Cleaning up lead

[bishopgrandpa]

I have melted cable sheating, sheating with sheetrock on it and yesterday sheets from roofing with tar on it. My cast iron pot had a hard crust of burnt tar to remove to get at the melted lead. The pot may never be the same. I will think twice before doing that again even if it is free lead. The smell got into the house and that was not good.

[Bookworm]

Tar.....ugh....

Maybe a propane torch to burn the tar to ash, then scrape it away ?

[JBinMN]

Gasoline or WD40 might loosen it up enough to get the majority off, then use the torch to finish cleaning AFTER the gas or WD40 has dissipated/evaporated away.

I have used both to get tar off of other things like Roofing nailers & other tools that got tar on them.

That is what "I" would try to use to clean the pot.

"Goo B Gone" could be another option but those other two are less expensive.

[lightman]

I got a coating of gunk in a Dutch Oven that I use for melting small batches of scrap. This was from a mix of rosin and acid core solder. After it cooled I scrapped it with a screwdriver and then got after it with a wire brush powered by a drill. After about 10 minutes of work it was back to normal.

[Dusty Bannister]

Use plenty of saw dust when working with nasty residue producing melting processes. That will combine with the residue and be easier to remove from the surface of the melt. It will smolder and burn and produce ash which will mix with the tar residue.

[dondiego]

The smell got in the house?????.........not sure what to say about that..........work with the wind direction???