[Keith True]

I haven't heard of lye being used for anything in a long time.In the late 50's when I was little my dad bossed a good sized painting outfit in Exeter N.H.On Fridays all the paint pots,metal stir sticks,hooks,some of the brushes,and drill operated mixers would go in the lye barrel.On Monday morning all the stuff looked like new.There was no latex paint,no plastic or paper pots,no wooden stirring sticks,no sprayers and no aluminum ladders.I'll bet lye would strip the sealer out of a tank.