Using a little chemistry knowledge to a paint removal problem.

I also heard the use of caustic chemicals in car stripping tanks, so I figured it probably sodium hydroxide.

Doing a little chemistry research I was please to find sodium hydroxide will not attack iron as iron is non reactive to alkaline chemicals I know sodium hydroxide reacts to hydrocarbons forming soap substances. aka Paint!

Yay off to work. I needed to strip paint in every nook and cranny and also was having problems getting rid of rust using molasses because the rust was trapped under the paint.

So here it is. soaked for 2 days and what was even more amazing the 10L water to 200g powder solution even inhibited flash rust. These have been hosed and lightly brushed and sitting wet outside for 30 min.

One more day and the rest of the paint will wash off.
Then I can proceed removing the hidden patches of rust.

Oh btw don't use this on aluminum, will be gone in few hours plus one more thing, use precautions this stuff will dissolve organic materials including you. 30 sec of this stuff in these concentrations dissolved the top layers of my skin

I have heard that laundry powder is a very cheap alternative for caustic baths.
Especially if an electric current is used.
Any thoughts?

Great job .... now that is thinking!

laundry powder is great grease removers plus it is quite good a cleaning cast alloy parts with minimal effort. Paint it will take forever.

i have had bits and pieces sitting for months now with no flash rust yet, only where my fingers touched is there lightly rusty finger prints.