No lye that I recall. Just that at that shop. Set up like a giant parts washer. About a 5x10ft 'tray' with a pump running straight stripper up through the brush. Scrubbed the finish off and took it outside and hosed it off in the driveway. :eek: Another shop I worked at, we had a tank about 6 x 12 and a couple feet deep. Filled with 50/50 acetone and laquer thinner. Put the whole piece in and roll it around till the finish loosened. Then brushed it off. Take out and wipe with fresh thinner. No I didn't sniff any fumes. :realcrazy: Seriously, Both places were ventilated good, but no way you didn't absorb some of that. Glad I didn't spent too many years in that line of work...