and secure the railing.. I had no idea why sulfur was used, but I assume it was because it would not spaul over time like concrete fillers and allow the railing to loosen..