What will completely remove tar from bare metal?

[hddennis]

Just bought a replacement fan for my 1917 Maxwell. It is in really good shape except for surface rust and tar. I'm currently soaking it in molasses and know it will come out rust free. My question is what will completely remove the tar that the molasses has no effect on?

Howard Dennis

[Restorer32]

A 50/50 mix of kerosene and elbow grease.

[Bhigdog]

What works well for me is warming with a propane torch, removing the heavy stuff with a putty knife and then the aforementioned 50/50 mixture.......................Bob

[39BuickEight]

yep, propane, a scraper..... and acetone

[JO BO]

I have always had pretty good success spraying tar with W-D40 . seems to melt it right off. Hope it works for you.

[auburnseeker]

I have always had pretty good success spraying tar with W-D40 . seems to melt it right off. Hope it works for you.

I've had alot of luck with WD40 on cutting any heavy bodied grease or tar as well. Infact when I get grease on my hands tor tools that I can't get off with even tough hand cleaner. I hit it with a little WD 40 first and it comes right off.

For rust I know you mentioned Molasses. I have been using Evaporust on a bunch of rusty raw metal parts and can't believe how clean the parts come out in about 12-24 hours. It's under 20.00 a gallon with tax at autozone.

[keiser31]

I would maybe try to freeze it and chip it off.

[hddennis]

Thanks guys, I'll try all of these ideas. John, although I like your idea I think your wife must be more understanding than mine. If my wife finds that fan in the refrigerator, I'm sleeping in the garage forever!

Howard Dennis

[keiser31]

Thanks guys, I'll try all of these ideas. John, although I like your idea I think your wife must be more understanding than mine. If my wife finds that fan in the refrigerator, I'm sleeping in the garage forever!

Howard Dennis

And that's a BAD thing??

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

And that's a BAD thing??

Glad I read your reply, almost wrote the exact thing!! Great minds???

Ben

[John]

Thanks guys, I'll try all of these ideas. John, although I like your idea I think your wife must be more understanding than mine. If my wife finds that fan in the refrigerator, I'm sleeping in the garage forever!

Howard Dennis

Maybe she would prefer you run it thu the dishwasher

[Dwight Romberger]

If you want a fun way to do it- buy a few cans of compressed air. (Like the kind nerds use to blow dust out of their computers) Secure the fan on the work bench so it won't move. Wear gloves and safety glasses. turn the can upside and spray one area of tar . It will freeze the tar to -58 F. Chip off the tar with a hammer and old wood chisel. This is a variation of heating a nut with a torch and then quick freezing the bolt. They come apart every time.

[keiser31]

Mmmm....freezing......where have I heard that before??

[Dwight Romberger]

From me?

[Bhigdog]

Truth is there are any number of ways of simply removing a bit of tar from a piece of steel. All work, all are simple, and all are intuitive.....................Bob

[Dwight Romberger]

Yes, but how many are fun?

[Bhigdog]

Yes, but how many are fun?

None that I can think of unless maybe attaching the fan to an apparatus capable of a gazzilion RPM and spinning the fan until either the fan or the tar comes from together to apart.............Bob

[Dwight Romberger]

When I was young and dumb, I owned a roofing business. I would soak the tools that would get covered with hot asphalt (that's what is on you fan) in kerosene or gasoline. It will eventually dissolve. I would not recommend heating it with a torch. At about 550 F will will begin to burn.

[Dwight Romberger]

I like that Bob. Much more fun than freeze...scrape.....freeze...scrape.....freeze...scrape.....freeze...scrape.....freeze...scrape.....freeze...scrape.....

[D Yaros]

I know that it is not "environmentally friendly," but would not raw gasoline do the job?

[rhb1999]

mineral spirits?

[plymouthcranbrook]

Lacquer Thinner?

[hddennis]

After a few days in molasses it looks a lot better. It doesn't remove grease or the tar but the rust is all gone. I plan to use an old wood chisel to get all the heavy tar off and then try the various chemicals you fellows suggested.

Howard Dennis

[Dwight Romberger]

Those disposable aluminum oven pans work really well for soaking parts. There is a large selection of sizes. They only cost a few bucks, and no clean up. You just throw them away when you are done.

[hddennis]

As Gomer used to say, Surprise, Surprise!

After dreading this tar scraping I find out that there is nothing under it but dry surface rust. Once I got the sharp wood chisel under the tar it just peeled right off like very old chewing gum and left almost no residue. Whole fan cleaned up in about half an hour. Now for another soak in the molasses to get rid of the newly exposed rust and it should be good as new.

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful suggestions,

Howard Dennis

Edited September 30, 2013 by hddennis (see edit history)