Trim stripping solution for not being able to find lye!

[mastiffkevin]

I had ran into a problem with repairing my trim, that other people have had as well. I could not find any lye, and after a web search I found out that red devil lye had been taken off the shelves a few years ago. but I did find the solution on a soapmaking website! Roebic crystal drain opener is 100% caustic soda! (lye) I mixed it in water just like Keith said in his Tutorial and it worked like a charm! And Roebic crystal drain opener is available at all Lowes home improvement stores so it is super easy to find!!!! Just thought I would pass it on!

[ford4x4fun]

Good Stuff To Know

[Banjo]

man that is good to know, thanks for sharing that. I just found a 68 Grill w/headlight bezels (alum) to replace the steel one somebody put in mine and it needed cleaning and some minor tweaking. I guess you get the anodizing off and buff really good and shoot w/clear?

[mastiffkevin]

That is what i am doing Banjo... and using the caustic soda is the only way to do it.. I sanded my bezels and they took forever! the grille would be too big of a job in my opinion to sand. unless you have a lot of time on your hands!

[2bocat]

I posted that tutorial a few years ago and hadn't realized they've since producing Red Devil lye...amazing...that stuff's been around forever...I wonder if this is another step in the "Green Planet" save the earth movement...Anyway, the anodized coating on aluminum will fail at either end of the pH spectrum - that is, anything that is very acidic or very basic will remove the anodized layer. I've never tried any acid for removing the anodizing, but it sounds, uh, even more exciting than high-pH solutions of lye, and theoretically should work. If you can't find the ol' Red Devil lye, I'd guess that any drain opener or chemical product with a primary ingredient of caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide will work. Actually, anything that says in big bold letters "DO NOT USE ON ALUMINUM" should do the trick ! Hate to harp on this, but no matter how tough you think you are, wear a face shield and gloves when messing with this stuff...don't learn the hard way through a nasty burn like I did!