what's the best way to strip a powder coated surface back to bare metal???

brake fluid??

Blasting.

Blasting.

Seconded

Pool/oven cleaner? NaOH is pretty aggressive stuff....

Blasting with shot.

Pool/oven cleaner? NaOH is pretty aggressive stuff....

I doubt oven cleaner, as those ovens that aren't stove enamelled are powder coated. The thing with powder coating is that it forms a plastic skin on the surface, so it might well shrug off blasting with beads or shot too. I think something like sand would be better, although in my limited experience, you could still be there a while as powder coatings tend to be quite thick. Depending on what you're stripping, burning the stuff off with a blowtorch might be your best bet!

Yep ... it needs blasting to do it right. I have had success in the past with oven cleaners, but it depends on if you can get them (the little pad's you put the pin into) and how fiddly the surface is. But, if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well so blasting is the best option.

these are the babies i want cleaned so i have a nice surface to weld onto

[EDIT] Feeble attempt at humour deleted....

If you just want to clean up the localised area for welding and you are going to recoat them after just use a grinder with a flap wheel on it? two ticks should have that prepped if its just for the spring seats.

i've dropped them off at a local powder coating works to be blasted back to bare metal, hopefully they should be ready tomorrow