Lawrence wrote:
Percival P. Cassidy wrote:

What's the best paint stripper for a few decades' worth of paint on a
steel door?

The top layer or two peel off the underlying layer in sheets once I get
a finger nail under them, but Bix Original Stripper doesn't seem to be
doing a lot (and it seems to me that it smells different from the
identically labeled stuff I've used before). I also tried some
orange-colored citrus-based stuff that was on clearance, but it doesn't
do a whole lot of good either.


methylene chloride is the old fashioned tried and true paint stripper.
I have used it many times and it will remove the toughtest paint. It
is wicked dangerous stuff, though and has to be treated with the
greatest respect. Ventilation, long sleeves, rubber gloves, safety
googgles are all musts. but if you want to get the job done this
stuff will do it and it is cheaper than the newer stuff. check this
link for more info:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/423.html


Stripeeze (same chemical) used to be my favorite, but haven't seen it
for a while. Might be spelled Strypeeze. Eats up rubber gloves pretty
quick. I started using plastic sandwich bags to grip steel wool when
scrubbing down the paint/stripper goop. Stings like the devil when it
gets on skin, but never seemed to do any damage. It will probably get
down to bare metal pretty quick. Work in shade, well ventillated but
not breezy. Got a bit splattered in my eye once, but got it rinsed out
before the pain registered )