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

SteveB wrote:

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.


Carbon tet was one of the few paint removers/degreasers you could heat
with open flame without worry of 'Boom', and it was cheap and common.

Used as liquid for fire extinguishers...

Not really caustic, but toxic enough it got yanked off the market,
as did its replacements, Trichloroethylene and Trichlorofluoroethene

**
mike
**

Anyone have any idea what they used?

Did it smell/stink? Methyl chloride and ammonia (not at the same
time!), concentrated and hot, make real good paint removers. But
they'd both stink to high-heaven.

[Carbon tet]
Not really caustic, but toxic enough it got yanked
off the market, as did its replacements,
Trichloroethylene and Trichlorofluoroethene

What do they put in today's carb/brake cleaners? It smells like
Trichloro-something.

Tim.

Tim Shoppa wrote:


Did it smell/stink?

Smelled like Carbon Tet
Not as good as 'Banana Oil' but not bad like Methylchlorides,
which I need goggles to be around to keep the eyes from tearing
up or like I can't stand ammonia at all, but no probs
with Carbon Tet: you could get it on your skin without it burning,
but you would sure want to put on some lotion afterwards.

Some said it gave them a good buzz followed by a headache.
But yeah, I would try to use it outside or in the Garage, and
not in the basement. Sure would knock hardened cosmoline
right off of parts, though.

Trichloroethylene was wimpy in the degreasing department vs
Carbon Tet, and cost more. Ran out of Carbon Tet in '82 or so.

Methyl chloride and ammonia (not at the same
time!), concentrated and hot, make real good paint removers. But
they'd both stink to high-heaven.

What do they put in today's carb/brake cleaners? It smells like
Trichloro-something.

I think its still in there, but I haven't found the gallon
cans of Trichloroethylene in, oh, 10 years, and a bit
more for the Freon TF

**
mike
**

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

SNIP

What do they put in today's carb/brake cleaners? It smells like
Trichloro-something.

I think its still in there, but I haven't found the gallon
cans of Trichloroethylene in, oh, 10 years, and a bit
more for the Freon TF

**
mike
**
Brakleen uses perchloroethylene. So does the Gunk brand. It does smell
like trichlor. Dry cleaners used to use the stuff and maybe still do.
I buy the spray cans of the stuff and use sparingly. Most of the time
ethyl alcohol is my favorite solvent when stoddard won't work. Then
acetone. Finally Brakleen.
ERS

wrote in message
oups.com...
Lots of
places sell Washing Soda labeled as TSP with something about it being a
TSP substitute is small print on the box.

My non-TSP TSP is sodium metasilicate. Wonderful deflocculant when mixing
clay. G Probably also makes a heck of a hardened mess if you don't clean
it up!

Tim

--
Deep Friar: a very philosophical monk.
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms