how do i get plaster and paint specks off old beams ?

i am currantly re decorating my house, it has old wooden beams everywhere, i am flattening out the plaster between the beams and then re painting, no matter how careful i am being i am getting plaster on the old beams and the odd paint splash, the beams are very old and have an open grain how can i get it off with out ruining the wood and keeping my sanity as its a total sh** job, (1 room down, 7 to go.........)

Answers:
theres no easy way, with little dollops of plaster stuck here an there, they have to be flicked off with a scraper or putty knife. The little flecks of plastery water stains: try gently wire brushing. Nothing good comes easy. You are saving a lot of money doing it yourself. Keep that in mind as you just grind on with it!

Other answers:
how many times did you need to ask this question ???
would use a lint cloth with a little white spirit could take a long time but worth it to have your beams looking good . GOOD LUCK with the decorating bet it looks well nice .
how many times did you need to ask this question ???
would use a lint cloth with a little white spirit could take a long time but worth it to have your beams looking good . GOOD LUCK with the decorating bet it looks well nice .
Have you ever heard of sanding? If the beams are not in place use a table saw sanding disk. If the beams are already in place use a heavy duty random orbit sander.
I would use a stripping grade sanding pad. You can also use mineral spirits if you don't want to sand, but that can take a LONG time to get it all off.
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