[R-390] Paint Removal and Stainless #3-56 Screws

[Barry]

After the disaster I had about two years ago with some very bad spray paint, I have cleaned up the front panel and am finally ready to paint it.  I've tested the new (different) paint on a small piece of aluminum and it looks like it will work nicely - the same way I've seen it before so looking forward to that.

I need to turn to the task of removing the paint from the knobs, meter covers, and Veeder-Root escutcheon.  These appear to have the original paint and, as such, are extremely difficult to strip.  I used to just go straight to sanding them (with wet silicon carbide paper) but that's quite tedious and am hoping to find a better method.  I had good success with the old "Aircraft" stripper that, I think, used Methylene Chloride, on front panels, but that has been banned and, so, am not sure if the modern equivalents will work as well.  I'd get these parts media-blasted but the local place has a high "setup" cost and that doesn't work well for me.  Any suggestions?

As for the stainless #3-56 screws, a previous owner drilled/tapped the nameplate screw holes from #2-56 to #3-56 and when I got the radio, one of the nameplate screws was missing.  I've looked for replacements and, oddly, #3-56 screws are quite hard to find.  I can get a box of 100 from McMaster and I may go that route.  There's a well-stocked hobby-shop in town and I suspect they might have some but and looking for other sources so if anyone has one (as well as the lock-washer), I would be interested in getting those.  I can't find the nameplate or screws at the moment and not sure of the length but I think they're either 1/4" or 3/6" (of course, longer screws can be cut shorter if needed).

Thanks!
Barry - N4BUQ