What is the best stripper to remove either paint or polyurethane vanish?
A. One with a high concentration of methylene chloride. My personal preference is Formbys Paint and Poly Remover. When using any chemical remover you should always work in a well-ventilated area (preferably outdoors, in the shade) and wear a charcoal respirator (a dust mask does no good), heavy rubber gloves, long sleeved shirt, old jeans and safety glasses. Remove all children, pets, bikes, cars and valuable items from a ten-foot perimeter. Trust me, even one drop will dissolve automotive paint. I know. Q. – Could I encounter lead paint on antiques? A. – Quite possibly. The use of lead in paint was outlawed in the 1970s, but cans containing it might still be stuck on a shelf in a garage or basement. For that reason we can never assume lead paint is not present on our antiques, doors or woodwork. There are several web sites dedicated to lead paint, so I strongly urge anyone who thinks they might be dealing with lead paint to thoroughly investigate the information they contain. What we
