any suggestions

i have a set of gates that need repainted but need to remove the old paint is there anything i can use to remove the paint instead of getting them shotblasted as the only place near me that does shotblasting is extremely expensive
thanks jenny

Depending on what the gates are like, a wirebrush on a grinder (not a drill) can be really effective. The issue will be if you have lots of corners etc to get in to.

Caustic will remove most paint types, remember to wash with dilute acid afterwards to neutralise it...

Try a small area, but if there's any Ali avoid caustic...

Either that or nitromors...

use a 4inch angle grinder with grinding disk to get rid of most of rust then finish with wire cupwheel u can get a cheap grinder for 15 quid from screwfix wear a breathing mask though rust knocks hell outa ya

Try looking for someone who does paint stripping..........

Hi,

could you shift it with a blow torch and a wire brush? Heat it for a few seconds and rub it with the brush? Depends on the paint, what thickness, etc, but I've cleaned up small things that way.

Be wary of inhaling the fumes though.

Regards
Peter

nitromors paint on and wait

i use nitromoors also... or a linisher on the grinder.

Here is what I did 6 years ago to save having to pay £60 for a shot blasting , I actually had my gates hot galvanized so I never have to paint the dam things ever again .


Buy four 500 grm packs of caustic soda crystals and read all the safety info several times ..it bites with a vengence.


Make a wood frame bigger than the gate when laid flat , line it with two thicknesses of builders poly waterproof membrane staple the poly to the wood on the outside . I laid my tank out in the back yard on a sand bed

Put on some long arm rubber gloves and eye protection , bung in one KG of caustic crystals and gently fill with warm water slightly deeper than the gate thickness stir with a sweeping brush till fully dissolved then bung in the remainder again stir till dissolved , thoroughly wash the brush out in clean water . Then gently and carefully lay the gate in it ( you may need a bit of plastic to initially rest the gate on so you don't puncture the membrane . Leave it there till you find you can scrape the paint off with a bit of wood and then leave it a further 12 hrs so that any thick paint in nooks & crannies gets softened.

Once you feel the paint is fully softened & mobile , bung on the safety gear again carefully lift it out and thorughly power wash it off , pay great attention to every nook and cranny and be very methodical in the washing off because if you leave any on it it will knacker the re paint job.
if you want you could use a trigger sprayer and spray it with vinegar to neutralize any traces of caustic .. just wash it off again afterwards.

Once it is fully dry take steps to put the anti rust coat on and repaint or it will rust .

Disposing of the used caustic liquid was not a prob for me , I ran it into our septic tank .

I do not think there is any prob in you letting it away down a foul water drain for you are allowed to use caustic to unblock drains and degrease them , just make sure you flush and totally dilute the stuff left in the drain bottle .
Failing that .....
You may be up for digging a 1 mtr deep hole, run it in and once it has soaked away refill the hole .

Don't for get to wash the soaking tank before you handle it ... caustic burns are not nice.

David

Hi,

Originally Posted by pidgeon chit welder Leave it there till you find you can scrape the paint off with a bit of wood and then leave it a further 12 hrs so that any thick paint in nooks & crannies gets softened.

interesting, thanks. Approximately how long does this take overall please? Hours or days?

Regards
Peter