<VV> paint problems

[Chris C, Warwick RI]

I have to agree on the dawn.
NOTHING gets my hands clean after a greasy day in the garage.   Adhesive skin.
Had misplaced the hand soap and used dawn, and they magically came clean.


At 10:11 AM 9/16/2005, you wrote:
>At 07:39 hours 09/15/2005, Marc Sheridan wrote:
>>Kirk,
>>
>>I'm no paint expert, but from my experience painting engine sheet metal, 
>>you have to get rid of the oil that has been on them for about 40 years. 
>>Dawn detergent is the best detergent I know of to cut oil and grease, but 
>>even Dawn isn't enough to prep for paint.
>
>
>I've degreased stuff like the undersides of shrouds with purple stuff, 
>works much better on 40 year old caked oil-crud than you'd ever 
>imagine.   Other stuff like transaxles etc which aren't so easy to get 
>to...  pressure washer after spritzing everything with purple, blast it, 
>spritz again, blast it, repeat until clean, won't take long.    Even 
>worked on the insides of engine sheet metal and the outsides of transaxles 
>which evidently had never been cleaned or degreased in their lifetime.
>
>You  can get a small pressure washer from Harbor Freight pretty cheap 
>these days.
>
>
>>What I use is Easy Off oven cleaner. You have to get the original stuff 
>>(yellow cap) that stinks to do the job. Not only will it get rid of the 
>>ancient oil, it will take paint off too, so you can put away the sand blaster.
>
>
>You can also use old fashioned Red Devil lye.    Pick up a plastic wash 
>tub from the hardware store (I use a plastic laundry sink) and fill it 
>with hot water then add lye to flavor it to your own tastes although I 
>recommend not skimping on the lye, will  remove ALL oil and grease as well 
>as paint, converts oil/grease into a soap which washes off, breaks down 
>most enamel and lacquer paints and eventually sloughs them off.
>
>It should go without saying that honest to goodness lye is some serious 
>stuff and nothing to play with.   Don't get it on you or it will convert 
>your hide to soap too.  Wash hands with vinegar.    And be *careful* when 
>adding the lye to the hot water.   Too much at a time can cause 
>reactions.   By the way, the "hot tank" cleaning solution in which machine 
>shops boil cast iron engine blocks to clean them is a solution of water 
>and lye.    Wash with ordinary soapy water afterwards and dry, and you're done.
>
>READ the warnings on the label.  Lye is nothing to play around with and do 
>NOT attempt to clean nonferrous metals with it.   Steel and iron 
>only.   It makes aluminum and galvanized coatings go away in a foamy gray 
>mess that you'll have to clean up.    Make sure you have a practical means 
>of disposing of the used soup when you're done.  Don't pour it down the 
>drain if the plumbing has pot metal or aluminum in it.
>
>
>tony..
>
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