There once was a time when you could head to the local auto parts store with $20 in hand and come home with a gallon of carburator cleaner so powerful that it would take the skin off your fingers. Great stuff. When I bought the last gallon I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the fellow behind the counter told me that they were never going to get any more of it in stock. EPA. Well, what's good for the planet is tolerable to me, but I sure do miss the old stuff.
A couple of days ago I was out clearing some space in a small building where I will be doing a cafe build over the winter. As I was cleaning up I ran across a gallon of gun cleaner (Klean Strip, Spray Gun Cleaner, by Barr) that I bought about two years ago ($45 a gallon as I recall) to clean out a particularly tenacious clog in one of my spray guns. I used it just once and when I did notice of the resemblance to the old carb cleaner could not be avoided. Even after all these years the smell was familiar. I am almost certain that the gun stripper that I bought just a couple of years ago is the same stuff as old carb cleaner that used to be sold. However, I am very hesitant to dip one of my KeiHin parts into the stuff and was wondering if anyone else had run across this stuff (or similar gun cleaner) and tried it. By the way, this stuff will eat away epoxy, polyester primer, base coats, clear coat, anything you can put in a gun and it will do it in a matter of minutes.
