how do I remove old paint and rust from a fireplace?

[frumpypigskin]

I have an old fireplace that I would like to put into my house. It is quite rusty and is covered in what looks like white gloss paint. Any tips?

Also wondering whether it is a big job and therefore actually worth the hassle?

What about some paint stripper or heat gun
I've been using both to strip my stairs and bannister and both working well though its very messy I'm using paint panther from Toolstation

I hadn't thought of a heat gun. That's a good idea.

I had thought about paint stripper but was a bit concerned about the fumes and thought it would be really messy. I think we may even have a heat gun somewhere.

Any ideas about the rust?

There may be lead in the paint on your old fireplace. You can buy testing kits to check. Lead is harmful, especially to babies and children under 7 and pregnant women can pass the toxins on to their unborn child.

If it does contain lead, do not use a heat stripper or try to sand it off - chemical paint stripper is best. Any children, babies or pregnant women should not be exposed to the lead in the paint during the removal process.

The rust is likely to be on the surface and you may find that it comes off when you are stripping the paint. A final going over with wire wool and paint stripper to take off any remaining flakes of paint may also remove the rust. If the rust is really bad, use a wire brush to get as much off as possible then use a rust remover. Once that has been done, polish it with black lead (doesn't contain lead!) polish and that will prevent exposure to the air and the fireplace rusting again. You'll need to re-polish every now and then.

Wowfudge - thank you!

Get it professionally dipped / stripped (find a local place in yellow pages or whatever).
Apply Liberon Iron Paste for a traditional black finish.
Affix to wall.
Stand back and admire.