Why I like lye...
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:06 am
I filled a coffee can with water and drain cleaner (lye). Dropped a valve cover in and left it overnight. This batch I kept in the garage at near freezing temps...
Pulled it out, rinsed it off, and the paint, rust, etc, just fell off. A quick rubdown with oil for now since I failed to remember that I'd be dealing with bare steel. Need some "Prep N Prime" then I can paint it.
The lye works better when kept warm, so I made two cans full and put them on my electric burners yesterday (while the wife was gone, and daughter sick in bed). Took less than an hour to do the other half of that valve cover.
Now I'm scrounging a heat plate for the garage so I don't have to do it in the kitchen anymore. heh.
Can you believe they use this stuff for making soap, biodiesel, PEELING TOMATOES, exfoliating skin, etc? Scary. heh
Nice thing is that it gives off no fumes unlike most parts cleaners. It's still dangerous, but I'm not worried about the fumes getting in the house.
Pulled it out, rinsed it off, and the paint, rust, etc, just fell off. A quick rubdown with oil for now since I failed to remember that I'd be dealing with bare steel. Need some "Prep N Prime" then I can paint it.
The lye works better when kept warm, so I made two cans full and put them on my electric burners yesterday (while the wife was gone, and daughter sick in bed). Took less than an hour to do the other half of that valve cover.
Now I'm scrounging a heat plate for the garage so I don't have to do it in the kitchen anymore. heh.
Can you believe they use this stuff for making soap, biodiesel, PEELING TOMATOES, exfoliating skin, etc? Scary. heh
Nice thing is that it gives off no fumes unlike most parts cleaners. It's still dangerous, but I'm not worried about the fumes getting in the house.