Caustic soda stripping tanks

[Bottleveg]

Do any of you use sodium hydroxide/ lye/ caustic soda tanks?
I’d like to build one for degreasing and paint stripping but need more info.
Does the tank need constant heating? This could be another job for Lister power

[38ac]

We used caustic to clean up a Metro Listeroid and all we did was cut the top out of a 55gallon drum and build a wood fire under it. The actual cleaning time wasnt very long for our parts but they were not filthy with grease. We were mainly stripping paint and body putty from the Indian castings. Took most all day on a Saturday to clean an entire 6/1, about 2 hours per each batch of parts. We kept the mixture just at boiling as it seems the rolling effect helps the cleaning. I searched the internet for mixing ratios and found them to be widely varied. We used 1 lb lye to 5 gallons of water. Be very carefull around the caustic, wear eye protection.

The Redneck parts cleaning tank

[billswan]

I agree with 38ac's post and keep the heat on. I have used The old copper boiler but mine was steel and an old propane stove. And be careful of your eyes.

Billswan

[LowGear]

What do you do with the dead crap when you're finished with the cleaning process?

Casey

[DRDEATH]

On the question of the by products. I would guess the oil and grease products might be a problem. But I was watching Dirty Jobs when Mike was at a tanning factory. The owner used a lye solution to remove the hair from the hide. He stated all he did was let the water evaporate and then the lye/hair solution was spread over his soil. I suppose if this was aired on national TV it must be OK. Just my 2 cents. DD

[38ac]

What do you do with the dead crap when you're finished with the cleaning process?

Casey

Threw it in the creek,,,,,, 

Seroiusly I'm no eco nut but I wouldnt dump that junk anywhere. I put a lid on the drum and parked it under a roof til next time which was just recently as we are going through a Bamfords Z4 8HP, then its on to a 6/1 Lister next. Wasnt any swarf floating on top. Wasnt curious enough to investigate whats on bottom.  Plans for now (if I get done with it) is to boil it all the way down to the salts, was a bout 2 gallons of Crystols and the swarf. The box it up. Every spring a local group of eco nazis has a hazardous dump for free day and Ill kindly let them have it.

[SHIPCHIEF]

Put it in an old paint can with no lable, tell them you found it in an old shed you were cleaning out....

[Doug]

I have a hole in my back yard, I dump it in there....

Since we are one the leading acid rain producing regions in North America I assume I am doing more good than harm

The hole is actualy a bucket with the bottom drilled so liqiuids drain and I scoop out the dried stuff.

Grass is actualy quite green and healthy so I will assume its actualy helping with the acid.
The paint clumps dry up and I put them with regular garbage.

OR I might be completely wrong and be spoiling the earth but its Privy sanitizer how bad can it be?

[wagspe208]

How about going to your local engine machine shop and giving them 50 bucks or so to clean everything. No mess for you to clean up, nothing to heat, etc.
Tell them you want your parts "hot tanked".
Wags