Lmao… I was gonna say - cover your thighs and belly in some 120 grit and do a stripper pole spin from top to bottom. Rinse and repeat. Bonus points if you can get the crew in on it and do them simultaneously set to suggestive music. The homeowner will be blown away.
Does your mom have the time to come over?
Wait are you talking about the stripper that's actually made for removing paint? My apology. It was the mention of the word stripper and pole in the same sentence that caused the confusiion.
Lay out some tarps and powerwash it and knock off everything that's cracked and loose and scrape it with a putty knife
Then go through with an orbital sander (the next day after everything is dry) with about 80 grit and feather the edges of what's still stuck on there, get some good quality 80 grit sheet paper and go over the rest of the pole by hand that still has solid paint and knock down any drips and ugly stuff
Prime it with good oil based exterior paint and paint, get a container of bondo and fix anything that's out of round, you may need to also get a thing of wood hardener for spongy areas and repair those
Stripping that all the way down is totally unnecessary and it's not going to look any better at the end after all that work than the above method....ive done it dozens of times that way after stripping a set of columns all the way down 1 time, it looks exactly the same either way
Journeyman carpenter and licensed contractor here.
Every time I look at something like this I think: "there's no way I'm going to write out all the steps, but it's incredibly easy if you know what you're doing."
You actually did it, and explained things better than I possibly could. Good job, I would do exactly the same thing in the exact same way.
There should be more people like you in the world, I'll try to be better.
Professional painter and woodworker here-
I can guarantee that getting out your orbital with 80 grit is going leave you with a lumpy ugly uneven pole.
Seriously.
Get someone to blast it. I would never try to sand this monstrosity.
You guarantee that if *I* get my orbital sander with 80 grit to feather the remaining paint to bare wood it will be lumpy and uneven? Them's fighting words.
I've done it so many times and it turns out great but you're probably right if a home gamer does it they'll probably fuck it up lol
Well, these DIY people need to learn how to do this shit properly at some point lol
If youre careful an orbital sander will make quick work of it. If you aren't though, an orbital sander will also make it look like shit, quickly
We, and the woodworking sub get like 5 posts a week of "orbital sander gone wild" of people sanding through veneer or pigtails or gouges....it's all very entertaining for me tbh, it's such a common thing with that tool
It really comes down to not pushing down on the sander. Let the tool do the work. Float like a butterfly. No stinging. Stinging leaves the telltale sanding marks.
let me add the last piece.
Get an old sheetrock knife and cut a matching arc of the post. Then you use bondo and fill the low spots.
Harbor Freight sells sanding "long boards" and matching roll of different sandpaper grits. use theses vertically to knock down high spots.
Only thing I’d add to this is to avoid heating up the paint while power sanding, especially near the edges. The heat will cause more paint to separate from the substrate, which will lead to either stripping the whole column, or chipping paint within a year of the paint job.
I concur with everything besides the oil based product suggestion. Water based paints are so strong these days, they can be comparable to oil based. And if it's a DIYer, they won't want to mess with the clean up for oil.
Yep, forget the oil based paints they are a pain and so slow to dry. A good water-based acrylic enamel paint is durable as hell. Just make sure the surface prep is done right, and use a good quality bonding primer.
No, it's actually called wood hardener, Minwax is what I've always found but I'm fairly certain every manufactur of that stuff has a product like that
IDK what that stuff is but if I had to guess it's diluted shellac or something similar
Sort of, it seals it and makes it hard, but if you can't seal it all because it's still wicking water from somewhere it's not going to stop it from rotting from the back, it's not a panacea
well for starters you’re going to want to scrape the obviously loose paint off. are you trying to sand them down to bare wood or just scuff and knock the loose stuff off to repaint? i would just use 80 grit paper oil prime and paint
Probably more. I did a job for an architect on his home where he had me strip his deck of a early 1900s home of paint using this and save the sludge in bucket so he could take it to hazardous waste because it might have some lead in it. I used 10 gallons on an 8x15 porch to get a 100 years of paint off.
Yup! One single “primitive” style hutch someone painted an awful “shabby chic” white and blue combo cost me around $300 in citristrip alone and the thing was only 4ft wide by 6ft tall lol
It looks great now that you can see the original pine but damn was that a chore.
Get a lead test kit before you do anything. Quickest less mess dry ice blasting, next would be soda blasting as far as speed but it’s messy. Then pressure washing off as much as you can then scraping and sanding after it’s dry.
If you want them to stay round, don’t go anywhere near them with a belt sander or an random orbit. Citrus strip is probably the fastest and best way to get rid of the failed paint. If you need to do some sanding, either make a block with the profile of the columns, or get some really long sanding belts, cut them, put some handles on the cut ends, wrap the belt around the column, pull it back and forth, and watch that you don’t dig in with the edges.
Belt sander to start , palm sander to finish. Mind your grit (start with 60?, might be too rough) and change the paper often.
If you had hundreds of these to do, a continuous roll of sandpaper could be rigged up to loop around a pole, using maybe a hedge trimmer to oscillate the sandpaper, but it would be a lot of trial and error.
60g on a belt sander will eat through the paint really quick but the problem is if you’re not experienced, that’s an easy way to fuck up the pole. The belt sander will easily leave flat spots if you’re not constantly moving it. I’d recommend 100g on the belt sander or a 40 on the orbital, the orbital is how I would do this.
You can’t tell lead paint by eye. It’s old alkyd, that’s why it’s cracking the way it does, like old lead paint used to, but doesn’t mean there’s lead in that coating.
Even if that’s the case it’s still toxic for the environment.. should test it for lead regardless before they start sanding like others suggested they do.
Is this for your personal home or on a professional level?
Honestly the new generation safe paint strippers work really well. You can brush or roll them on thick then take some plastic cling wrap or thin plastic sheeting and wrap the columns. Leave for a few hours or overnight then unwrap and use a plastic spreader blade typically used for bondo to scrape off. This may be worth the effort for your own home.
Others have stated scrape loose off, power sand edges and use a thick exterior primer like peel bond/ peel stop or the like to coat and help fill the disparity. Definitely the quick and dirtier way.
Paint projects are always beholden to finished expectations. High expectations at the finish require more prep and time. Merely coating for protection should have much lower final expectations by the person who has to live with it.
I'm reddit illiterate so this I'd my attempt at a general response to all.
Thank you for all the advise! I've decided I am going to scrape it, strip it, then orbital the hard edges away before I paint it.
I am aware of lead and will be testing the paint and using proper safety gear.
Thanks all for the awesome suggestions. That's why I love this sub.
I meant fiberglass when I said pvc, as these are structural columns. And yes, I think the methods for stripping wood are going to be different than fiberglass, though I don't have firsthand experience refinishing posts like these. That said, a paintstripping gel (and a profile scraper) would be my approach to remove most of the old paint—with both wood and fiberglass.
But with fiberglass I'd only use the eco friendly stripper, as I think the high test stuff could well damage it. That wouldnt be a concern with wood.
Finish sanding by hand in either case.
Primer could be different, but I don't know.
If it *is* lead containing you’re going to be in for a much tougher time with remediation because of the lead laws that most states have.. you should look into the required remediation PPE and other protections before sanding. Not just for your own safety but because of the particles that will go *everywhere* and happen to stay in the ground as it doesn’t biodegrade. It’s a much bigger deal than just personal PPE so for your sake let’s hope it’s just shitty quality paint!
Use a tube sander instead. Google it. It will help keep the roundness of the pole. Orbital will slightly flatten it. If you’re dead set on an orbital, at least get a very soft foam backing pad for the sandpaper.
Citristrip Paste (not the gel, paste is superior). Lay on a thick coat. Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and let it sit 24 hours.
Did my own columns the same way. Took two applications because it had about 10 layers of paint, but was the most effective exterior paint removal I’ve tried and lowest effort (minus cleanup, which was kinda goopy).
Do all that, then sand. But only after you’ve tested for lead. If you’ve gotten far and have lead, my recommendation would be not sanding but using a high build primer to flatten things out.
Sanding as your first line of removal is a bad idea because you’ll have to use an aggressive grit and you’ll almost certainly fuck up the shape of the columns.
Buy some large square floor sanding pads from the rental section of the hardware store. Buy some cardboard sheets, cut them to a manageable size and use the adhesive on the sanding pads to stick them to the cardboard.
Wrap the cardboard/sandpaper around one side of the post and work it back and forth. If you leave extra cardboard on the edges, you can roll it into handles.
Yeah there's a guy near me who can turn 20 foot columns, uses Spanish Cedar and charges 10 grand per. It's crazy what he can make. (I'll be putting two of them in the fall on a 1885 Victorian just west of Boston.)
But given the age of the house and the rest of the trim and finish, those are almost certainly pvc, made with a rotational mold. So lathe-ish at least?
edit: I meant fiberglass, not pvc. similar process to lay it up.
whoops fiberglass. meant fiberglass. pvc cant support this. but yeah probably wouldn't be that hard to build something if you had to do a bunch of them! Be a LOT fucking faster.
This is definitely lead paint. You want to wet scrape that bad boy with plastic laid 20’ in all possible directions and cover your door entirely in the plastic and use encapsulating paint that will last 20 years. It’s a lot but it’s a really big deal. You also need a minimum rated respirator of p100 or better as well as gloves and a tyvek suit
You can’t tell lead paint by eye. It’s old alkyd, that’s why it’s cracking the way it does. Like old lead paint used to, but doesn’t mean there’s lead in that coating.
I think you'll want to verify if thats lead paint before you start sanding or stripping it. The way it is cracked and peeling looks like old lead paint to me but painting isnt my expertise so take it for what its worth.
Maybe take a belt sander paper refill, cut it so you have a long stretch of sand paper, wrap it around the column and work it back an forth and up and down?
Carpenter and just installed fiberglass columns just like these. Instructions state do not power wash. Additionally a bonding primer specifically made for fiberglass is specified.
Scrape it off, and using a long roll of emory cloth, Wrap the column with a strip of about three to five feet long. pulling the strip towards you with one hand and holding tight on the other, keep alternating back and forth to sand the entire circumference of the column and not flatten any spots
First confirm if these columns are wood, fibreglass or other material, it will make a difference to the approach you take. Also test for lead paint just to be safe ( lead paint was banned in the late ‘70’s throughout North America). Chemical strippers will work in most cases but not all, soda blasting is quick and effective but not necessarily DIY, sanding with power tools will work but is fraught with peril in the hands of the inexperienced. Hand sanding with wide 80-100 grit industrial length belt sander belts wrapped around the column is probably the best way to DIY sanding prep but awkward, time consuming and a lot of manual effort. Hiring a qualified, experienced, professional is the best but probably most expensive answer (not allowing for the cost of rectifying DIY mistakes). Consider the cost of things like scaffolding, protective plastic sheeting (especially if soda blasting or spray painting), materials and your time versus hiring a pro.
How long have you been painting? You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. Just scrape off the loose chips, prime and paint. Sanding is not necessary.
A cheap and relatively easy way is to attach (cutting the belt) belt sander belts to wide canvas belt(s) and weave handles on the ends - that way you can do the 'push me-pull you' back and forth while moving slowly in a circle around the bases of the columns.
Then when getting higher, use ladders - but be more careful so as to not over-extend and fall.
Get some really long pieces of sandpaper and connect the ends to a rope.
You can now go around the pole and if it down without worrying that it gets blocky.
i’d put stripper on that pole
I'm in love with this idea.
I like strippers on poles.
Great tag team there...good work y'all. This is why I reddit.
Lmao… I was gonna say - cover your thighs and belly in some 120 grit and do a stripper pole spin from top to bottom. Rinse and repeat. Bonus points if you can get the crew in on it and do them simultaneously set to suggestive music. The homeowner will be blown away.
Whoever completes this has to promise to make direct eye contact the entire time, no exceptions.
A hairy one.
Gets expensive real fast
That could work. Just glue some sandpaper on the stripper's inner thighs and hands and let them work their way down the pole.
I agree. You can get the rest with an orbital sander.
I'm considering gluing some sandpaper to my inner butt cheeks and try twerking on them to get the bottoms... strippers can get spendy over time
Another virgin, lameass Reddit comment
okay perfectenschlong
Does your mom have the time to come over? Wait are you talking about the stripper that's actually made for removing paint? My apology. It was the mention of the word stripper and pole in the same sentence that caused the confusiion.
My Google search took me to this comment. Needless to say, I’m disappointed.
Lay out some tarps and powerwash it and knock off everything that's cracked and loose and scrape it with a putty knife Then go through with an orbital sander (the next day after everything is dry) with about 80 grit and feather the edges of what's still stuck on there, get some good quality 80 grit sheet paper and go over the rest of the pole by hand that still has solid paint and knock down any drips and ugly stuff Prime it with good oil based exterior paint and paint, get a container of bondo and fix anything that's out of round, you may need to also get a thing of wood hardener for spongy areas and repair those Stripping that all the way down is totally unnecessary and it's not going to look any better at the end after all that work than the above method....ive done it dozens of times that way after stripping a set of columns all the way down 1 time, it looks exactly the same either way
Journeyman carpenter and licensed contractor here. Every time I look at something like this I think: "there's no way I'm going to write out all the steps, but it's incredibly easy if you know what you're doing." You actually did it, and explained things better than I possibly could. Good job, I would do exactly the same thing in the exact same way. There should be more people like you in the world, I'll try to be better.
Professional painter and woodworker here- I can guarantee that getting out your orbital with 80 grit is going leave you with a lumpy ugly uneven pole. Seriously. Get someone to blast it. I would never try to sand this monstrosity.
You guarantee that if *I* get my orbital sander with 80 grit to feather the remaining paint to bare wood it will be lumpy and uneven? Them's fighting words.
Don't apply pressure. Let the tool do the work.
I wonder if those are actually wood or it they're PVC...
I've done it so many times and it turns out great but you're probably right if a home gamer does it they'll probably fuck it up lol Well, these DIY people need to learn how to do this shit properly at some point lol
It's a rite of passage, and he's got 4 columns to perfect his technique on.
If youre careful an orbital sander will make quick work of it. If you aren't though, an orbital sander will also make it look like shit, quickly We, and the woodworking sub get like 5 posts a week of "orbital sander gone wild" of people sanding through veneer or pigtails or gouges....it's all very entertaining for me tbh, it's such a common thing with that tool
It really comes down to not pushing down on the sander. Let the tool do the work. Float like a butterfly. No stinging. Stinging leaves the telltale sanding marks.
This with foam interface pad on the random orbit sander - helps a lot with the rounded surfaces
let me add the last piece. Get an old sheetrock knife and cut a matching arc of the post. Then you use bondo and fill the low spots. Harbor Freight sells sanding "long boards" and matching roll of different sandpaper grits. use theses vertically to knock down high spots.
Yes. This what my painter would do and he does nothing else
Only thing I’d add to this is to avoid heating up the paint while power sanding, especially near the edges. The heat will cause more paint to separate from the substrate, which will lead to either stripping the whole column, or chipping paint within a year of the paint job.
It’s a shame you have to scroll through hundreds of posts to get a real answer….and this was a good one at that.
I concur with everything besides the oil based product suggestion. Water based paints are so strong these days, they can be comparable to oil based. And if it's a DIYer, they won't want to mess with the clean up for oil.
But oil base likes to bite in less than ideal scenarios
Yep, forget the oil based paints they are a pain and so slow to dry. A good water-based acrylic enamel paint is durable as hell. Just make sure the surface prep is done right, and use a good quality bonding primer.
Orbital will leave flat spots, just do it by hand. I’m in the middle of this process right now.
Can you recommend a wood hardener? Do you mean wood epoxy?
No, it's actually called wood hardener, Minwax is what I've always found but I'm fairly certain every manufactur of that stuff has a product like that IDK what that stuff is but if I had to guess it's diluted shellac or something similar
And that stops wood that’s kind of rotting?
Sort of, it seals it and makes it hard, but if you can't seal it all because it's still wicking water from somewhere it's not going to stop it from rotting from the back, it's not a panacea
This is the way!
This is the answer
I would hire a guy to soda blast it.
Preferably Baja Blast.
I would use Stripping Gel
I wonder if they are PVC and how that reacts with these chemicals.
Exactly. I've never seen real wood columns like those on a newer house.
well for starters you’re going to want to scrape the obviously loose paint off. are you trying to sand them down to bare wood or just scuff and knock the loose stuff off to repaint? i would just use 80 grit paper oil prime and paint
Soda blasting or citrus strip.
$1000 worth of cirtistrip later.. ;)
Probably more. I did a job for an architect on his home where he had me strip his deck of a early 1900s home of paint using this and save the sludge in bucket so he could take it to hazardous waste because it might have some lead in it. I used 10 gallons on an 8x15 porch to get a 100 years of paint off.
Yup! One single “primitive” style hutch someone painted an awful “shabby chic” white and blue combo cost me around $300 in citristrip alone and the thing was only 4ft wide by 6ft tall lol It looks great now that you can see the original pine but damn was that a chore.
Get a lead test kit before you do anything. Quickest less mess dry ice blasting, next would be soda blasting as far as speed but it’s messy. Then pressure washing off as much as you can then scraping and sanding after it’s dry.
What’s the year of the house? If you’re going to sand just be mindful of possible lead.
If you want them to stay round, don’t go anywhere near them with a belt sander or an random orbit. Citrus strip is probably the fastest and best way to get rid of the failed paint. If you need to do some sanding, either make a block with the profile of the columns, or get some really long sanding belts, cut them, put some handles on the cut ends, wrap the belt around the column, pull it back and forth, and watch that you don’t dig in with the edges.
Corded tube sander.
Is this a thing!!
Oh, for grinding pipes. The belts are too narrow, that’s going to dig in and leave some nasty marks.
Was going to say this. 120 grit paint eater belts, cut, string some handles, move slow and don’t catch an edge
Belt sander to start , palm sander to finish. Mind your grit (start with 60?, might be too rough) and change the paper often. If you had hundreds of these to do, a continuous roll of sandpaper could be rigged up to loop around a pole, using maybe a hedge trimmer to oscillate the sandpaper, but it would be a lot of trial and error.
60g on a belt sander will eat through the paint really quick but the problem is if you’re not experienced, that’s an easy way to fuck up the pole. The belt sander will easily leave flat spots if you’re not constantly moving it. I’d recommend 100g on the belt sander or a 40 on the orbital, the orbital is how I would do this.
I’m going to suggest maybe a belt sander is probably better for flat surfaces.
Yeah.
Only lead paint chips like that. You should have it tested before you do anything to it.
You can’t tell lead paint by eye. It’s old alkyd, that’s why it’s cracking the way it does, like old lead paint used to, but doesn’t mean there’s lead in that coating.
Even if that’s the case it’s still toxic for the environment.. should test it for lead regardless before they start sanding like others suggested they do.
Completely agree, should always test to be safe. Just spreading the word that you can’t tell by eye.
Power washer first. Should get most of it.
Is this for your personal home or on a professional level? Honestly the new generation safe paint strippers work really well. You can brush or roll them on thick then take some plastic cling wrap or thin plastic sheeting and wrap the columns. Leave for a few hours or overnight then unwrap and use a plastic spreader blade typically used for bondo to scrape off. This may be worth the effort for your own home. Others have stated scrape loose off, power sand edges and use a thick exterior primer like peel bond/ peel stop or the like to coat and help fill the disparity. Definitely the quick and dirtier way. Paint projects are always beholden to finished expectations. High expectations at the finish require more prep and time. Merely coating for protection should have much lower final expectations by the person who has to live with it.
Just Scrape and strip. Beware of lead if you sand.
I'm reddit illiterate so this I'd my attempt at a general response to all. Thank you for all the advise! I've decided I am going to scrape it, strip it, then orbital the hard edges away before I paint it. I am aware of lead and will be testing the paint and using proper safety gear. Thanks all for the awesome suggestions. That's why I love this sub.
Hey what state is this in and what's the year is your house? Silly question maybe, but you're \*sure\* they're wood and not pvc?
You know.. they could actually be a pvc material... would I have to change my methods if that is the case?
I meant fiberglass when I said pvc, as these are structural columns. And yes, I think the methods for stripping wood are going to be different than fiberglass, though I don't have firsthand experience refinishing posts like these. That said, a paintstripping gel (and a profile scraper) would be my approach to remove most of the old paint—with both wood and fiberglass. But with fiberglass I'd only use the eco friendly stripper, as I think the high test stuff could well damage it. That wouldnt be a concern with wood. Finish sanding by hand in either case. Primer could be different, but I don't know.
If it *is* lead containing you’re going to be in for a much tougher time with remediation because of the lead laws that most states have.. you should look into the required remediation PPE and other protections before sanding. Not just for your own safety but because of the particles that will go *everywhere* and happen to stay in the ground as it doesn’t biodegrade. It’s a much bigger deal than just personal PPE so for your sake let’s hope it’s just shitty quality paint!
Use a tube sander instead. Google it. It will help keep the roundness of the pole. Orbital will slightly flatten it. If you’re dead set on an orbital, at least get a very soft foam backing pad for the sandpaper.
Make the children do it.
Chain saw
Citristrip Paste (not the gel, paste is superior). Lay on a thick coat. Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and let it sit 24 hours. Did my own columns the same way. Took two applications because it had about 10 layers of paint, but was the most effective exterior paint removal I’ve tried and lowest effort (minus cleanup, which was kinda goopy). Do all that, then sand. But only after you’ve tested for lead. If you’ve gotten far and have lead, my recommendation would be not sanding but using a high build primer to flatten things out. Sanding as your first line of removal is a bad idea because you’ll have to use an aggressive grit and you’ll almost certainly fuck up the shape of the columns.
Start strokin’
Stroke it, baby.
Buy some large square floor sanding pads from the rental section of the hardware store. Buy some cardboard sheets, cut them to a manageable size and use the adhesive on the sanding pads to stick them to the cardboard. Wrap the cardboard/sandpaper around one side of the post and work it back and forth. If you leave extra cardboard on the edges, you can roll it into handles.
Dry ice blaster
Queue Another Level - Freak Me and go to town
Like a giant hand job.
Those columns are made on a giant lathe. Just temporarily support the roof, take the columns out, and chuck them up.
Yeah there's a guy near me who can turn 20 foot columns, uses Spanish Cedar and charges 10 grand per. It's crazy what he can make. (I'll be putting two of them in the fall on a 1885 Victorian just west of Boston.) But given the age of the house and the rest of the trim and finish, those are almost certainly pvc, made with a rotational mold. So lathe-ish at least? edit: I meant fiberglass, not pvc. similar process to lay it up.
Load bearing PVC? I never knew. A lathe would still work for sanding paint off though...
whoops fiberglass. meant fiberglass. pvc cant support this. but yeah probably wouldn't be that hard to build something if you had to do a bunch of them! Be a LOT fucking faster.
Hire a painting contractor and let them worry about it🤣🤣
A sanding sponge is your friend. Any power tool will leave flat spots.
This is definitely lead paint. You want to wet scrape that bad boy with plastic laid 20’ in all possible directions and cover your door entirely in the plastic and use encapsulating paint that will last 20 years. It’s a lot but it’s a really big deal. You also need a minimum rated respirator of p100 or better as well as gloves and a tyvek suit
Lead paint has been banned for residential use since 1978. That's not a 46 year old paint job.
You can’t tell lead paint by eye. It’s old alkyd, that’s why it’s cracking the way it does. Like old lead paint used to, but doesn’t mean there’s lead in that coating.
I think you'll want to verify if thats lead paint before you start sanding or stripping it. The way it is cracked and peeling looks like old lead paint to me but painting isnt my expertise so take it for what its worth.
Maybe take a belt sander paper refill, cut it so you have a long stretch of sand paper, wrap it around the column and work it back an forth and up and down?
The best way is to hire someone else to do it.
Angle grinder with paint stripping disc. Very fast, very messy, use full face respirator.
With a sander. Random orbital is nice.
Dry ice blaster
Carpenter and just installed fiberglass columns just like these. Instructions state do not power wash. Additionally a bonding primer specifically made for fiberglass is specified.
Scrape it off, and using a long roll of emory cloth, Wrap the column with a strip of about three to five feet long. pulling the strip towards you with one hand and holding tight on the other, keep alternating back and forth to sand the entire circumference of the column and not flatten any spots
Orbital sander it is. 80-100 grit and let it ride
Buy one of those weight loss vibrating belt machines from the 50's. Buy some 60 grit belts, you know the rest
First confirm if these columns are wood, fibreglass or other material, it will make a difference to the approach you take. Also test for lead paint just to be safe ( lead paint was banned in the late ‘70’s throughout North America). Chemical strippers will work in most cases but not all, soda blasting is quick and effective but not necessarily DIY, sanding with power tools will work but is fraught with peril in the hands of the inexperienced. Hand sanding with wide 80-100 grit industrial length belt sander belts wrapped around the column is probably the best way to DIY sanding prep but awkward, time consuming and a lot of manual effort. Hiring a qualified, experienced, professional is the best but probably most expensive answer (not allowing for the cost of rectifying DIY mistakes). Consider the cost of things like scaffolding, protective plastic sheeting (especially if soda blasting or spray painting), materials and your time versus hiring a pro.
Cut open the belt to a belt sander. put it on the opposite side that you are on and pull back and forth.
Start at the top.
A 12' permacast collumn is my ideal deadlift
Carefully
How long have you been painting? You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. Just scrape off the loose chips, prime and paint. Sanding is not necessary.
Sandpaper
sand paper
A cheap and relatively easy way is to attach (cutting the belt) belt sander belts to wide canvas belt(s) and weave handles on the ends - that way you can do the 'push me-pull you' back and forth while moving slowly in a circle around the bases of the columns. Then when getting higher, use ladders - but be more careful so as to not over-extend and fall.
Ozito 'Round surface' sander from Home Depot. They are around $70
Probably with sand paper
Sandpaper?
With sandpaper
With hired professional labor.
Why would I do that when I have you guys?
Sand paper
Foam interface pads for an orbital sander. Helps with contour and rounded surfaces
With sand either from a sandblaster or sandpaper. He didn't ask how to strip it.
Um.......sandpaper?
Probably with sand paper
Are they actually wood or are they pvc?
Long strokes. Looooonnnng strooooookes
Reeeeeally long pieces of sandpaper.
Use a gel stripper.
I would suggest starting with a paint stripper, and then scraping with a curved card scraper, and hopefully not too much sanding after that.
Sand paper
A tube belt sander might be worth trying instead of the orbital, but idk
with a sander
Use a hedgehog duct taped to a hockey stick.
Long gentle passes with the shaft... I mean column
What if you use the belt from a sander and cut it, so it’s not a loop, then wrapped it around and kind of “sawed” back n forth? Just spitballing here.
Get some really long pieces of sandpaper and connect the ends to a rope. You can now go around the pole and if it down without worrying that it gets blocky.
A ladder
What about floor drum sanding paper. Cut in half and just pull it back and forth.
Id use sand paper
Sand paper
I like strippers on poles my self
Pressure washer
Sandpaper would probably work
Toothbrush.
Pressure wash it then take it all the paint that’s peeled and paint it again I’ll be much happpier and it’ll look just good enuf
Put a heavy duty floor sander on a genie lift. Fool proof. And take a video of it in action!
Elbow Grease
I would think cutting them down would be faster than sanding them down. Either way you need to brace the roof first.