Stripping Paint from BBQ

[Foghat]

I am stripping the paint off the inside of my BBQ. I've gotten the grease off, and have used a scotchbrite pad in a drill, but it's hard to control, and scratches the metal (it's Stainless.  And there's also an aluminum part.
I have the r90 rotex, would that work for this? should I use vlies, and granat?  I just need to take the paint off (it's a hi temp heat proof paint that was on it) and will leave the metal bare inside. The outside I'll paint with special hi temp paint.
After getting the paint off the inside, I'd like to polish/sand it so there aren't scratches for grease to cling to and build up. It's a Holland Grill (great grills if you ever need a new one, beats conventional ones, but I don't want to start a grill war  : )
thanks.

 

[semenza]

    I'll be curious to know how the reapplication of the high temp paint works out. I have a grill in need of a paint job.

Seth

 

[AlexThePalex]

Use paint stripper.

 

[awdriven]

If you're concerned with marking up the metal - I'd use a stripper as Alex recommended. Be mindful that later you'll be eating food cooked in this thing, so you will want to make sure you've thoroughly cleaned away any residue. An initial high temperature 'cook' with no food could help?

 

[Kev]

Direct blow torch no good?

 

[tbellemare]

I have the r90 rotex, would that work for this?

If I understand your task correctly and you've already degreased it, Granat should take off whatever is left. Depending on the size grit you use, it will scratch differently. Those scratches can be a "design enhancement".

We must have different style grills. Mine has painted areas but they aren't the stainless pieces, they are cast typically. I've head several grills in the past and the painted parts were not usually stainless, but some form of sheet metal that rusts pretty easily.

Do you have painted stainless steel?

I use the RO 90 and Vlies to clean the stubborn, burned on grease that forms a rock hard residue. It works on stainless and painted surfaces, while using a good surfactant.

I'm not a painting expert, (we have some members that are), but in my experience, roughing up any surface a little helps with repainting.

One thing that has happened to my grills over the years is that a residue from the cooking process builds up on the inside of the cooking chamber and it flakes like failing paint. It's usually easy to get off. I'm not suggesting that's what you are experiencing, I'm just pointing out that it's common.

Tom

 

[Foghat]

Hi Tom,
thanks for the tips. I discovered that though there are SS parts, the lid and main part is aluminum. The inside was painted originally but on the newest models, they don't paint the insides anymore because this happens. the paint starts to flake off after awhile. The grease also can build up into a rock hard mass. It's hard to clean over the winter, so it builds up. Because its a high temperature paint its very hard to get off. I've tried the heat gun and it doesn't really do much at all. I've used a flap wheel, with some progress but very slow. Steel wire brush, effective but also very slow. i had fairly good luck with a wheel made of a kind of 3m like material, it's for stripping rust off steel. That works well, but is very hard to control. I've gotten most of it off, and will try the R90 tomorrow. I want to go over some of it where it's gotten scratched so that it doesn't leave marks that food, grease etc can cling to. The outside I'll repaint and then leave the inside bare...it'll be more reflective that way, too.
FYI it's a Holland Grill, the Epic. these are excellent grills and cook food beautifully. Almost impossible to burn anything, and meats are way juicier because they don't have direct flame on them or flare ups. Best grill I ever had.
http://www.hollandgrill.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/prodID/121/index.htm    In case you're interested.
I'll let you know how the R90 does.
We've had tons of rain lately this week, so I haven't been able to get out there to finish it. Sunny tomorrow, so we'll see how much I get done.
cheers,
J

 

[Foghat]

Results: I used the vlies pad to get some of the gunk off, which worked fairly well, but didn't last too long. I then used some Rubin 80 which took the paint off handily but left lots of small scratch marks everywhere; also because of the length of the R90, esp with hose hooked up, it was difficult to maneuver around inside the hood of the grill. I then used garnet 220 to smooth out all the little scratches which it did fairly well, also. then went back to small dremel flap wheel to finish up the edges where I couldn't get with the bigger tools. Repainted, with Rustoleum High Temperature paint. Now I've got to put it back together, before the rain starts, again.
Thanks for the helps and tips everyone.
regards,
foghat