How to Remove Paint from Metal? (All You Want to Know is Here!)

Using heat is one of the easiest but effective methods to remove paint from metal. Besides, it is also the cheapest and safest option if done correctly.You can apply this method to remove old paint from small items like hardware, hinges, knobs, etc. If the metal items are too large to fit inside a pot, try using the most gentle paint stripper.

To do this, you should prepare following materials:

• A pot, a crock pot or a disposable aluminum tin
• Water
• Gloves
• A scraper or soft bristle brush
• Stove

5 Steps to conduct this process:

• Boiling water
  Boil water. You can put the metal objects like hardware, hinges, knobs, etc. in a pot, crockpot, or a disposable aluminum tin.In case you use a tin, put it on something heat-resistant.
• Allow to soak in boiling water until the paint starts bubbling
  In case you use a crockpot, turn it on high and soak the metal objects from 5 to 10 minutes.If you use a pot, there will be two ways to conduct the process.With the first method, you need to simmer. Bubbling in most painted items appears fast unless these objects have a lot of layers or stubborn painted crevices.Alternatively, you do not need to simmer. You can put the metal objects in the tray covered with boiling water until the bubble emerges for five minutes.You should reheat the metal objects by carefully filling the pan with more boiling water if the paint starts peeling away.
• Gently remove paint while soaking
  When bubbling appears, remove the metal objects from the pot.As metal objects are not simmered on a stove or in a crockpot, remove the paint in the tray carefully when these objects are still in the water.Wear gloves and be careful to protect yourself.When the paint is partly removed, move the metal items and utilize a scraper or soft bristle brush to remove any remaining paint.Do not use materials such as steel wool or metal bristles, which can scratch the surface of the metal easily.
• Polish with a lint-free cloth
  It is no doubt that the metal will be tarnished below all that paint. Use a lint-free cloth to wash away dirt, junk, and disgrace.It doesn’t stop here. In case the paint is stuck in hard-to-reach corners, go back to step one and do the process again.
• Remove tarnish for desired results
  After removing all the paint, you can decide how you want to clean the metal objects. Most people opt for leaving the aging metal objects and forming brand new.

Using citrus-based products such as CitriStrip is useful and safe to remove paint because it is a gel form, not a harmful substance.These biodegradable products made from citrus release a pleasant orange odor compared to other chemical paint strippers. To ensure its effectiveness and compatibility, you should test in a small area. This product is highly beneficial because these non-caustic products include no methylene chloride. It’s an ideal choice for indoor use. What is more, this product does not give off any unpleasant and offensive fumes at all.

Therefore, it is appropriate to work indoors and outdoors, as well as on smaller items such as door hinges. You should keep this product out of the children’s reach although Citristrip includes a potent bittering agent avoiding accidental swallowing. It is a gel form so CitriStrip remains wet and active for appropriately 24 hours. It lets you strip various layers in 30 minutes compared to other strippers which evaporate after a short period.

This treatment works in a small area. This is the reason why Citristrip is considered as a good way to remove paint from metal objects. To do this, you should prepare necessary following materials:

1. Metal container
2. Brush and scraper
3. Citristrip Gel (Citristrip)
4. Citristrip Paint Remover Wash product
5. Clean clothes

Follow the below steps:

1. You should give it a gentle shake and pour Citristrip into the metal container so that the mixture can be well stirred .
2. Rub a thick coat to the surface.
   Note: In case there are many layers on surfaces, it is required to wipe a thicker coat or apply a second time.

3. Let it penetrate for 20 minutes or longer. Citristrip is active for 24 hours.
4. As soon as the coating has lifted, remove paint from metal with the scraper.
5. Use Citristrip Paint Remover Wash to wipe the clean surface. If the surface hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned, put it in the container for a long time for easy removal. After the paint is loose, use a scraper to remove the old paint.
   Note: If you want to remove paint in the corners or hard-to-reach spots, use a scrubbing pad with Paint Remover Wash. Outdoor areas treated by Citristrip can be cleaned with water.

6. Use a clean cloth to wipe and let it dry before repainting.

In the industry, people usually use this solution because its cleaning ability is outstanding and the execution time is short. Machinery and equipment are available leading to reduce the cost of labor.There are two kinds of sandblasting to treat the metal surface including:

Wet sandblasting: it will blast into the metal surface with a mixture of water and clean water with high pressure. The advantage of this method is to handle large rust film. This treatment does not cause dust, but the metal surface will get wet and need to dry before starting to repaint.

Dry sandblasting: Blast into metal surfaces with a mixture of water and clean sand with high pressure. This method helps to treat the metal surface well but causes a lot of dust. It is relatively eco-friendly to use sandblasting technique for large areas. Although this technique needs some specific equipment, in case you are experienced in sandblasting, you can rent the equipment to finish up the job.

Last but not least, you have to make a good plan on disposing of the waste produced when conducting because we need to be friendly with the environment. Sandblasting brings about numerous benefits:

• Time-saving
• More efficient than other treatments.
• The paint on the surface is removed evenly.
• Cleaning the corners and hard-to-reach areas is easy.
• It can preserve the use and longevity of the metal items.

Let’s jump right in, you’ll need an expert in sandblasting projects because he can not only minimize exposure to the grain but he also considers the necessary precautions for larger projects.

Still not convinced? You should follow this guide to carry out the process:

Step 1: Wipe out the items surface
Step 2: Prepare the surrounding area to limit the mess
Step 3: Place your hands into the gloves and turn sandblaster on
Step 4: Use the lever on the top of the sandblaster nozzle to begin the process.

In this step, you have to notice that the items are coated evenly. You keep the blaster from six to twelve inches away.

But wait, here are some tips you should follow to get better results.

First, you ought to take advantage of a standard blast pot to reduce the amount of  media because it is easy for soda to produce clogs.

Here’s the deal, your standard blast pot offers the best results when the pot valve can control the flow of abrasive.

You should think over a wet blast injection because soda blasting releases more dust than traditional blasting. When you use a wet blast injection, you have more opportunities to pump water to limit the dust.

Notes:

• Wear goggles to protect their eyes
• Don’t forget the protective gloves
• Put on a mask to avoid inhaling the dust or debris
• Wear old clothes because it is dangerous to wear again.