HI all
       mate just rang & said old uncle gave him alum
       c/o / wanted to know how to clean i said wouldnt
       bother, but he whants it clean,suggested oven cleaner
       & a lot of elbow grease
       didnt like that idea  :-[
       so any ideas on how to get black tar,soot etc of off
       out side of pot  :-/
       whants to clean up with out taking any alum off
       been in family for a while & wants to show of


  thanks Daryl

I would use the soap/steel wool pads and elbow grease to get the carbon and soot etc off the outside then paint them with "Pot Belly Black". If they are just polished up and not painted they will tarnish and oxidise very quickly.
The "Alumark" aluminium ovens I have were badly stained on the inside from being used to store nails etc in a previous life and no amount of cleaning or polishing has made any difference, I only use them for show anyway.

pd

Another thing you can do to keep a pot made of anything, but cast iron, easier to clean is to cover the outside with soap.

I worked as a camp counselor in my youth (like maybe 48 years ago).  Pots had been put away with a coat of soap.  We cleaned them well, then gave them a coating of soap on the outside.  That way the smoke coating comes off much faster.

:-/

Bead Blast it

Mick.