The invention relates to equipment and a method for thermal removing of paint layers of waste metals. The removing equipment comprises a feed bin (1), a feed inlet (2), a gate valve 1 (3), a valve 1 (4), an isolation bin 1 (5), a valve 2 (6), a gate valve 2 (7), a valve 3 (8), a heating furnace (9), a furnace tube (10), a mechanical pump (11), a valve 4 (12), a gate valve 3 (13), an isolation bin 2 (14), a valve 5 (15), a valve 6 (16), a gate valve 4 (17) and a base (18). The equipment has the functions of carrying out drying and pollution-free thermal paint removing on the waste metals containing the paint layers. The method for removing the paint layers on the surfaces of the waste metals, disclosed by the invention, comprises the steps of material drying and controllable oxygen partial pressure rotary continuous thermal paint removing. The equipment and the method, disclosed by the invention, have the characteristics of heating uniformity, high paint removing efficiency and no pollution and can be widely applied to waste metal recovery.