Does anyone have any recommendations for stripping paint from a cast iron pipe?
I have a cast iron pipe that runs through my bathroom. It has a lot of layers of paint which are cracking up. I've tried to use a chemical paint stripper (SoyGel) to remove the paint, but it's messy and really slow going. I'm also a little worried that the paint stripper is eating into the pipe as it goes black quickly when it comes into direct contact with the black cast iron pipe. Are there any other strippers that might be quicker and not react with the metal?
I'm also considering an infrared heat stripper (the Silent Paint Remover). This is designed to strip paint from wood by heating it to
500F and breaking the bond between the wood and the paint. I've heard it might work for metal, but probably not. I'm also worried (I'm a worrier) that cast iron might crack at that temperature and that is the last thing I want. Does anyone know if cast iron can handle high temperatures?Thanks, Ben Mills