Electrolysis ?...Jeep grill...

[Buckgnarly]

Friend wants me to sandblast his CJ grill, but got to thinking about electrolysis.....anyone ever do something that big? Does it get into all the tight spaces?

I'm thinking it may be easier to just let chemistry do it's thing....it is actually for a chemistry teacher too!

 

[digdug18]

Yeah, should be fine, I've done a tail gate previously, depending on how big your container is you'll have to do one end at a time though.

 

[blasto9000]

The cleaning action isn't as strong in tight/enclosed spaces like screw holes. Larger holes will probably be okay, but the smaller the hole, the less the cleaning you can expect. (Small holes can probably be chased before or after electrolysis.)

 

[larry_g]

We used a plastic stock watering tank as a vessel and a welder for the power supply to do some doors off a Mack truck. When you get into the bigger stuff you have to up the power to get results. Research will advise you what is needed as far as watts/area. If you do go to a welder or other high power supply put a fuse in the line between the tank and power supply so if you accidently short things in the tank your not welding things together. Experience speaking here.

Does it get into all the tight spaces?

The process works 'line of site' so if your anode is placed so the current has to travel from the tight space directly to the anode yes it will. You may have to form the anode so that it sees the recessed areas.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Outlawmws]

Something that size, a hard plastic wading pool (as opposed to the inflatables...) would probably do the job. Rig up a grid of rebar or hog wire, set three bricks in so the grill has a place to sit, and hook up. You will need to turn it over or rig a second grip above the grill.

I would think a 20 amp charger could manage a grill. I'm doing most of my work with a 1 amp trickle charger with the automatic trickle feature without issues. The only place I ever heard of needing the welder supply was as posted above, and for a guy that was doing a truck frame. Low amps will still do it, just a little slower...

 

[Buckgnarly]

Eh, darn thing has paint on it, so blasting it will be. Now I gotta find something else to make me try electrolysis....

 

[Outlawmws]

Unless the paint is PERFECTLY applied, Electrolysis doesn't do to bad at removing the paint too...

 

[fourtythree]

Were you planning on doing this to remove chrome?

 

[davesnothere]

Sandblasting sounds easier to me.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Were you planning on doing this to remove chrome?

Jeeps don't have chrome!

 

[bgott]

Eh, darn thing has paint on it, so blasting it will be. Now I gotta find something else to make me try electrolysis....

A dose or two of oven cleaner might loosen that paint.

 

[digdug18]

no, the electrolysis will work fine on paint, I use a 3 amp HF trickle charger myself, it works just fine. I've done big and small things, just let some items sit longer than others.

 

[BionicSniper]

I just finished my front brakes and will begin derusting my springs tomorrow.

I use a modified computer power supply that I use to use for ham radio.

 

[oldtractors]

I use a 250 gallon plastic tote and a 6A battery charger. Big parts with a lot of surface area will draw most of the 6 amps. It takes off paint and is way easier than sandblasting. I usually leave the parts in for about a week.

 

[davesnothere]

I use a 250 gallon plastic tote and a 6A battery charger. Big parts with a lot of surface area will draw most of the 6 amps. It takes off paint and is way easier than sandblasting. I usually leave the parts in for about a week.

A week? That's about 1000 times as long as it would take to sandblast it. I fail to see how that's easier.

 

[larry_g]

A week? That's about 1000 times as long as it would take to sandblast it. I fail to see how that's easier.

About twenty minutes of active personal work and the tank does all the rest. It's not like you have to stand there and watch it.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[zoomzoomjeff]

How about Aircraft Remover? That **** eats everything.

 

[davesnothere]

About twenty minutes of active personal work and the tank does all the rest. It's not like you have to stand there and watch it.

lg
no neat sig line

20 minutes is still twice as long, at least, as it would take to blast it.

 

[Outlawmws]

20 minutes is still twice as long, at least, as it would take to blast it.

And how long to clean up the area you did the blasting in? A grill or door is not going to fit in the average blast cabinet; not to mention having to take a shower afterward... I'll take door number one, and the nice, clean, and relatively non labor intensive electrolysis thank you!