Remove Paint from Wood Surfaces Mechanically

Mechanical paint removal tools consist of scrapers, rasps and sandpaper substitutes to handle removal of old paint from your wood. These are inexpensive paint removal tools so you should keep plenty on hand. When using solvents or chemicals, use plastic or wood scrapers to avoid gouging the wood. Since these paint removal tools create a lot of dust, these methods of paint removal are not recommended to be used on lead based paints.

Hook scrapers for removing loose paint from flat surfaces.

A hook scraper looks like a large razor. It has a stiff and dull blade. The hook scrapper is used just like a razor. The scraper is pulled toward you to remove loose paint.

Push scrapers for paint removal on flat surfaces and corners.

Push scrapers resemble putty knives. They come in all different widths and handle sizes. Some push scrapers have dull blades and some have sharpened blades. Push scrapers are not as effective as hook scrapers for removing paint, but they do work well with very loose paint. A push scraper is also more work than a hook scraper.

Rasps and adhesive blocks for removing paint on flat surfaces.

Rasps and adhesive blocks can scrape and sand. These tools are available in many shapes and sizes.

Remove paint with sandpaper substitutes.

Sandpaper substitutes are fairly flexible and are able to get into places that the other tools cannot. Most of the sandpaper substitutes are rectangles of a tough cloth coated on both side with sheets of an abrasive coated nylon mesh. These sandpaper substitutes are extremely durable and work fast. These can be wrapped around a sanding block for flat surfaces or around doweling for concave surfaces. The sandpaper substitutes tend to leave surfaces a little too rough for painting so additional light sanding may need to be done prior to painting.

Use sponges and glass blocks to remove paint.

Sponges wrapped in sandpaper work great for getting paint off from molding and other difficult shapes. There are also and sanding sponges on the markets that are already pre-wrapped. It is however much cheaper to make your own sanding sponge. Sanding sponges can be rinsed out to remove the paint debris and reused.
Glass blocks are actually hardened glass foam and look like a hunk of hardened plastic. Glass blocks wear away quickly and will leave residue on your wood surface after using. Consider this when making the choice to use a foam glass block for paint removal.

Mechanically removing paint from wood can be a little labor intensive. Removing paint by hand can also be much safer on the environment and your wood. Using paint removal tools by hand can also save a great deal on your pocket.