[Bill Douglas]

Super, I used to work as a stripper. A paint stripper of old furniture.

We had a caustic soda (I think you guys call it lye) bath that we immersed the furniture in and the paint fell off. It was also amazing on old cookware. They came out looking like new.

Caustic soda correctly diluted with water is good, and with warm water it's even better. Gives aluminium a bit of grief, but a few minutes in the solution won't do any harm.