Quick Electrolysis Question

[PCMusicGuy]

I built a big tank from a Home Depot bucket and that works fine. I use some uncoated fence tie to hang the part into the water solution.

Now I am building a much smaller tank and fence tie is not a realistic solution. It is way to thick and hard to bend to use on smaller components. What would you recommend that can be sourced locally? I've been to Home Depot, Lowes, Ace, and non of them have a thin steel wire that is suitable. Everything is either galvanized, zinc plated, coated, or stainless. Nothing available in the fencing sections, nothing available in the rebar sections. At this point I'm considering just ordering something online.

Would one of these work?

https://www.amazon.com/National-Hardware-V2568-Wire-Annealed/dp/B001PNJPWU/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1504289592&sr=8-10&keywords=steel+wire

https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Smooth-Diameter-Precision-Tolerance/dp/B002A4M7L4/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1504289592&sr=8-11&keywords=steel+wire

 

[Trainfever]

How about Romex and just strip off the insulation. Copper would be a great choice.

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[larry4406]

How about Romex and just strip off the insulation. Copper would be a great choice.

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I think the copper plates off on to the item being cleaned. No expert here.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Are you trying to clean rust off, or trying to plate something on a part???

What about welding (MIG) wire?

 

[BADSIX]

Go to your local steel supply place and ask for tie wire. its about 16-14 ga. soft and uncoated. around here you can get it for 6.00 a roll that's about 100 ft.. you might try a masonry supply place also they use it to tie rebar. I believe our hardware store carries it also.
Jay D.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

I'm not trying to plate anything. Just do gentle rust/corrosion removal. There are no local steel supply places open on the weekend or on holidays, and many of them were closed extra due to the storm. Everything I find at most retailers is at the very least coated. If I can't find anything else I guess I will go that route and strip it or just order something online.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Tractor Supply? I would think they would have some sort of fine gauge bailing wire.

I think the main thing is you don't want to use galvanized or stainless as your anode (or wire leads connected to it).

How small are the parts that we are talking about? Perhaps it would be easier to soak in some evaporust?

 

[gordo9742000]

Mig welding wire?

 

[torqueman2002]

Mechanics wire.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

Tractor Supply? I would think they would have some sort of fine gauge bailing wire.

I think the main thing is you don't want to use galvanized or stainless as your anode (or wire leads connected to it).

How small are the parts that we are talking about? Perhaps it would be easier to soak in some evaporust?

Checked there today. Only coated or galvanized. Evaporust would work for the rust. I was just trying to get a small tank setup for multiple uses in the future.

 

[ddawg16]

Heavy duty AL foil?

 

[rsanter]

Bailing wire

 

[930dreamer]

I have a bunch of 6ga scrap wire that I use, and I use a piece of graphite .

 

[PCMusicGuy]

You guys must have magic mystery supply places, lol. There are certainly no places on the weekend where I can walk in and buy this stuff. If I still worked at a place with a bail chamber, I would have already got some of that.

 

[torqueman2002]

You guys must have magic mystery supply places, lol. There are certainly no places on the weekend where I can walk in and buy this stuff. If I still worked at a place with a bail chamber, I would have already got some of that.

Coat hangers will work, be sure to remove any coating/paint to ensure a good electrical connection.

 

[dffay]

I suspend the piece to be derusted on baling wire hooked to the charger lead. The other side is the lead hooked to some bare steel flat bar. Like 1 or 2 inch by 1/8. That affords lots of surface area to receive the rust/oxidation. I've derusted dozens of items this way. I sometimes c-clamp the flat bar to the side of the plastic bucket so it can't touch the item.

 

[My Old Tools]

Tractor Supply, electric fence wire.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

Tractor Supply, electric fence wire.

I checked. Everything is galvanized or coated in some way. I was just trying to take the easy route and have a simple roll of steel wire I could work with without cutting or stripping coating or anything. Looks like I can't get away from it.

 

[rwagner59]

Tie wire for re-bar.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

Tie wire for re-bar.

Everything available locally is coated, but thanks.

 

[slip knot]

this

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Weyerhaeuser-400-ft-16-5-Gauge-Rebar-Tie-Wire-05337/202094311

 

[nickelmore]

A coat hanger and a propane torch if you want to take the coating off but it is not necessary. Cheap jumper cables work real well.

I usually suspend the part with rope and then hook up electrical connection.

 

[Jon_E]

Rebar tie wire. Wipe the oily coating off with degreaser before you use it. There is a reason nobody sells uncoated wire and it's because the roll would become a giant ball of rust.

 

[mikegt4]

Another vote for rebar tie wire. I have used it without any problems other than breaking it at the twist after reusing it 3-4 times! A roll of tie wire is something that every shop/garage needs to have laying around.