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Paint removal for old cast iron stove

2006

The paint on my cast iron kitchen stove (circa 1900) has chipped and rusted in large areas, too big to touch up. Elbow grease is in large supply here...but I don't know how to get the coating off. Tried using a grinder, not good-dug into the iron. I hope to get this behemoth up and running for home heating an emergency cooking for next winter. I doubt that there is a safe chemical stripper, but any help with getting the coating off so it can be re-painted to at least hold back the rusting would be super. I'm not a hobbyist looking for a total stove restoration. Just looking to provide for the family.

How bout we start a restoration picture exchange to check on each others progress?

Donna Susan Day
Consumer - Rome, Pennsylvania, USA

It looks like what you are dealing with is porcelain and not paint. The best way to remove it it to sandblast it off with an industrial sandblaster. Take proper precautions working around the dust-old porcelain contains lead. After blasting, paint with high temp stove paint ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] .

Rod Walters
- Des Moines, Iowa
2006

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I would have assumed that it would be a fired porcelain, but that is not indicated, so I will guess a high temp stoving enamel. My guess, since you do not want to use chemicals, would be to find a place that does sand blasting. You will want to blow it off, wipe it down with a tack cloth ⇦[this on eBay or Amazon affil links] and apply a suitable primer as soon as possible after the sand blast or it will rust-rapidly.
Paint with one or two coats of high temp spray paint.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2006