The tool is usually called a jitterbug. They are dicouraged or completely
forbidden on commercial concrete work. The original intent was to use them
to knock the heavy stone deeper in the concrete and develop more cream on
top which can lead to spalling and delamination, especially with air
entrained concrete.

Sand blasting would be the easiest way to clean it. There is a product
called nox crete that is made for cleaning up tools and equipment:
http://www.nox-crete.com/


"Steve B" wrote in message
. ..
I bought a two handed concrete tamper at a yard sale yesterday, probably
spending too much for it ............ $10. But I needed one.

On the bottom screen, it's reasonably clean, but has some residual
concrete on it. From the looks of it, it has been on there for quite a
while. What is the best way to get that off? I don't want to beat on it
with a hammer and bend it all up. It's expanded metal. Would soaking it
in water, or maybe spraying it with some petroleum base product soften it
enough for a power washer to take it off? How do you clean yours when it
has hardened? The spaces are still there, so it hasn't hardened totally
all the way across.

Steve