removing paint from black hardware

axisus

Is there a good way to remove black paint from hardware?

Flink_Poyd

2 options I can think of are chemical or heat. 

There's some way of doing it with  baking soda and boiling but not sure  if it's an old wives tale

Funkfingers

+1 for chemicals on paint.

If you wish to remove the electroplated black finish from hardware, the surefire way is to let somebody with corrosive sweat smear their paws all over it. Failing that, acetic acid (vinegar) might do the trick.

Flink_Poyd

Knew I'd seen something about baking soda somewhere. 



Obviously use the wife's best cooking stuff to do it in

ICBM

Do you mean paint, as in someone has painted over it with black paint? Or paint as in a factory black coating - either powder-coated or anodized?

If it's the first, dismantle it all and soak the pieces in acetone or some variety of patent 'cleaning solvent' - Maplin Label Remover is very effective - and use a stiff brush to scrub it off.

If it's the second, don't. The plating underneath usually won't be nice enough to make a finished surface. If you really don't like it, replace the hardware with matching chrome or nickel parts.

axisus

@ICBM Yeah, factory black. Hmmnnn .... Really don't like black, I'll have to think about this ...