John wrote:

I have to paint the window frames on our 45 year old house.

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).

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
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Nick Shipman
Quatrain Information Limited