I posted this question on the "bathrooms" forum, but thought it might be a good idea to post it here, as well . . .

The previous owners of our house had the original bathtub refinished. That refinishing is peeling off in places. Since we don't have the funds for a complete renovation, we thought we would have the bathtub refinished again. The refinishing company said that they would first have to remove the refinishing material before applying a new finish. I explained to them that underneath where the refinishing material is peeling, the original porcelain glaze is smooth and seemingly in perfectly fine condition. The woman I spoke with said that that was strange, since the refinishing process requires etching the original finish with acid before beginning the refinishing process, and the fact that the peeling refinishing is revealing a smooth original porcelain surface beneath it suggests to her that the refinishing was a diy project by the previous owner. She further suggested that I first try to strip the finish myself to see if, in fact, no further refinishing was needed. So. My question is, what can I use to try to remove this material myself? Is there any product that will allow me to do this without harming the original porcelain glaze of the tub?

Hope this makes sense. Thanks very much.