Methylene Chloride for my own DIY Paint Stripper

[jaypoorjay]

Hello All!

I'm new, first post, unless I missed it I didn't see an O-fficial intro section. Anyways,,,

I love forums, the community of it, shared info, supporting and I have grown to depend on them. Porsche forums, Jaguar forums, plumbing, motorcycle, woodworking, HVAC, solar on and on and on.

I was a pre-med chem major a million years ago.

My fiancee and I just purchased a big ol Victorian/Colonial Home in Staten Island NY and ,,, well that's what this is about.

I can easily say that on over 900 feet of trim, molding and crown there is no less than 1000 feet of surface that has no less than 7-8 coats of old paint, the deepest of which might be 100yrs old. I am looking for some no holds barred solutions for removing the old paint.

Methylene Chloride, banned from commercial strippers some years ago, is still available. Price-E but available.

Q: is there something I can mix with Methylene chloride, suspend CH²CL² in, to give me a paste, a gel or something that is spreadable and will not flash off and evaporate in seconds?

Silly Q: would a corn starch slury or a wallpaper kind of past work? Spread on, wipe off. Or would it be a matter of oil and water don't mix.

Any advise, suggestion, direction (even a DONT DO THIS!) Will be greatly appreciated.

 

[symbolipoint]

Can't say if would help, but other solvent strippers for paint are possible - MAYBE. Dichloromethane reported as more effective. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_stripper#Solvents

 

[jaypoorjay]

Can't say if would help, but other solvent strippers for paint are possible - MAYBE. Dichloromethane reported as more effective. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_stripper#Solvents

Ive tried some but they really don't make a dent in the deepest layers and I think if I were to apply and reapply - can't even image the cost. Then, it's very messy of it doesn't come off that first or second round. A huge amount of the job becomes cleaning off the failed attempt and then doing it again. If it were an old dresser, or limited amount of surface, ok, but loooooong stretches of detailed molding and trim, you get the idea.

I have read and heard that there is NOTHING like Dicloromethane at how it just works on old dried paint like nothing else.

I am on the hunt for something that will mix with it well, create a past or a gel which will make it brush on and stay on, stay wet, allow me to cover it with a plastic and let it do it's thing.

Corn starch? Anything?

 

[Tom.G]

You probably want something inert that the stripper won't dissolve.

The first thing that comes to mind is ordinary sand, as used in sand blasting. It is quite clean, inert, and available in various particle (grit) sizes.

A variant on that is glass beads, as used in bead blasting. Again, clean, inert, and various grit sizes.

The only problem I see is that most of the volume will be the grit, which means probably several cycles of mix, apply, clean, repeat since the stripper will soon be exhausted.

Another possibility is to bead blast the moulding. There are several possibilities for blasting materials, sand, glass beads, crushed walnut shells, plastic beads, etc. The drawback is they spread dust EVERYWHERE. You would need a respiratory mask and goggles; and would never get rid of the dust if done indoors.

Cheers,
Tom

p.s. Please let us know how the project goes!

 

[Bystander]

100yrs old. I am looking for some no holds barred solutions for removing the old paint.

Could be lead filled

 

[Bystander]

The drawback is they spread dust EVERYWHERE. You would need a respiratory mask and goggles; and never get rid of the dust if done indoors.

 

[berkeman]

Another possibility is to bead blast the moulding. There are several possibilities for blasting materials, sand, glass beads, crushed walnut shells, plastic beads, etc. The drawback is they spread dust EVERYWHERE.

Interesting idea. I wonder if you can rent a rig that sandblasts and has a strong shop vac integrated into it to capture most of that dust and sand/beads/whatever...

 

[berkeman]

I wonder if you can rent a rig that sandblasts and has a strong shop vac integrated into it to capture most of that dust and sand/beads/whatever...

Looks likes they do exist...

 

[Borek]

Somehow neither sand nor glass beads sound like something sticky enough to keep on the painted, vertical surface - and my understanding is that's what OP is looking for.

 

[BillTre]

In addition, sand blasting will enevitably ding the surface to some degree (varying from place to place, and with the intricacy of the molding surfaces).
This is why paint melting sludge is a good option.

Organic solvents inside present other issues. on a large scale, you probably want something better than a mask with a filter (like pumped in air).

Since I am in Oregon, I am aware of "organic" alternative paint strippers. I think they may involve citrus fruit oils. They may not work as well as the harsh organics, but if they remove a large % of the paint first, it might be worth it.

 

[Dullard]

I'd be tempted to get a PTFE sponge (and some really, really good gloves)...

 

[jaypoorjay]

Sand or solid particulates would be tough on many levels, but thank you for all of the thought(s) and suggestions...

I've been doing a little digging in a round about way and I'm thinking wax, or a paraffin, might work. I just don't know how Methylene Chloride would react with it. And what percentage the mix should be. There were also suggestions of the stuff that is used in outdoor lamps, but I don't see how the viscosity would be what I need.

I don't want the stuff meth to be able to just flash off and evaporate either.

Please. Any thoughts on what I suggested or other possibilities are super welcome...

Y'all have a great day!

 

[jaypoorjay]

In addition, sand blasting will enevitably ding the surface to some degree (varying from place to place, and with the intricacy of the molding surfaces).
This is why paint melting sludge is a good option.

Organic solvents inside present other issues. on a large scale, you probably want something better than a mask with a filter (like pumped in air).

Since I am in Oregon, I am aware of "organic" alternative paint strippers. I think they may involve citrus fruit oils. They may not work as well as the harsh organics, but if they remove a large % of the paint first, it might be worth it.

Hey Bill. Thanks.

You hit the nail on the proverbial head. It has to be sludge. I've tried the "safe" strippers to be unimpressed... At the same time it is an appreciable buildup of 100yr old paint. My appreciation though only extend but so far. That way, it would take forever.

It would be a dream come true if I could purchase several liters of the Meth,,, drop a couple chunks of paraffin wax that would dissolve creating a thicker mix that would STILL do what Meth is meant to do.

I better be careful using the word Meth... I'll have the ATF banging on my door. Why did they have ta make chemical names soooo long and tough, lol?

 

[russ_watters]

Methylene Chloride, banned from commercial strippers some years ago, is still available. Price-E but available....if I could purchase several liters of the MCl...

Please don't. Methylene chloride is one of the most hazardous chemicals still used in the pharma labs I work on, and almost exclusively in fume hoods. It has a STEL of 125ppm, PEL (8-hr TWA) of 25 ppm and evaporates at 0.27 lpm from a 20sq cm surface(an open container)....and you want to spread it on a wall. As soon as you start spreading it, you'll be adding thousands of ppm per minute to the air. Theoretically you could manage that with a massive ventilation rate, but practically you'll have your face in it so nothing short of a respirator (if it's capable of absorbing MCl) or SCBA will work.

Thread locked per policy on dangerous activities.

 

[Nugatory]

Thread is locked but still need to say: in a house this old there is almost certainly lead in the paint. You should test it to be sure, but I would bet very long odds that the test comes back with hazardous lead levels.

Check with your local building department, as most municipalities will have strict rules about stripping lead paint and disposing of the waste. You will likely (and wisely) conclude that this is not a DIY project.

Abrasive blasting, as suggested above, is a really bad idea. If not done with specialized equipment It will spread lead dust everywhere.

Encapsulation, which means one more coat of paint on top, is often the quickest and most cost-effective answer. There’s even a pretty good chance that the topmost coat or so of those 7-8 coats of paint are already lead-free, in which case you don’t have a lead problem as long as you don’t mess with it.

If you really cannot stand the existing layers of paint, it may be cost-effective to have a wood shop mill new molding in the same style. The big cost is not getting the molding made, it is the labor-intensive installation - and that is a good DIY job requiring just patience and a coping saw. Removing the old molding, paint and all, and sending it to wherever your town sends hazardous construction waste is way safer than trying to remove just the paint.