brianpgriset
Well-known member
This method of removing rust has been mentioned on here a few times but not a whole lot, so I thought I'd go ahead and share my experience. Basically I got a whole bunch of really nice big old C-Clamps recently that worked fined but were in poor cosmetic condition. I was ready to bust out the angle grinder and wire wheel but rememberd seeing this online and wanted to give it a try. There are many benefits. It cleans every nook and cranny, easy to clean up, very very cheap, and its fire and forget; set the peice in the alkaline solution and apply a DC voltage and walk away. Also it requires NO elbow grease whatsoever. I used a wire brush for 2 minutes for this c-clamp to remove a bit of stubborn paint. ALOT easier than wire wheels! Come back a few hours later and you've got a clean part.
Check out the pics below. The results are impressive. It only takes a handful of supplies. A plastic container that can fit most or all of the part to be cleaned, Sodium Corbonate (called "washing soda" at your local gocery, about $3 for a lb.), a battery charger (or other 12V DC supply), water, some scrap metal to be used as the anode, and some steel wire/bar to support the peice to be cleaned. It only takes about 1/2 cup of sodium carbonate per 5 gal. of water, and the alkaline solution can be used forever, but its nice to replace it every once in awhile. Also, this will work for ANY sized object. the only things that will differ are the size of the tank, and youll need a charger that able to provide more amps.
If you guys want to give it a try just search for electrolysis rust removal in your favorite search engine and youll get alot of results. The only things a can think of worth mentioning are:
Do this in a well ventilated area as hydrogen gas (HIGHLY flamable, aka hindenburg) is evolved in small amounts. Be careful not to shock yourself. Dont touch or immerse your hands in the water. Check the amperage drawn by the chargerto assure it is in its safe operating range. DONT use stainless steel as the anode as it will release toxic chemicals into the water. Use plain old mild steel. Be SURE you use the correct polarity, otherwise the part you were trying to clean will be dissolved into nothing!
Otherwise, next time you plan on being out in the garage for a few hours and have some rusty odds and ends to clean, get 'em out, set up your electrolysis rig, and by the time your ready to finish, your part will be all clean!!!
Check out the pics below. The results are impressive. It only takes a handful of supplies. A plastic container that can fit most or all of the part to be cleaned, Sodium Corbonate (called "washing soda" at your local gocery, about $3 for a lb.), a battery charger (or other 12V DC supply), water, some scrap metal to be used as the anode, and some steel wire/bar to support the peice to be cleaned. It only takes about 1/2 cup of sodium carbonate per 5 gal. of water, and the alkaline solution can be used forever, but its nice to replace it every once in awhile. Also, this will work for ANY sized object. the only things that will differ are the size of the tank, and youll need a charger that able to provide more amps.
If you guys want to give it a try just search for electrolysis rust removal in your favorite search engine and youll get alot of results. The only things a can think of worth mentioning are:
Do this in a well ventilated area as hydrogen gas (HIGHLY flamable, aka hindenburg) is evolved in small amounts. Be careful not to shock yourself. Dont touch or immerse your hands in the water. Check the amperage drawn by the chargerto assure it is in its safe operating range. DONT use stainless steel as the anode as it will release toxic chemicals into the water. Use plain old mild steel. Be SURE you use the correct polarity, otherwise the part you were trying to clean will be dissolved into nothing!
Otherwise, next time you plan on being out in the garage for a few hours and have some rusty odds and ends to clean, get 'em out, set up your electrolysis rig, and by the time your ready to finish, your part will be all clean!!!
