Thomas Koehl wrote:Getting ready to strip the mast down for priming and repainting (I'm doing the prep, but having the yard do the painting). Is it true that applying a bit of heat to the fittings will loosen up the stainless screws in the aluminum mast? Any guidance? Also, what's the best chemical stripper to use on the old paint? -Tom Koehl
Heat and WD-40 will help. Make sure the screwdriver bit fits snugly into the screw slot. Sometimes tapping the screw with a hammer will help loosen the bond between the stainless and aluminum. There is a driver tool available that has a series of bits that will fit the head of the screw, and when you tap on it, it rotates the screw to help loosen it. Don't know what the tool is called, but I have seen it before.
