Re: Re: Wood in the metal shop

Dave wrote:

>Well if oven cleaners work then household ammonia should also work.
>or if you want more umph Drano....but then you have to wash
>carefully and keep it off the skin. :-(

List,

The chief ingredient in oven cleaners and Drano is LYE. (sodium
hydroxide) Works well for cleaning woodworking tooling.

It is also used to put an "etch" on aluminum prior to painting. Works
really well.

Ammonia WILL also work, but is a poor second choice to the lye, IMO.
Be aware that ammonia will react and "stain" many woods. In fact,
this ammonia "fuming" was used by Stickley and others in the arts and
crafts movement to "darken" the (usually) White oak of "mission-
style" furniture.

Lye can be used to darken woods also. Works well on cherry.

DO NOT MIX THE TWO!!! poison!!!

Hope this helps.

Ballendo

P.S. Lye is also a great (traditional) paint remover. Read George
Grotz book The furniture doctor or George Franks' (Taunton press)
book on wood finishing.