Ed Huntress wrote:

"Pete C." wrote in message
ster.com...

Ed Huntress wrote:

"Winston" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:

(...)

I bought some just a few years ago at Home Depot. I'd also try a big
paint
store. Have you looked for Coleman Fuel at a chain sporting goods
store?
Target has it here.

Apparently, it just evaporated locally.
My local sporting goods store lists only shoes, sleeping bags
and LED lanterns under the 'Coleman' brand. Perhaps
it is worth a drive out there for some face time.

I get nothing but 'deer in the headlights' looks when I ask about
'naptha' at the same darned stores where I used to buy gallons of
the stuff for ~$7.00 then ~$9.00 then ~ $14.95.
Even the Pro paint store clerks now act like they never sold the
stuff! What the heck?

However, as a solvent, it's pretty close to gasoline.

Purple cleaner, oven cleaner, gasoline are next to try.

Thanks, Ed.

--Winston

FWIW, as a purple cleaner, oven cleaner, and gasoline user, I'd try them
in
that order, unless you don't mind the gasoline fumes, in which case that
would be second.

I mix my own oven cleaner for cleaning my charcoal grill but it's a
bugger
to get straight lye these days. The only over-the-counter retail source
I've
seen identified by others is Roebic Crystal Drain Cleaner, which I buy
from
Lowe's at $11.00 for two pounds ouch!! It's now $1.98 for two pounds
online, under different names, but then I pay $10 shipping. d8-(

I do buy 20 pounds or so at a time online once in a while. You want 100%
sodium hydroxide crystals or pellets; mix 20% with water by weight; dump
in
some diatomaceous earth to make it stick a little to the grill. You can
use
potassium hydroxide but it's more expensive.

Mix 40% for cleaning drains, and stand back...At 40%, it's like thin
syrup.

I chase after lye now and then for anodizing prep. For cleaning a grill
or smoker, my preference is a pressure washer. A pressure washer works
quite well with just water and if you really need to you can feed some
purple on the chemical feed after doing a pre-wash, let that work a bit
and then post-wash to remove the remaining residue. I don't generally
find the degreaser is necessary.

That sounds good. Sometimes I wish I had one of those washers.

You don't need an exotic one, a basic $400 one from Northern Tool with a
Honda GC engine will do nicely, which is what I have. It's also great
for cleaning driveways, patios, vehicles, the brick house and most
anything else.