# refinish aluminum railing (complete paint removal)



## eastvantrading (Dec 18, 2006)

*image added*

Here is the pic


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## JourneymanBrian (Apr 1, 2015)

You can use a hot air gun or paint stripper paste.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Seems like a lot of extra work for a handrail that is holding the paint pretty well. I would sand the peeling areas just to feather them in and repaint using an all-surface enamel.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Don't want alkyd on aluminum! It WILL peel eventually. remember the word of the day from a couple weeks ago. Saponification.

I still see painters aluminum flashings and awnings on gas stations with alkyd, and amazingly after few short years the paint literally falls of. Then the gas station company hires the same guys to strip it and re-paint it with the same alkyd paint. just more work for the painters.


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## JourneymanBrian (Apr 1, 2015)

Youre thinking of zinc, alkyd on aluminum is not problematic.


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## eastvantrading (Dec 18, 2006)

Thanks everyone, I will try a stripper. I know it's in pretty good shape (for 35+ years) but we are ready for a change. I kind of like the look of unpainted aluminum.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

"I will try a stripper." --Quote of the day!


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

No, guys, neither Zinc or aluminum will cause saponification of alkyd paint (that I can see happening anyway).

Saponification is caused by painting a drying oil or an alkyd over a strong alkali, like recently poured concrete or recently finished lime based plaster.


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## JourneymanBrian (Apr 1, 2015)

or like zinc. Its also alkaline. 

Why would you see it happening anyway? As you said, saponification requires alkalinity.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

JourneymanBrian said:


> Youre thinking of zinc, alkyd on aluminum is not problematic.[/QUOTE
> 
> Really? Not what my spec sheets say. I've been arguing this point for thirty years with painters in three states. Every Industrial alkyd I sell says not to use on bare aluminum with out the proper primer. I was not entirely correct in my use of the word saponification. I guess I am just proud of myself for being able to spell it without invoking the gods of spellcheck.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Nestor_Kelebay said:


> No, guys, neither Zinc or aluminum will cause saponification of alkyd paint (that I can see happening anyway).
> 
> Saponification is caused by painting a drying oil or an alkyd over a strong alkali, like recently poured concrete or recently finished lime based plaster.


And galvanized metal.

And Rustoleum and Krylon and PPG and SW even True Value make a water based primer they recommend for Aluminium and Galvanized metal.

I spent many, many hours crawling around the nether regions of airplane fuselages scraping alkyd paints that had started peeling and applying etching primer to the aluminium so they could be recoated with an alkyd topcoat. It seems Boeing wasn't privy to this memo either!


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

is that actually paint? A lot of aluminum, for various uses, is powder coated. The means to remove powder coating is going to be a lot different than that of paint.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Regardless of whether you use a water based or an oil based product, keep in mind that an oil base will fade and chalk much faster than a high quality water based (acrylic) paint.


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## JourneymanBrian (Apr 1, 2015)

yes you have to prime the aluminium of course.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

klaatu said:


> And galvanized metal.
> 
> And Rustoleum and Krylon and PPG and SW even True Value make a water based primer they recommend for Aluminium and Galvanized metal.
> 
> I spent many, many hours crawling around the nether regions of airplane fuselages scraping alkyd paints that had started peeling and applying etching primer to the aluminium so they could be recoated with an alkyd topcoat. It seems Boeing wasn't privy to this memo either!


http://www.paintdocs.com/docs/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=PRATT&doctype=PDS&prodno=Z6631

Pratt and Lambert aluminium specs.


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## klaatu (Mar 9, 2015)

Pratt and Lambert aluminium spec.

http://www.paintdocs.com/docs/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=PRATT&doctype=PDS&prodno=Z6631


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

Clean it up, make sure all chalky residue is removed, apply acrylic DTM and your good to go. I've never thought alkyds on aluminum was a great idea. I'm not aware of any coatings systems that recommend it, at least in the residential realm.


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## eastvantrading (Dec 18, 2006)

OP here. Yes, this was what I was wondering! Factory painted aluminum balcony railings. Are they powder-coated and if so, how do I remove it. I just assumed it was paint after all since that was the direction everyone was going.


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## eastvantrading (Dec 18, 2006)

nap said:


> is that actually paint? A lot of aluminum, for various uses, is powder coated. The means to remove powder coating is going to be a lot different than that of paint.


Oops, meant to quote/reply to Nap:

OP here. Yes, this was what I was wondering! Factory painted aluminum balcony railings. Are they powder-coated and if so, how do I remove it. I just assumed it was paint after all since that was the direction everyone was going.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

I can't tell you if they are powder coated and it can be difficult to determine, at least for me, even if I see the item myself. A few places suggested using a rag wetted with a solvent other than either methylene chloride, acetone, or benzyl alcohol (three solvents that generally will soften powder coat). If paint, it will transfer to the cloth and if powder coat, it won't. I did read one situation where a person tested an area known to be powder coated and it removed some of the material anyway with a solvent that should not have affected powder coat; not sure why though. Maybe it was some old and degraded coating that would have wiped some of the oxidized coating off regardless what solvent was used. 

There are other tell tale signs but it's been awhile since I have dealt with much powder coat to be able to define them adequately to be useful. Hopefully some of the other guys will have some advice as well. 

removing it requires either a solvent that will soften the coating, lot's of heat, or abrasive removal which, if the coating is thick and in generally good condition, can be very labor intensive. In other words, the process would be similar to paint but one needs to use solvents that will actually work with the coating and some serious labor or if using only abrasives, the person should be prepared to spend a lot of time to remove it.


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## eastvantrading (Dec 18, 2006)

So I just tested it with a few products I had at home: non-acetone nail polish remover, and "Goo-Gone" (citrus-y stuff). It flakes off with very little effort using a metal scraper with the latter product. Im pretty sure it's not powder-coated. The layer of paint looks ridiculously thin. 

Thanks everyone, I'll just get the most environmentally friendly stuff I can find.

Cheers,
Evan


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