More info on stripping mehods

Much trial and error was involved in finding the best method of stripping the paint.   I started with the 3M SafeStripper which does not require goggles and gloves.  It was very slow and required 3-4 applications (with an 8 hour wait after each one).  I then tried Citri-Strip, which does require gloves, but doesn't smell as bad as regular chemical strippers.  It stripped the paint effectively in places where it would cling - but in general was too runny for a vertical surface.  Next, I switched gears and tried a heat gun - which did not have any effect on the paint.  I switched to a regular chemical stripper (Jasco) and had okay luck with that, but it was still slow going and required at least two - three applications of stripper to remove all the paint.

After Christmas in Ohio I returned with a drill attachment that my dad lent to me.  It consisted of a bunch of metal spokes that turn at a  high speed when the drill is on.  You hold it against the stone to strip the paint.  I had high hopes, but although it did remove some paint, it was no faster than the chemical stripper and the vibrations of the drill as the attachment hit the stone were very hard on my arm. 

Next at my dad's suggestion, I went in search of ZipStrip.  I found ZipStrip Industrial Strength online, which turned out to be the best solution.  It claims to be water rinsible and require no scraping, which is not at all true, but still was much better than the other chemical strippers I tried.  Two applications would almost always take care of all the paint and it was pretty quick-acting as well.

Now that I had something that worked - I should've stuck with it, but as I neared the end of the project and had only the stone mantle and side of the fireplace left - I was getting very antsy.  Several people had recommended Peel-Away to me, and I thought it might be a better way to get into the hard-to-reach crevices near the wall.  After a hunt and $70 later - I came home from Sherwin Williams with a big tub of Peel Away and tried it on the stone mantle.  Not only did it not remove the paint at all - but when I tried to wash the remaining paste off - it dripped a chalky white substance down the front of the fireplace which I had to remove by going over the entire surface with another coat of ZipStrip.  This was *not* a good experiment. The PeelAway did work fine on a tst patch I did on the hearth - so probably would work well for a non-vertical application

After cleaning up the PeelAway mess and finishing up with the ZipStrip, we now have a completed fireplace.