Stripper can be used without damaging the wood. Use coarse copper wool to remove loosened paint rather than a scraper to avoid gouging. I prefer a water soluble stripper also. Wear a mask, gloves and long sleeve shirt.

longjohn, glad to here you are working safer now, it's never too late to start. We need to keep you around here to help identify the old Slingys.

Thanks Slingerfan, I might have a go at that.

Hi again Gentlemen,

Yes! It's been a while but I've been busy lately and just wanted to show how it eventually turned out, and I think it looks pretty good.

I ended up using a standard paint stripper and scraper (carefully of course, and masked, I appreciate your combined wisdom!), then sanded the nicks and bumps. I think it came out quite well. I wasn't looking for perfection, but I'm very happy with the result. I finished with a rub of Huon Pine oil (which is a fabulous Tasmanian tree - now endangered - the oil of which is insect-repellent and smells wonderful). I've included a pic of the tiny bottle I used that I bought in Tassie back in '88, comparing it, size-wise, to the lubrication I was indulging in at the time...

Any ideas on getting rid of the browning on the shell? Not sure if it's nicotine staining or just aging of the wrap - it did spend a lot of time in a school store room (so yeah, possibly nicotine. I used to sneak out for a cheeky smoke when I was at school...) There are a lot of nicks and gashes in it, although hard to see from a distance, and some paint splats, but I've gotten rid of most of those. However, the brown tinge to the white wrap would be nice to remove, if possible. Not a priority by any means, but any ideas will be gladly taken on board!

Thanks most kindly, Gentlemen!

I used a stripper and sanding since the stripper never really gets all of the paint off. I still have some more sanding to do but it’s been way too hot here.

Hoops came up nice..

Maybe try some kitten car wax on a very soft and "eternally clean" damp cloth.. just follow instructions off the bottle... If that's no go,,, then Novus should do some good there..

Cheers

John

No John! Worse thing you can do with lead paint is sand it/vaporize it and put it into the air. Unless the mask being worn is rated to screen lead particles, regular paint masks won't do the trick. I'd wear a Hazmat suit if I was around anyone sanding lead paint! Read up on procedures for working with/removing lead paint.

NO sanding of lead paint please. Solvents and gloves/mask, and very careful disposal of any waste material produced.

John

I'm not a woodworker. I have refinished furniture with stripper and chemical product. It worked but it isn't a pleasant task. And man, that stuff will burn your skin quickly.

Nope. For the 14 wood hoops I'm looking at, sanding is my first choice. I plan to wear a simple "Home Dust Mask," but I'm not working with lead based paint -- simple old varnish.

Plus, I kind of like the 'hand rubbed' sense of the thing.

But again, these aren't a big job.

I'm with Purdie. I don't like to sand paint into small particles, whether they contain lead or not. They may eventually find their way into the soil or sewer, not to mention your lungs or someone else's. I've had good luck with the biodegradable paint stripper that Home Depot sells. Just wear long sleeves, rubber dish-washing gloves, and eye protection and you'll be fine. For the remnants that the paint stripper can't remove, you can use acetone - yes, acetone - with fine steel wool or a soft brush. A soft toothbrush works well for edges and concentrated areas. Acetone does not damage bare wood at all because it evaporates so quickly. I promise you will get completely down to bare wood using those two products alone without sanding.