Sanding paint from aluminium panels?

[monkey writer]

Hello everyone,

I have a heap of aluminium panels (apologies, they are from a 1950's English Rose kitchen I am installing, not a car - but I thought this might be a good place to get an answer...) that have the original paint + a layer (or two) of gloss paint on them. I am trying to take them back to the bare metal so I can repaint them their original colour.

I have ruled out paint strippers as being too expensive and too likely to damage the (very reactive) metal.

I have just spent the whole morning rubbing down one small panel by hand. It worked very well, but just took far too long for the number of panels I have to do.

Is there some kind of stripping attachment for the drill that you could recommend me?

Or can anyone think of a better way? Someone suggested dipping the panels but there is the risk that that would damage the metal just as strippers would.

Thanks!

 

[^neo^]

Loads of things available, but i would have them dipped in all honesty. Very unlikely to damage the ali.

If you want to go the DIY route, then a flap disc in a drill will do it, or a grinder with sanding disc on it.

The old paint is probably full of lead, so a mask could be a good idea

 

[yes2mud]

It's quite common to use Nitromors for paint stripping aircraft aluminium,I have never seen any reaction from the metal.Dipping however is the easiest.

 

[joe-90]

Dippers often use caustic strippers which is a disaster with aluminium.

Nitromorse won't harm them, but I'd try a belt sander to see what happens.