Metal handrails

[Tinkerpuss]

My house is up two flights of outside steps with metal handrails. The rails have had several coats of paint applied by previous owners but are now patchy and rusty.
Can anyone advise me of the easiest way of stripping off the paint and rust right back to the metal so I can put a primer and good quality paint on them? Should I use a liquid paint stripper or would a blowtorch do the job?
I am a total novice with this kind of DIY!
Thanks.

[douglas9401]

A circular wire brush fitted to an electric drill should see it done in no time. Safety glasses and thick gloves and probably a dust mask would be another recommendation. Enjoy! :)

[Canary42]

Blowtorch would remove paint, but not rust. On my balcony rail I used a rasp and wire brush to remove all loose and flaking bits then a special paint which combines with any remaining rust.

I used Hammerite Direct-to-rust Metal Paint but I'm sure there are others.

[needawin]

Get a wire brush and remove all loose and flaking paint then a good coating of Hammerite will save you a lot of unnecessary work.

[Tinkerpuss]

Thanks folks, the wire brush fitted to the drill sounds like the best bet because even with the rust removed there are so many layers of paint, the finish would be uneven.
Now where do I find a wire brush that will fit my Bosch electric drill? I will have a look on Amazon.

[The Builder]

http://www.toolstatio...5mm/d80/sd1920/p56390

:o)

[flitty]

Hammerite is the best and comes in many colours and smooth or hammered finish. Lots of the big diy stores do their own metal paint and a lot cheaper. The beauty of hammerite is you can just paint it on the old rust so long as you give it a quick rub down.