2o2p to the rescue - Mission Accomplished

A couple weeks back I asked for some suggestions to remove paint from a large woodstove pipe that runs through an upstairs room. I had a number of responses and though I ended up procrastinating the project for a bit, I ended up using your suggestions.

BEFORE:

POWERROB_3000 suggested getting some brush-on paint stripper. I went to Lowes and bought the most expensive small bottle I could find with the most warning labels. This was some pretty toxic shit and cleared my sinuses the moment I opened the bottle:

Applied and scraped a couple coats of stripper to the pipe. The second layer got rid of the really stubborn crap but still left a nasty paint smear residue all over the pipe. So I took the suggestions of omegamaximus and Automan21k: Wire wheel. Omega recommended a side grinder but I ended up getting a decent Craftsman drill from my father in law - a good way to save $75 - so I attached the wire wheel and went to work.

It took some time. Probably 3-4 hours of buffing with the wire wheel. But the end result was well worth the work:

AFTER:

The wire wheel left some swirls in the metal and there are a few areas that are really stubborn, but overall I'm incredibly impressed with the final result. I am not at all a handy person, so this kind of thing is a big deal if I can do it and not fuck it up or give up. If not for the community's suggestions, I probably would have spent hundreds replacing the pipe.

So in other words, Thanks 2old2play!