# Forum Home Renovation Metalwork & Welding  Stripping decorative cast iron

## fiendclub63

Have some decorative cast iron lattice on a balcony upstairs on a victorian terrace. Does anyone know of any acid baths etc in melbourne ( not Steptoes, their prices for everything is outrageous) that do that sort of thing? 
 If not, even a manual method.. do heat guns work or does it get too hot..? Paint stripper is an option but its just too slow for tge amount i have as there are many layers of paint.

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## Marc

A picture would help.
Multiple layers of paint is a problem. Can you take it off?
I doubt that just one method will work. I am thinking heat gun to strip the top layer and Citric paint stripper for the rest. Unless you can take it off it is going to be messy.

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## Uncle Bob

Sand blasting is another option.

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## Pulse

yeah, get it sandblasted and powdercoated, quick and cheap, long lasting finish  
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## Marc

Sandblasting, powder coating, HDG and hot metal spray all good options but the minimum charge is going to be the killer, unless you have heaps of panels to do or don't mind spending. 
The only process that will do all in one is HDG since they will put the lot in a pickling bath. Hot metal spray will also do the sandblasting before so that one is also worth a try. You can hand paint over zinc with the right undercoat.

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## droog

If it is water based paint just soak it in water, a hot bath is better.
Used an old hot pot to strip many fittings in the past.

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## fiendclub63

Who is HDG, they sound worthy of a phonecall. Are they in Melbourne?

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## Tools

HDG - hot dipped galvanising, but they will never answer your call.... 
There are plenty of paint strippers around Melbourne. Just google them. 
Tools

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## toooldforthis

if original Victorian and never been stripped before could be some lead paint under there.

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## Moondog55

So far no-body has mentioned putting them all in a big but not too hot fire so I will

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## ChocDog

If you decide you get them powder coated, after getting them stripped, try Mr Powdercoat in Williamstown. No setup cost. Just a $40 minimum charge per colour. Their charge will obviously depend on what you are getting done but I just got some tiling trim done at $3 per linear metre.  
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## Eastwing

Colorex Paint Strippers-Home best place there is for removing paint

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## Marc

HDG ... Sorry, Hot Dip Galvanising is the name of the process not a particular place. The procedure requires to strip the metal from all paint grease rust etc and for that, they dip the parts in an acid bath and then dip it in molten zinc. The result is the best rust protection you can get, however to paint over the zinc it requires some tricks that don't always work out. 
I forgot to mention that most larger powder coating places have a set up for sandblasting that is automated and therefore rather cheap, much cheaper than hand sand blasting. I took a series of railings to them that had rust of different degrees, and blue undercoat from the steel mill and they sandblasted it all, gave it a zinc undercoat and then powder coated, and it turned out rather well.  They all have minimum charge so don't take their price per kilo as any indication for a small job. 
The top job is to HDG and demand not to quench the job and then take to powder coating. Not quenching means your job will be sitting there to air cool and is an OH&S hazard and some places refuse not to quench. If they quench it the powder coating place will need to sandblast it before powder coating removing part of the galvanising. If you find a galvaniser that does agrees not to quench, that is your best bet, but it will not be cheap

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