My patience is stripping faster than this paint. . . S.O.S.

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mcdamnright

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Dec 16, 2015
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Whaddap, folks!
I've recently uncovered and fixed and old Admiral fridge freezer (model unknown to moi). The coffee ombré finish has been "rescued" one too many times, and I'd like to get this beaut' sporting some turquoise ASAP.

Since this is not a permanent metal enamel, I picked up some paint stripper and went to work on it. After applying, waiting and scraping for the first time, I was absolutely horrified by what little effect this viscous chemical had on the paint. After four hours of grueling scraping and applying of the chemical, I only managed to rid the fridge of a square foot of finish.

There MUST be a better at-home solution to this, no?

mcdamnright-2015121600463905650_1.jpg
 
If the paint that exists now doesn't want to come off I'd be inclined to leave it be. Wet sand it all and prime over it with a good primer (test for comparability, its possible the primer may work better then your stripper).

Years ago I worked at a shop where we painted motorcycles. We used an excellent epoxy catalyzed primer from PPG called DP40. Could spray that over most paints and it was indestructible. Fairly high solids too so it sands out nice to fill minor scratches. Of course the pity is I think it is no longer available. Most primers are likely to be aqueous now, which actually makes them easier and more desirable to work with.
 
It's possible that the finish is an epoxy, as I remember some appliance refinish coatings being advertised as such. A urethane coating is also a possibility, especially if it was redone at an auto body shop. You may need to buy a stripper that is formulated to remove such finishes.
 
stripping

Some of this old lead based paint is as hard as concrete, I've had trouble with it myself. If you put plastic over the stripper and let it work overnight it might soften in up. Then use a mild abrasive cloth and another solvent like lacquer thinner to scrub it off. You will have to wear a respirator. Using a metal scraper can scratch the surface and leave a lot of work to sand those off.

If there isn't rust lurking under the old paint it probably is a good idea to just do a nice sanding job. But that probably is lead based paint.
 
Disassemble and have it plastic-media blasted. I believe there are even services in Phoenix that will come to your home. You'll be left with smooth, clean metal.
 
Probably depends on the paint composition and the stripper. Used to be the best paint strippers had methylene chloride, but I think that's been phased out for health and ecological reasons. And yes, if it's epoxy, it might be resistant to chemical attack.

 

For weathered exposed exterior painted wood, I've found that a heat gun and scraping works best. It never seems to be possible to sand smooth surfaces that are comprised of intact paint and patches where it's flaked away. Best to get down to bare wood. Probably true for most metal surfaces too. But I don't know if a heat gun will work as well as on wood, due to the higher heat conductivity of metal. Worth a try, though. Harbor Freight sells a decent enough and inexpensive heat gun.

 

Have you tried this Jasco product? I see that it still contains methylene chloride...

 

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