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JamesWilson
Yoda
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Has anyone here tried Electrolytic Rust Removal (or Here too) and what success did you have with it?
I'm tempted....
I'm tempted....
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Electrolytic Rust Removal
- Thread starter JamesWilson
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eschneider
Jedi Warrior
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Yes, it works to remove rust and even old paint. Kind of cool, really.
It does take a while. Sometimes a couple of days.
The part doesn't come out shiny-clean, but definitely free of rust.
Usually we'll "zap" the part for a few hours, wire brush it by hand under hot running water to remove loose crud and paint, and repeat until it's clean.
It is a line of sight process, from the surface to the sacrificial anode. having several anodes helps a lot.
one trick I picked up on the internet that really works is finish-cleaning with grey scotch-brite. it works, and for some reason the grey seems to work better than the other scotch-brite pads. It removes the black inert iron oxide residue that's left.
experimenting is as easy as putting some washing soda in a bucket of hot water and submerging the part in it with the battery charger connected as prescribed. simple. cheap.
I still prefer the sandblaster because it's so much faster, and the part looks prettier - but this is a good alternative for non-sandblast-able parts.
It does take a while. Sometimes a couple of days.
The part doesn't come out shiny-clean, but definitely free of rust.
Usually we'll "zap" the part for a few hours, wire brush it by hand under hot running water to remove loose crud and paint, and repeat until it's clean.
It is a line of sight process, from the surface to the sacrificial anode. having several anodes helps a lot.
one trick I picked up on the internet that really works is finish-cleaning with grey scotch-brite. it works, and for some reason the grey seems to work better than the other scotch-brite pads. It removes the black inert iron oxide residue that's left.
experimenting is as easy as putting some washing soda in a bucket of hot water and submerging the part in it with the battery charger connected as prescribed. simple. cheap.
I still prefer the sandblaster because it's so much faster, and the part looks prettier - but this is a good alternative for non-sandblast-able parts.
OP
JamesWilson
Yoda
Offline
That's an interesting site, though there's a lot of stuff that can't be shipped internationally. I've found that there are generally more American sites for these sorts of hobbies than there are here in the UK.
OP
JamesWilson
Yoda
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Thanks, I hadn't noticed that.
Now I'll have to seriously consider what I'll do about this. I think I'll still try a do-it-yourself approach but this may make it easier to get some of the specialized stuff and better information.
Now I'll have to seriously consider what I'll do about this. I think I'll still try a do-it-yourself approach but this may make it easier to get some of the specialized stuff and better information.
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Some additional information. My brother sent me this link a few days ago. He built it as described and it worked well.
https://www.instructables.com/id/E17UQMY28PEQ6T2A5Z?ALLSTEPS
Also May issue of Rod & Custom has a good article about it.
https://www.instructables.com/id/E17UQMY28PEQ6T2A5Z?ALLSTEPS
Also May issue of Rod & Custom has a good article about it.
RTR52nd
Jedi Trainee
Offline
Hey Mark -
Great link - you beat me to it. I found that project on "Instructables" last fall, and built it early this year. I amazed my friends and co-workers with the magic rust removal! I seem to recall a link - possibly on that page - to a guy who dropped an entire car (or truck)frame into a pool and removed the rust using a welder as the power source. Since I do not yet have a sand blaster, and time is not of the essence for my restoration, this rpocess is great for cleaning up my smaller rusted parts. In the next couple of weeks I'm actually going to get a larger container and do some of the wheels from my B. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again for the great link!
Great link - you beat me to it. I found that project on "Instructables" last fall, and built it early this year. I amazed my friends and co-workers with the magic rust removal! I seem to recall a link - possibly on that page - to a guy who dropped an entire car (or truck)frame into a pool and removed the rust using a welder as the power source. Since I do not yet have a sand blaster, and time is not of the essence for my restoration, this rpocess is great for cleaning up my smaller rusted parts. In the next couple of weeks I'm actually going to get a larger container and do some of the wheels from my B. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again for the great link!
foxtrapper
Jedi Trainee
Offline
My favorite rust removal techniques, in order.
Vinegar. Works the best. Almost no post-cleanup necessary. Beware of galvonic currents though! It will disolve pot metals and such. Think of it more as a mild muratic acid solution.
Molasses. Slower and more mild than vinegar, but lends itself well to large tubs that you dump big things in and ignore for a weeks on end. Post-cleanup is required.
Electric. Very tempermental and sensitive to buildup and line of sight. Interesting corrosion bloom on brass and copper and the like. Post-cleanup is oddly difficult.
Vinegar. Works the best. Almost no post-cleanup necessary. Beware of galvonic currents though! It will disolve pot metals and such. Think of it more as a mild muratic acid solution.
Molasses. Slower and more mild than vinegar, but lends itself well to large tubs that you dump big things in and ignore for a weeks on end. Post-cleanup is required.
Electric. Very tempermental and sensitive to buildup and line of sight. Interesting corrosion bloom on brass and copper and the like. Post-cleanup is oddly difficult.
Banjo
Yoda
Offline
I had all the bits for the electrolasis method, so I set it up and let it rip today at work. It did pretty well. I had the cast crank extention off of a TR3 hanging in there for 4 hours and it came out pretty clean with some scotch brite rubbing afterwords. I'm gonna try it again on some other parts tomorrow for the whole day.
I'm using Borax for the Washing soda. I'm not sure if thats the right stuff or not. Also I have 5 pieces of rebar in a 5 gallon bucket and am using a manual battery charger set on 12V 2A (just for data sake)
foxtrapper, Are you just putting the parts in a container filled with vinegar and letting them sit?? that'd be worth a try.
I'm using Borax for the Washing soda. I'm not sure if thats the right stuff or not. Also I have 5 pieces of rebar in a 5 gallon bucket and am using a manual battery charger set on 12V 2A (just for data sake)
foxtrapper, Are you just putting the parts in a container filled with vinegar and letting them sit?? that'd be worth a try.
foxtrapper
Jedi Trainee
Offline
Yep. Plastic or glass tub with vinegar, let soak. For gas tank interiors and such I just fill them with vinegar and let it sit for a few days.
You'll get better electrolysis results if you replace the rebar pieces with something like an old saw blade. Lots more surface area, and it makes quite a difference. My latest rendition in the 5 gallon bucket has two flourescent light reflectors, sanded of paint. This puts an almost perfect ring of steel around the piece. It really lights off with this.
You'll get better electrolysis results if you replace the rebar pieces with something like an old saw blade. Lots more surface area, and it makes quite a difference. My latest rendition in the 5 gallon bucket has two flourescent light reflectors, sanded of paint. This puts an almost perfect ring of steel around the piece. It really lights off with this.
Banjo
Yoda
Offline
Been playing with the electrolysis setup for a few days. It's a pretty neat setup. My thought was to get some steel screen or chicken wire and line the bucket with it. My co-worker suggested just using a steel drum. But I think it would eat through in a short time (couple of months or less).
It's definatly not a setup to replace blasting, but it does work well at getting off heavy scale. After about an hour or two the scale just falls off with some light wire brushing.
Good idea with the reflectors...
And I'm gonna try the vinegar thing.
It's definatly not a setup to replace blasting, but it does work well at getting off heavy scale. After about an hour or two the scale just falls off with some light wire brushing.
Good idea with the reflectors...
And I'm gonna try the vinegar thing.
Hap Waldrop
Yoda
Offline
I had a guy who worked for me, who was always looking for a magic wand. We tried this even though we have a industrial size blasting cabinet, my impression after doing a few times, I'll hang on to my blasting cabinet.
