louvered shutters - dipping

[spacemarine]

hello,

i repainting my antique shotgun home (new orleans) & its shutters. the shutters are of the louvered variety. from my research, it seems that having them dipped may be the best way to go.

there is a place near us that does it for $4/foot, doesnt sound bad. im just wondering about warping -- does dipping pose much of a risk to the delicate louver blades? are there other concerns i should be aware of? Strip Ease is the restorer, i have heard good things about them, but i wanted to learn first what questions i should ask them prior to doing it.

thanks for your help!

sm

[sailor]

Back in the 60's, I believe it was Popular Mechanics, printed an article on using TSP for stripping paint. Can't remember the mix ratio, but after mixing, you heated the mixture, to a below boiling temp. and soak the item to be stripped. In the 70's I tried it and It worked like a charm. I told a neighbor, who had a business restoring older houses. He had a lot of shutters and doors to strip. He tried it and it worked so good, he had a shallow tank built, with propane burners below it, to heat the solution. I was the Hero!

It doesn't take long, and if you leave the item in too long, the wood will get soft. Don't ask how I know!

Soak a bit and hit it with a stiff brush, and brush away 50 years of paint!

Be sure to wear a face shield and long sleeves.

[spacemarine]

well, im not really interested in building a dipping tank project. i only have a few shuttered windows, and for $4/ft its pretty hard to beat the convenience factor of using Strip Ease. ive heard good things about them from people whove used them for solid wood stripping, but i havent met anyone whos used them for louvered shutters, unfortunately.

thanks

sm