Old Iron Electrical, Anything related to electrical dilemma's precomputer.

[od1]

Again, I never heard of concrete / mortar dissolving agents. I'll check that out too. It's pretty thick and around a lot of hoses and steel though.

 

[lantraxco]

Again, I never heard of concrete / mortar dissolving agents. I'll check that out too. It's pretty thick and around a lot of hoses and steel though.

Yeah, but maybe spray some on, wash, rinse, repeat? LOL

 

[Delmer]

An air hammer is really the ticket like repowerguy says. If you want to be even more careful, a needle scaler might do it. Depends on how hard and solid this stuff is set up. If wet mortar falls it will usually dry out before it sets too hard, then the next stuff dries even faster because the dry stuff sucks the moisture out of the fresh stuff. Sometimes you'll be surprised how easy it shakes apart with the vibration of an air hammer.

 

[repowerguy]

Once you get the major chunks out, the film left over can be taken off with a mild acid solution. Pester a ready mix co. for some truck acid wash, most use Zep high foam or Barracuda concrete remover by EMS. Avoid muriatic acid, it'll take it right off but it is death to your wiring and hazardous to you as well.

 

[od1]

This stuff is rock hard. I wish I could get a pic. of it. I can't get the main boom to lift. Pressure should be at 1500-2000 and it's at 700 PSI. Once I get it to lift I can take some pic's and be able to try and clear it out. Problem is it's like a coffin in area. If I hit a hose the boom will want to come down. Not the best environment to work in. Before climbing in there I'd chain the boom to a large tree or something strong but I'd hate to hit a hose then have to work in there knowing I could be crushed.

 

[od1]

I tried muriatic acid when the boom worked. Did nothing but bubble a bit and turn a few hose fittings blue. I don't have an air compressor strong enough to run a chisel. May be worth buying one.

No worries about wiring, nothing like that in there. Just hoses.

I like your pester idea repowerguy, I know someone who works for a cement company. I didn't know they used anything other than water to clean out their trucks. After a while when **** builds up I thought they just sandblasted the inside.

I'm looking to see what ZEP or Barracuda have to offer. Didn't thing there was anything out there other than acid.

 

[Delmer]

It is all acid as far as I know, but it's much easier on steel than muriatic (hydrochloric) acid. The concrete cleaner is for removing the haze and splatter on the outside of the drum. The inside should stay polished if it's used and cleaned right every time. If not it builds up and sucks the moisture out of the new stuff and builds up faster, then it's jack hammer time.

I don't think acid is going to do anything for you in this case. Maybe soak it with water and let it freeze, thaw repeatedly, then attack it in the spring? Unless it was poured in there intentionally, I really can't see how this could be very well cured mortar.

 

[od1]

The water and freezing was done naturally here. Did nothing. It goes down to -20 here in the middle of Jan. I've owned the 40F for 8 years now. It's frozen every year. I wish my chimneys were built with that cement.

Now you have me worried. Who knows what's under that old cement. Could be the old owners business partner?