[Rhodes22-list] Painted Mast

[Arthur H. Czerwonky]

All,
I have an '84 IMF mast which I am refinishing to the original aluminum.  It has an almost enamel-like first (primer?) coat, and a second coat of flat black.  Was a painted mast ever supplied as original equipment to anyone's knowledge?  The first coat, looking almost as if baked on, is tan or peach in color, not the green shade of zinc chromate used on aircraft structures.
Who has actually used some type of paint stripper for a similar application - paint on aluminum?  I'd prefer not to remove the paint mechanically.  Thoughts?
Chow,
Art