A method of removing scale from a casting may include positioning the casting relative to a laser emitter. The casting may comprise a superalloy and the scale may have formed on the surfaces thereof, with the scale being a byproduct of a method of manufacturing the casting. The method may also include passing a laser beam emitted from the laser emitter across the casting such that the laser beam causes the scale to at least one of crack, break, shatter, and spall. The superalloy may be a nickel-based superalloy and the scale may include a metal carbide layer.