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Electrolytic Rust Removal
- Thread starter lawguy
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KLUTZ
Luke Skywalker
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A fellow I work with installed a gadget on his '89 Accord in 1998 after he had the body done on it. To this day, there is no rust at all. He was showing it to me a couple months ago. The device is simply wired to the battery, with small wires running the length of the car,so that an electric current repels the rust from forming.
It is quite the investment, but it doesn't remove rust if that was your question.
Paul
It is quite the investment, but it doesn't remove rust if that was your question.
Paul
Nunyas
Yoda
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[ QUOTE ]
Electrolytic rust removal...has anyone here tried it?
As I understand it, it's pretty simple and involves only a battery charger, washing soda in water and a sacrificial iron rod.
Any experiences? I'm thinking of giving it a try.
[/ QUOTE ]
sounds somewhat similar to a plating process... never used anything that matches your description myself. So, I'd be interested in hearing from someone that's used the process too.
Electrolytic rust removal...has anyone here tried it?
As I understand it, it's pretty simple and involves only a battery charger, washing soda in water and a sacrificial iron rod.
Any experiences? I'm thinking of giving it a try.
[/ QUOTE ]
sounds somewhat similar to a plating process... never used anything that matches your description myself. So, I'd be interested in hearing from someone that's used the process too.
OP
lawguy
Jedi Knight
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The way I understand it, it is very much like plating. Here's what I've read...and here come the lawyer part- don't follow my instructions, I've never done it and it may be dangerous as hydrogen and oxygen are produced (always the lawyer).
You get a non-conductive bucket (plastic), place water in it with a 1/2 cup or so of "washing soda" mixed in. The purpose of this mixture is to conduct electricity. You place a rusty part in the solution connected to the negative lead from a 6 or 12 volt charger (power supply must be DC). Connect a sacrificial iron rod (rebar, plate, etc.) to the positive lead and place that in the solution- make sure they don't touch. Then turn on the power. A supply up to about 10 amps should be sufficient- when power is turned on, you should draw 5 to 7 amps. Bubbles will start coming off the part and so should the rust.
After an hour or two for light jobs or overnight for heavier ones, all the rust should be gone and a gray/black substance which can be washed off is left. The sacrificial rod may need to cleaned off periodically.
Supposedly, it does not remove any good metal and will remove every speck of rust from every nook and cranny.
I'm thinking of trying it tonight on some small engine parts (the ongoing go-kart project). I will report.
As an aside, I cleaned out the gas tank on the old briggs last night with good old fashoined toilet bowl cleaner. The 40 year old tak was quite rusted and icky inside and numerous mineral spirits or detergents weren't helping- 4 days of vinegar did nothing. Under an hour of toilet bowl cleaner (w/ HCl), and it was down to clean metal. I followed it with a rinse, detergent, rinse, rinse again and a phosphoric acid passivation. We'll see.
You get a non-conductive bucket (plastic), place water in it with a 1/2 cup or so of "washing soda" mixed in. The purpose of this mixture is to conduct electricity. You place a rusty part in the solution connected to the negative lead from a 6 or 12 volt charger (power supply must be DC). Connect a sacrificial iron rod (rebar, plate, etc.) to the positive lead and place that in the solution- make sure they don't touch. Then turn on the power. A supply up to about 10 amps should be sufficient- when power is turned on, you should draw 5 to 7 amps. Bubbles will start coming off the part and so should the rust.
After an hour or two for light jobs or overnight for heavier ones, all the rust should be gone and a gray/black substance which can be washed off is left. The sacrificial rod may need to cleaned off periodically.
Supposedly, it does not remove any good metal and will remove every speck of rust from every nook and cranny.
I'm thinking of trying it tonight on some small engine parts (the ongoing go-kart project). I will report.
As an aside, I cleaned out the gas tank on the old briggs last night with good old fashoined toilet bowl cleaner. The 40 year old tak was quite rusted and icky inside and numerous mineral spirits or detergents weren't helping- 4 days of vinegar did nothing. Under an hour of toilet bowl cleaner (w/ HCl), and it was down to clean metal. I followed it with a rinse, detergent, rinse, rinse again and a phosphoric acid passivation. We'll see.
JamesWilson
Yoda
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tony barnhill
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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lawguy - I'm interested...& I have that same go cart project up in the 2nd floor of the Garage-mahal...33 year old lawyer daghter's go cart from when she was 9 or 10...chassis is completed - pimk again...seat still in good red vinyl with her name embroidered in pink...wheels, brakes, etc redone...needs tires & engine spruced up...some surface rust on engine
mcguijo
Jedi Hopeful
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I've done it to derust some artifacts that had been submerged in water for decades. Also used the technique to derust some old tools.
Essentially used a plastic 5 gallon paint bucket w/water, battery charger, large sacrificial anode and some borox. Works really well but part obviously starts to rust again when exposed to air. Let me know if you have any questions about the setup.
Essentially used a plastic 5 gallon paint bucket w/water, battery charger, large sacrificial anode and some borox. Works really well but part obviously starts to rust again when exposed to air. Let me know if you have any questions about the setup.
Biff
Jedi Trainee
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It works! I've used it for small parts (nuts/bolts/fittings) but a friend built a large box lined with plastic sheeting and did a complete stripped spridget shell in it. Took a while and a couple of battery charges for such a large piece but it de-rusted the tub completely.
OP
lawguy
Jedi Knight
Offline
OK, my first try was hampered by my battery charger...which is too smart. Apparently, it has some sort of "safety" feature which cuts off the juice when I am trying to use it for this purpose.
Anyhoo, I mentioned my little project to a colleague during lunch and he told me that when he was a kid, he used to use a model train transformer to do electrolysis so he could use the hydrogen to make explosions (kids were more inventive before video games and assuming you don't kill yourself, it was a good thing). Why didn't I think of that? I've got 2 of those.
Before work this morning I hooked it up. The train power supply provides 18 volts at up to 1 amp. Doesn't sound like much, but immediately the bubbles started, rust was floating on the solution after 5 minutes and in about 40 minutes, quite a bit of rust had already come off the part.
I'm leaving it to cook all day. I'll check it when I get home. I took a "before" picture and will post an after.
I feel like MacGyver.
Anyhoo, I mentioned my little project to a colleague during lunch and he told me that when he was a kid, he used to use a model train transformer to do electrolysis so he could use the hydrogen to make explosions (kids were more inventive before video games and assuming you don't kill yourself, it was a good thing). Why didn't I think of that? I've got 2 of those.
Before work this morning I hooked it up. The train power supply provides 18 volts at up to 1 amp. Doesn't sound like much, but immediately the bubbles started, rust was floating on the solution after 5 minutes and in about 40 minutes, quite a bit of rust had already come off the part.
I'm leaving it to cook all day. I'll check it when I get home. I took a "before" picture and will post an after.
I feel like MacGyver.
Offline
[ QUOTE ]
...I mentioned my little project to a colleague during lunch and he told me that when he was a kid, he used to use a model train transformer to do electrolysis so he could use the hydrogen to make explosions (kids were more inventive before video games and assuming you don't kill yourself, it was a good thing)...
I feel like MacGyver.
[/ QUOTE ]
Just don't forget about the H comin' off... that hasn't changed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Good ventilation?
...I mentioned my little project to a colleague during lunch and he told me that when he was a kid, he used to use a model train transformer to do electrolysis so he could use the hydrogen to make explosions (kids were more inventive before video games and assuming you don't kill yourself, it was a good thing)...
I feel like MacGyver.
[/ QUOTE ]
Just don't forget about the H comin' off... that hasn't changed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Good ventilation?
Matthew E. Herd
Jedi Warrior
Offline
All right, next question: where did you find the "washing salts"? I'm not sure exactly what those are, but I'm VERY interested in trying this at home!
OP
lawguy
Jedi Knight
Offline
Baking soda may work, but I used Arm and Hammer "Washing Soda" with is more alkaline than baking soda. I don't know if it works better than baking soda, but everything I read said to use washing soda and I know that works.
Washing soda can be found in the laundry section of a grocery store. I got a good size box (about the size of a dishwashing soap box) box for $2.19 and you only need a good tablespoon for each gallon of water. There is baking soda in big boxes sold in some laundry sections, but what I am talking about is specifically called washing soda.
It works great! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif Photos soon.
Washing soda can be found in the laundry section of a grocery store. I got a good size box (about the size of a dishwashing soap box) box for $2.19 and you only need a good tablespoon for each gallon of water. There is baking soda in big boxes sold in some laundry sections, but what I am talking about is specifically called washing soda.
It works great! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif Photos soon.