Lead based paint question

[Tas_Dean]

I have a heap of metalwork around my back porch and around the shed and workshop, and I am fairly certain the paint is all lead based. I am basing my assumptions on the way the paint burned when I was cutting some bolts with an oxy torch, and yesterday I ground off some bolts with a grinder, and I seemed to "Taste" lead.

So my question is this - What should I paint over it with? What sort of surface preparation is necessary? The paint seems to flaking when knocked/rubbed, but is not flaking freely.

Would I be succesful in hitting it with the pressure cleaner, letting it dry and then painting it with a good quality primer?

[Cin]

I hope its not too late to respond here...By now I suppose you have googled "lead paint"..otherwise...

This site is very useful on lead paint...
http://www.lead.org.au/

Also, EPA NSW has some important information dealing with lead paint, etc.

[davenkellie]

not too late for me though!

[keepontruckin]

Buy a lead kit from bunnings for around $10. Can save you going to alot of trouble. If it is lead lay drop sheets down, get a respirator with filters and sand the paint onto drop sheets and then depose of it properly.
The lead kit will save alot of time and money. A teacher at trade school told me a story about a tradie sanding the whole house down which was lead painted and he didn't know. Then when they were building onto the house the they got the soil tested and found lead in it which meant that the owner went straight to the painter for a please explain and ended with the painter having to get the soil excavated and replaced with new soil.