TSP will remove paint. It used to be sold as paint brush cleaner. It
is not fast so that corrolates with handing fenders in it for a day or
two. Would speed things up if it were heated. It is caustic, but not
like lye. Still available, but read the label carefully. Lots of
places sell Washing Soda labeled as TSP with something about it being a
TSP substitute is small print on the box.

Dan

SteveB wrote:
In my youth, a friend of mine's dad was a Harley buff. I mean back in the
fifties, and from then on. He ended up having a shop, and turning into one
of our area's authorities on Harleys.

He used to have a 55 gallon barrel out back of the house a ways. It was
filled with some liquid. They would hang fenders and tanks on wire and
lower them into the liquid. It wasn't terribly caustic or acetic because
they didn't really treat it any special way by wearing gloves or goggles.

It was up on bricks. Then would put a couple of pieces of 2x4 under it, and
light a small fire. All the paint would be off in a day or two.

Anyone have any idea what they used? They were old farm boys, and really
thrifty, so I know it had to be some very common cheap substance.

Steve