A system for treating oxide scale on the surface of a metal object, the system comprising: a temperature control apparatus configured for controlling the temperature of metal object's surface to an application temperature below the Leidenfrost temperature point and the melting point of an essentially anhydrous alkali metal hydroxide blend within an aqueous conditioning solution, the metal object's surface comprising an oxide scale having an initial depth from the metal object's surface; an application apparatus configured for wetting the metal object's surface at the controlled temperature with a thin layer of the aqueous conditioning solution, the aqueous conditioning solution thin layer engaging the oxide scale; a heating apparatus configured for heating the wetted metal object surface to a final conditioning temperature that is above the melting point of the essentially anhydrous alkali metal hydroxide blend by an additional value selected from a range of zero to 94°C (200°F) to effect conditioning of the oxide scale on the metal surface at a reasonable but not excessive rate, the wetted metal object surface heated to the final conditioning temperature evaporating water in the aqueous conditioning solution and melting the essentially anhydrous alkali metal hydroxide blend on the metal object's surface, the melted alkali metal hydroxide reacting with the engaged oxide scale and reducing the oxide scale to a conditioned depth from the metal object's surface that is less than the initial depth; and cooling apparatus configured for cooling the metal object's surface to a temperature below the final conditioning temperature at an end of a conditioning time period that is selected to terminate the additional conditioning of the metal object's surface beyond the conditioned depth as a function of a material parameter and a dimension parameter of the metal object, the terminating preventing a creation of an additional oxide scale beyond the conditioned depth from the metal object's surface; characterized in that the final conditioning temperature and the conditioning time period are selected to produce a specified extent of conditioning of the scale on the metal object's surface; and in that the aqueous conditioning solution comprises: a eutectic blend of sodium and potassium hydroxides at 30% by weight; 3% by weight sodium nitrate; 67% by weight water; and to which is added less than 1% by weight of at least one nonionic surfactant. a temperature control apparatus configured for controlling the temperature of metal object's surface to an application temperature below the Leidenfrost temperature point and the melting point of an essentially anhydrous alkali metal hydroxide blend within an aqueous conditioning solution, the metal object's surface comprising an oxide scale having an initial depth from the metal object's surface; an application apparatus configured for wetting the metal object's surface at the controlled temperature with a thin layer of the aqueous conditioning solution, the aqueous conditioning solution thin layer engaging the oxide scale; a heating apparatus configured for heating the wetted metal object surface to a final conditioning temperature that is above the melting point of the essentially anhydrous alkali metal hydroxide blend by an additional value selected from a range of zero to 94°C (200°F) to effect conditioning of the oxide scale on the metal surface at a reasonable but not excessive rate, the wetted metal object surface heated to the final conditioning temperature evaporating water in the aqueous conditioning solution and melting the essentially anhydrous alkali metal hydroxide blend on the metal object's surface, the melted alkali metal hydroxide reacting with the engaged oxide scale and reducing the oxide scale to a conditioned depth from the metal object's surface that is less than the initial depth; and cooling apparatus configured for cooling the metal object's surface to a temperature below the final conditioning temperature at an end of a conditioning time period that is selected to terminate the additional conditioning of the metal object's surface beyond the conditioned depth as a function of a material parameter and a dimension parameter of the metal object, the terminating preventing a creation of an additional oxide scale beyond the conditioned depth from the metal object's surface; characterized in that the final conditioning temperature and the conditioning time period are selected to produce a specified extent of conditioning of the scale on the metal object's surface; and in that the aqueous conditioning solution comprises: a eutectic blend of sodium and potassium hydroxides at 30% by weight; 3% by weight sodium nitrate; 67% by weight water; and to which is added less than 1% by weight of at least one nonionic surfactant. a eutectic blend of sodium and potassium hydroxides at 30% by weight; 3% by weight sodium nitrate; 67% by weight water; and to which is added less than 1% by weight of at least one nonionic surfactant.