"Charlie S." wrote in message
news:PMaej.2224$sE5.1927@trndny05...
We have an old convection baseboard radiator with paint chips peeling away
in certain sections. Some sections the paint is securely fastened to the
surface. Would like to strip all the sections down so as to make a smooth
surface.

This is an image of what the this radiator looks like.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...icrosoft:en-US

I was thinking of scrapping the peeling part and using some sort of
stripper to remove the rest. This is also some minimal rusting and old
paint beneath.. Might need to do some sanding to make it smooth after
I'm finished. (I don't have a sander, but been wanting to buy one for
some time. So, that isn't a big issue. Any type of sander recommendation
would be appreciated.)

Any idea on how I might tackle this job. Not sure on what type of
chemical stripper to use or whether using some sort of heat gun might be a
better idea? (Amazon has one on sale)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A9859091M5468Z

I don't have one of these either, but in the spring I could use it to
remove old paint around the windows.


I wouldn't bother stripping it all. I just painted some wooden windows which
had the same issue. I removed all the loose chips, and left the good stuff
in place. I used fine sandpaper to feather the edges where the intact paint
met the places without paint. First coat of real paint almost made the
transition areas vanish. Second coat of real paint turned out like glass.
Real paint would be the premium stuff, like Devoe or Martin-Senour, which I
used. You won't find it at Home Depot or Lowe's.