Blow torches: are they still used?

[John]

I have to paint the window frames on our 45 year old house. The paint is very thick, but in *very* bad order, with great flakes coming off in some parts, solid as rock in other parts. In the past, I've rubbed down and scraped, rubbed down again, then primed, undercoated etc. ... thus really making the problem worse I guess.

I'm wondering about completely stripping one or two of the frames this year, but the only way I can think of is to use a blow torch: are these still used? I used to hate using a torch (very difficult to get a uniform result, and the dangers of fire, scorching, cracked glass etc.), but I hate Nitromors even more (*also* very difficult to get a uniform result, and absolutely horrible stuff).

Can you still get a blow torch? Has any great technological advance been made in this field since I last used one (20 odd years ago)?

BTW I don't think any power sander could do the job: I may be wrong?

Cheers John

[sm_jamieson]

I use a "heat gun", i.e. like a very hot hairdryer. If you heat until the paint goes soft but does not burn, it goes plasticky and you can scrape it off. It's much more controlable that using a blow-torch, which always seems to set the window frame on fire ! Can you still get a blow-torch ? Well I use one for plumbing. Tech ? Well mine will burn OK upside down and has peizo ignition ... Simon.

[NT]

Would the hand held torches that plumbers use do the job ?

Link:

[meow2222]

Looks like we have another NT now. You can also get discs that are an open weave fibre lump with bits of abrasive dotted about. By far the fastest way to strip paint off wod is a wire brush in an angle grinder, but its _very_ easy to do damage. As already said, an electric heat gun is a much more sensible choice than a blowlamp. Finally a metal dish scourer works quite well. Expensive though, at 11-30p.

NT

[dom]

In the current heatwave, little more than light application of a heatgun should be required!

[.]

I'd be concerned about lead in the fumes as the paint got hot.

have you considered a lye based paste or a mousse like the 'new' one from nitromoors ?

[Broadback]

I find hot air guns are fine indoors, but outdoors the slightest breeze renders them ineffective. I use a gas blow lamp connected to a large cylinder, has a changeable head to use for plumbing, it's great.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

I bought one of these and never looked back. However it needs a bottle of propane at 10GBP for a 6.5kilo bottle,but well worth it as it last for quite some time.

[Guy King]

The message from "." contains these words:

45 years is right on the cusp of lead paint being banned, too. If any were original it'd be worth considering precautions.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

We're talking outside here,plenty of ventilation.

[Nick Shipman]

As time goes on I get less keen on using a flame around a building, especially near the roof, and hot air strippers don't really work outdoors. I also hate Nitromors.

I've just started using a caustic soda gel. It works well, it doesn't emit unpleasant vapour, and it's very inexpensive. To make it, make up a good strong solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) in cold water (add the powder to the water), and when it's dissolved and not getting any hotter, add wallpaper paste. Leave it to thicken for a few minutes then stir.

Spread the gel over the painted surface. Really thick paint will need to be left for a while, so to stop the gel drying out cover it with strips of cling film. Test it with a stripping knife occasionally; multiple layers should come away in big strips with no real effort.

Note that caustic soda will darken the underlying wood a little. It leaves a slightly greenish tinge on standard constructional 'pine' rather than the golden colour you eventually get from leaving new indoor timber untreated.

Don't get the powder or the gel on your skin. Definitely don't get it anywhere near your eyes. Some sodium hydroxide, sold as drain cleaner, isn't pure. I seem to remember they add aluminium to it. I have no idea what this would do to its paint stripping properties.

(No doubt caustic soda will shortly be banned. After all, it is useful.)

Nick

[nightjar]

IME useless outdoors and useless on thick, old paint. I use a large burner on a flexible hose, fed from a small (7.5kg?) propane bottle.

Colin Bignell

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Correct,the heat gun will burn out in no time at all.

Torch and propane is the what the external painters use.

[dennis]

You just need a bit of practice and you won't scorch anything.

I have a propane torch but it gets used with the 37kW burner mostly (well over the top for paint). I replaced all the external wood with plastic years ago.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

pmsl, you burnt all the frames then Dennis? ;-)

[dennis]

No, I did all the practice on someone else's frames. I really hate paint.. the smell gives me a headache.

[Owain]

But bloddy marvellous for wokking?

Owain

[John]

OP here: thanks for all the replies, people: very instructive as ever.

I will have a look at the plumber's torch mentioned by one poster, and also at the Nitromors "mousse" which looks less evil than traditional Nitromors. I will also look at making my own gel (I actually have some caustic soda in the garage! (It's next to my can of creosote.)) Most of all I like the idea of the torch with hose and gas tank, but that would be overkill for what I'll be doing (two large frames only. I hope.)

Of course, there's the other question, which hangs at the back of the mind these days (into my 50s): will I ever need to do this again?!

Cheers Chaps John

[dennis]

Better for killing weeds.

[manatbandq]

Not my experience.

Not so. My B&D is still going strong after 20 years.

Probably because its more convenient that having long leads trailing about. Or they're just set in they're ways.

MBQ