If you really must remove them cut them off as close as possible with a hacksaw and carefully clean the remaining up with files and emery cloth, no need to use any torch.

As someone in your other thread suggested consider using the bosses to mount a front rack; check out Old Man Mountain racks in the link below. These are bullet proof and made in the USA(Santa Barbara, Ca). The ones from nashbar(as suggested in your oriniginal thread) are nowhere near the quality or have close to the carrying capacity(nashbar max load 15lbs vs 40 or 50 on the OMM models).

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/...AndSherpa.html

http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/...rontRacks.html

Brian