Paint removal
You DO want to remove the paint from your Stainless Steel stanchions. The paint prevents the formation & maintenance of the protective oxidation (passivation) coating. Paint removal might be aided by the application of heat (heat gun, hair drier), then scouring with a soft nylon pad (wear gloves). Generally, I'd recommend AGAINST using any chemicals on S/S, unless you are fully familiar with the applications. A few cautions on cleaning Stainless Steel (including paint removal): 1. Never use a mild steel scouring media on S/S. Use either a Stainless Steel abrasive (that is ONLY used on S/S), or a soft Nylon scouring pad (Scotchbright Pad, or Teflon Safe pad). 2. Never use Chlorine Bleach on Stainless Steel. 3. Always rinse S/S, with copious water, after cleaning. (Dilute < 10% Nitric Acid, or Dilute 5% Acetic Acid [vineger] are fairly safe, if rinsed afterwards). HTH, Gord
