I have a good quality and quite old shovel which has serious layers of
all sorts of muck - including old cement - very securely stuck to it.

Any suggestions for cleaning - other than a cold chisel and hammer?

On 19 Jun, 12:15, mike wrote:
I have a good quality and quite old shovel which has serious layers of
all sorts of muck - including old cement - very securely stuck to it.

Any suggestions for cleaning - other than a cold chisel and hammer?

Try just using the hammer. A lot of cement type rubbish will fall off
if you beat the shovel around a bit. Hitting the shovel on the ground
should remove some. The steel can flex more than the cement so it
falls off. There will still be some left though. Then a wire brush in
a drill or angle grinder may work or even a chemical such as cement
remover.

John

mike wrote:
I have a good quality and quite old shovel which has serious layers of
all sorts of muck - including old cement - very securely stuck to it.

Any suggestions for cleaning - other than a cold chisel and hammer?

Brick acid.
That will take off the rust as well..

mike wrote:

I have a good quality and quite old shovel which has serious layers of
all sorts of muck - including old cement - very securely stuck to it.

Any suggestions for cleaning - other than a cold chisel and hammer?

Wire brush in an angle grinder with eye protection, gloves and heavy
duty clothing.

After it is clean store it in a bucket of dry playground sand which has
clean engine oil added to it to make a paste. Don't use old engine oil.