Refurbishing stairs - going through sanding paper too quickly

[Scott B.]

Yep, any old bum can paint, just ask Scott B. [tongue] [big grin][/quote]

There is some truth in these words...we have been advertising to hire painters this spring, and it is comical to read the resumes that come in.

The analogy I use is to musical instruments...the guitar is one of the easiest instruments to learn, but one of the most difficult to master. Painting is kind of like that. If you know 3 chords you can strum a bunch of tunes.

 

[Motown]

I am in the middle of a large project that involves removing paint from window casing, crown and baseboard for a 1925 English Tudor. While I highly recommend the Speedheater (link included in another post, it may be overkill for risers and difficult to remove paint in tight spots given its size. That said, for siding, baseboard, etc its worth its weight in gold.

Regarding scrapers, I purchased a number of different brands but found Bahco to be the best quality and they sell different profiles/shapes: http://www.amazon.com/Bahco-625XXX-Premium-Ergonomic-Carbide/dp/B000288LOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369117059&sr=8-1&keywords=Bahco+Ergo+Pocket+Scraper

I think Alex makes a good point about using scrapers and in my experience scrapers without heat increases the workload and the risk of damaging the wood. Using a smaller heat gun might be more effective in small places.  http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-1942-14-3-Amp-Heat/dp/B00002246F/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1369117416&sr=1-1&keywords=bosch+heat+gun

For my sanding I am using my trusty RO 90, LS 130 and ETS 125.

I second the comments about Lead Paint especially as you are indoors. Good luck, would love to see some photos when you are done.

Motown