Gloss Paint on Copper Pipe

[shawNOSPAM]

Does anyone know the best way to remove gloss paint from Copper Piping?

I need to fit a compression joint on 15mm pipe but need to remove the paint first without damaging the pipe

Thanks, Chris

[Stuart]

Could you not sand it until the paint is removed to your satisfaction. Stuart

[Mogweed]

Well, I used ordinary sandpaper the same as if you were sanding the gloss paint on wood. Started with a fairly coarse paper then used wire wool for the finishing touch and it cleaned up good enough to take a soldered joint without any problems.

Mogweed.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

A chemical stripper followed by a good rinse in water then wire wool?

I just scrape the worst off with a Stanley knife then wire wool.

[Christian McArdle]

I used sandpaper (the maroon type, whatever it is called). It was easily effective enough for a soldered joint, let alone a compression. Cut a strip of paper and wrap around the pipe and pull at alternate ends.

Christian.

[Andrew McKay]

You could burn it off with a blowtorch, don't let the flame play on the copper too much (wave it side-to-side) otherwise the copper pipe could distort (unlikely though).

Andrew

[ARWadsworth]

Blowtorch and wire wool seems to work fine.

Adam

[Chris Hodges]

This is the only thing I use chemical stripper for - works a treat.

[Rod Hewitt]

Chris Hodges wrote in news:oL0_d.5540$ [e-mail]:

Agreed. Quick, effective and usable even when you couldn't easily get any form of abrasive to work (e.g. behind immovable objects).

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If you can't get a strip of sandpaper or some wire wool behind the pipe, I doubt you'll get the compression fitting on. :-)

[Chris Hodges]

True, but being confident you've got all the paint off without scoring the surface too much is harder.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yup - although the common occasion for getting paint off would be a radiator feed pipe, and there's usually enough space there. In another situation - if you'd suspected you'd scratched the pipe badly, I'd use a solder fitting. Of course using a mirror etc to make sure no paint remained.