The Speedheater Cobra Renovation Kit is a complete infrared paint removal kit for window restorers, old-house renovators, furniture refinishers, and painting contractors. This is an infrared (IR) paint remover kit designed for stripping paint, varnish, and window putty from wood without chemical strippers. Model Number 3-9175-US-ISD pairs the compact Speedheater Cobra infrared paint remover with five Speedheater scrapers and the Speedheater Storage Box.

Infrared works differently from a heat gun. Instead of blowing hot air across the surface, the Cobra's IR lamp penetrates the paint layers and breaks the bond between the paint and the wood. Multiple layers soften in 1 to 3 seconds, and the paint comes away with a scraper. The working temperature stays low enough that the wood is not damaged and window glass does not break, and there is no open flame. Speedheater also rates the Cobra at roughly 75% less energy use than a typical heat gun.

The scrapers are matched to the jobs the Cobra is built for. The board (clapboard) scraper handles flat surfaces and clapboard siding. The Speedheater Profile Scraper follows curved and profiled woodwork, and the Speedheater Boomerang Scraper gets into concave and contoured surfaces. For windows, the Speedheater Putty Chisel removes old glazing putty and the Speedheater Putty Scraper cleans up the rabbet for re-glazing.

The Cobra is Speedheater's compact model, and its small head is the reason to choose it. It reaches window frames, muntins, balusters, turned spindles, carved furniture, and other intricate profiles where a larger IR unit cannot sit flat. An adjustable support bar holds the head at the right angle, and you control the heat simply by changing the distance between the lamp and the surface. Hold it close for a few seconds, watch the paint start to bubble, and scrape.

The workflow is one-handed heat, one-handed scrape. Heat the next section while you scrape the last one and the job moves steadily along a sash or a run of trim. The infrared heat softens putty, varnish, and glue as well as paint, so one tool handles full window restoration from stripping the frame to removing the old glazing. Once the old paint is off, the wood can be primed and painted right away, with no waiting for chemical residue to neutralize or dry.

The storage box keeps the Cobra and every scraper together between jobs and protects the IR head in transport. Sharp scrapers make IR stripping far faster, so a Speedheater grinding and sharpening kit is worth adding, and a Speedheater replacement IR module for the Cobra keeps the tool running for years.

Who should buy it? Anyone restoring original wood windows, stripping painted trim and doors in an older home, refinishing antique furniture, or working on boat woodwork. If you are starting from scratch with infrared paint removal, this kit is the most direct way in: the heater and every scraper you need for interior and exterior work, in one box.

The Speedheater Cobra Renovation Kit Is the Window Restorer's Starter Set

Infrared paint removal is faster and cleaner than chemical strippers, and this kit puts the compact Cobra and every scraper you need in one box.

• Who it's for: Window restorers, old-house owners, furniture refinishers, and painters stripping trim, sashes, and siding.
• Why it stands out: The Cobra's compact head reaches profiles and window frames, and the five scrapers are matched to the surfaces it handles.
• Worth knowing: The Cobra's heating area is about the size of a deck of cards. It shines on windows, trim, and detail work. Large flat areas take more passes than they would with a wider heater.

• How fast does the Cobra soften paint? Multiple layers soften in 1 to 3 seconds, depending on distance and coating thickness.
• Does it use chemicals or an open flame? No. It uses infrared heat only, so there are no strippers to neutralize and no flame.
• Can I paint right after stripping? Yes. With no chemical residue, the wood can be primed and painted immediately after the old paint is removed.
• Will it remove window putty? Yes. The infrared heat softens putty, and the kit includes a putty chisel and putty scraper for glazing work.