Electrolysis Rust Removal - Dialup Beware

Here you go Randy

 

...and yet here you are....

 

http://antique-engines.com/stainless-steel-electrodes.htm

I'm no chemist but this makes a kind of sense to me.

 

I don' t know this guy from Adam, but an interesting article.
http://www.fboerger.com/Articles/StainlessOpinion.pdf
He states that although stainless does give off Hexavalent Chromium (the dangerous kind), its negligible.

For me, I like knowing that my solution is non-toxic, period. But I brew my own beer, soft drinks, and make homemade baby food for my son.
I'm a tree hugger by no means, but I it helps me sleep at night.

To each his own I suppose.

Also, I'm going to post some more pics this evening.

I have now de-rusted and painted the cross-member, the skid pan (which really needed it by the way), and the attached exhaust bracket.
A helpful note: My Skid Pan was dirty and greasy from decades of trans oil leaking on it. All of that was also cleaned in the process, spick and span!

All with the same solution of Baking Soda.
I set out to make a $5 electrolysis tank, and I believe I succeeded wonderfully. I also proved that Baking Soda (although it requires more) is a fine substitute for Washing Soda. If you can't find Washing Soda, no sweat. You really can't add too much, just too little.

 

Great post it really gives valuable information for those of us who are interested in this process but don't have the confidence to start without some real good advice. Thanks

 

http://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp more good info here...

 

Thanks, thats exactly my motivation.


Alright, I'm all done, last post.

Here is a picture of the anodes after I pulled them out. I cleaned them off after the first part, what you see is after the skid pan and exhaust bracket.


This is the exhaust bracket after being scrubbed off with a sponge and wiped down with rubbing alcohol to displace the water, but before blasting.


Here is the bracket after a couple minutes of sand blasting.


Just after painting (still a little wet)



Cleaned and painted Skid Pan.
Note the pitting, I was on the fence about cleaning it, thinking that the transmission oil has sealed it, Wrong! I'm glad I cleaned it up.


Uncle Bill, this one's for you.
Since this part was flat, I just hit it with my grinder to take most of the rust off, then finished it off with the sand blaster. No need to soak it in the tank.
What I realized on the exhaust bracket is that trying to wire wheel or even blast it before it's done soaking in the tank is a serious PIA. After soaking it is sooo much easier to clean up the part, especially when the part has difficult to reach angles.


After painting, still wet.

 

I know this is a old post, but I am trying it.
I put a windshield hinge in a bucket, it was in about 3 gallons of water and I added enough washing soda. When I took it out this evening after 24 hours of cooking/soaking. I noticed the water was not bubbling, there was power to the battery charge. The bracket is still a little dirty/ rusty.

My question is. If you cook/soak a piece, after a period of time do you need to add more washing soda to keep it going. I am going to cook the hinge tomorrow while I am at work and will see how it looks.

 

I really need to try this...........

 

I've done it for a chem project after seeing it on here. worked quite well. If it is working you will know. double check that you have power. My issue was i had one of those semi-smart chargers that wouldn't put out unless it was hooked to a dead battery. Needless to say I had about 4 or 5 charged batteries by the time i was done...

 

Just for giggles, here's some photos of some M1 rifle parts off a rifle that was in a fire. The guy that did these just used plain old water. His "tank" was a piece of 4" PVC pipe with a cap on one end. Amazing results.

 

Do you think this would make for a good tank?

 

I think you need to use plastic. You can get all sorts of plastic buckets and bins or various shapes/sizes (go down the trash can aisle) at Home Depot.

 

Yea I'm just trying to see if I want to buy this tank, and if I can get 2 uses out of it...

 

you don't want to use a metal tank. Then you'll be treating the surface of hte tank as well as the parts, and it wont be as effective. Gotta use plastics or ceramics.

 

For electrolysis, no. But they're pretty good parts washers! I have the same one from Harbor Freight, but the legs are very flimsy. I made a plywood base for mine, with casters and a couple of 2x4's that fit inside the legs that I screwed the legs to. That made the legs MUCH sturdier, and I can wheel the whole rig around in the garage.

You can buy big plastic buckets that are made for icing down beer kegs, those make good tanks. And Home Depot sells black plastic mortar mixing tubs that are good too, although a little shallow. 5 gal. buckets work too.

 

+1 on the parts washer. I have one, and it's very handy.

The solvent costs as much as the washer though.

 

what kind of solvent is it and how long is it good for?

 

Paint thinner.

Until it's so greasy that it does not clean any more... or it evaporates.