Stripping paint off old metal vents

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J

joefrompa

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Sep 7, 2010
810
SE PA
Hi all,

My house has some uniquely sized old metal HVAC vents - I can't find replicas easily and doing htat would cost me a good amount.

Instead, I'd like to re-use them. Now, that being said, the old vents are covered in paint (and mostly very dark green paint or ugly taupe).

I've never stripped paint off of a metal vent - where it's intricately in every nook and cranny.

Can anyone recommend a really easy way to do this that will yield a nice clean metal basis for priming and painting?

I'm actually thinking of soaking them in paint thinner and scrubbing a bit with a metal bristle brush of some sort, and then power-washing with a medium level of PSI. This seems like a decent amount of work though :)

Thoughts?

Joe
 
DeKote automotive paint stripper. Nasty chemical stuff that works. Wear gloves and use in well ventilated area. Other than that, take them to a place that has a sand blaster. Auto body shops are a common place. Throw them a few bones (or beers) and come home with shiny metal.
 
Jags said:
DeKote automotive paint stripper. Nasty chemical stuff that works. Wear gloves and use in well ventilated area. Other than that, take them to a place that has a sand blaster. Auto body shops are a common place. Throw them a few bones (or beers) and come home with shiny metal.
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I had the same problem. The HVAC return vents were a mess. I used a wire brush on the drill and repainted... It didnt work great, but ok.

A fire wheel on an angle grinder would have been way better.

And a sand blaster even more so.

I have since bought the wire wheel and angle grinder (total about $20) and a small sand blaster (about the same cost) from harbor freight for similar jobs.

Suggest you do the same, wire wheels are a lot less messy, but the sand blaster does a better job.
 
I've got an angle grinder and i'm seeing a paint stripper called Citris on amazon with decent reviews. Maybe I'll pick up a wire wheel for the angle grinder. I'm mainly looking to just clean up/strip as much as I can on the face of it and in the vent itself so when I repaint it doesn't look all bulky with paint.
 
Bocefus78 said:
Jags said:
DeKote automotive paint stripper. Nasty chemical stuff that works. Wear gloves and use in well ventilated area.
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X2
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X3
 
Anyone know where I can get dekote? I don't see it on amazon and didn't want to just start wandering around stores....walmart by any chance? i can go there tonight.
 
Scoooter said:
3M 3711 Mar-Hyde Tal-Strip II Aircraft Coating Remover Aerosol - 12 oz

Scott
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Tal-Strip - THAT was the other name I was trying to think of. I have used it in the past (that is what I stripped my Challenger with). It works well. For the amount you are looking for - that spray can just might be the ticket.
 
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-inch-twisted-wire-cup-brush-47927.html
[Hearth.com] Stripping paint off old metal vents


Thats what i have. I used it to rip the coating off of a patio set. it was expanded metal with a light plastic/thick paint on it that was flaking off.

It worked spectacular to rip off the old coating and let me repaint it.

I have a sand blaster:
http://www.harborfreight.com/gravity-feed-blaster-gun-93221.html
[Hearth.com] Stripping paint off old metal vents


it works well, but its just messy and would take forever to do to a patio set. But it will do a good job blasting stuff back to white metal.
 
West Marine sells it, you might also try auto body supply shops.

Scott
 
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