rust removal the easy way

[timf1]

http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/rust.htm

it does work just throw the parts in a tub connect up your charger
and walk away for a couple of hours.

tim

[BigWhiteStroke]

So do you let the battery charger cables get down in the water too?

[thelbz]

from what i understand it takes some time for the process to work

[PAToyota]

A woodworking club I hang out with just had a demonstration of this on Tuesday night. Works well. Typically about 24 hours "soak" time. Going to have to give it a try.

[ironpig70]

heard of it never tried it though but i think it would be diffacult to do a frame :D

[Black Sabbath]

heard of it never tried it though but i think it would be diffacult to do a frame :D

This guy did an entire trailer frame :grinpimp:
http://antique-engines.com/trailer-electrolysis.htm

I have used this process in the past on some smaller parts and had excellent results. Not sure if I would be willing to scale up for larger parts. Seems for heavy stuff there are better conventional methods. You have to keep anything copper out of the tank cause it can apparently create some nasty sludge. explore my link and it should answer most of your questions.

[PAToyota]

Here are the links that were given at the meeting I went to:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/andyspatch/rust.htm
http://www3.telus.net/public/aschoepp/electrolyticrust.html

I agree, a whole frame (although possible) would not be something that I'd want to try...

[1bille1]

I just place rusty stuff in a tub of pool acid for a few minutes, followed by a rinse and a dip in a tub of ammonia water, then baking soda water, then more waeter rinse

followed by a final low bake w/ a weed flamer to drive out any hydrogen.

[maddog]

So do you let the battery charger cables get down in the water too?

Did I miss something or did nobody answer your question which is the same question I have.

"So do you let the battery charger cables get down in the water too?"

[maddog]

OK, now I got it!

[rusted]

Here's (http://www.cutterod.com/vise_saga_2.htm) a link to what it looks like in the bath. On the next page, you can see what happened after 22 hours.

http://www.cutterod.com/cutter_zone/vise_saga/wilton1.jpg
http://www.cutterod.com/cutter_zone/vise_saga/22hoursideview.jpg

Check out the whole saga if you're interested.

Lot of info about the process here. (http://shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2736&highlight=cutter+vice)

[Sully]

Here's (http://www.cutterod.com/vise_saga_2.htm) a link to what it looks like in the bath. On the next page, you can see what happened after 22 hours.
Check out the whole saga if you're interested.

Lot of info about the process here. (http://shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2736&highlight=cutter+vice)


I can't believe I sat and read through that whole damn thing.

[BigWhiteStroke]

Im not too impressed, I could do that with a wire wheel in 20 mins...

[rusted]

Im not too impressed, I could do that with a wire wheel in 20 mins...

No ya couldn't.

[Sully]

Im not too impressed, I could do that with a wire wheel in 20 mins...

Did you read the page that Rusted linked?

[Black Sabbath]

I just place rusty stuff in a tub of pool acid for a few minutes, followed by a rinse and a dip in a tub of ammonia water, then baking soda water, then more waeter rinse

followed by a final low bake w/ a weed flamer to drive out any hydrogen.

The problem with your method is that it will eat away at all of the metal not just the rust. Using Electrolysis you will only eat away at the rust without damaging the rest of the good metal.

[PTSchram]

Using Electrolysis you will only eat away at the rust without damaging the rest of the good metal.

Leave it in long enough, it will eat the good metal.

It's a fairly common industrial process for removing plated metals to allow for plating of other metals onto the substrate. I used to provide consulting services for a Gold plater who took chromed Cadillac emblems, stripped the chrome and plated gold over them.

Also, I have used this process to remove chroming from inside shotgun barrels to allow for reaming the chokes from the bores.

The use of lead or stainless steel electrodes improves the process and doesn't add to the issues associated with other electrode materials.

[flex360ram]

just gave it a try today....
I went with about a 2 hour soak using some practice welding plate I had. It actually works pretty good, but obviously if time is a factor I'd go other routes.
tablespoon of baking soda/about a gal. of h2o
http://img125.echo.cx/img125/1017/p10100038ak.th.jpg (http://img125.echo.cx/my.php?image=p10100038ak.jpg)
http://img125.echo.cx/img125/1292/p10100028rg.th.jpg (http://img125.echo.cx/my.php?image=p10100028rg.jpg)
results
http://img125.echo.cx/img125/8241/p10100054rc.th.jpg (http://img125.echo.cx/my.php?image=p10100054rc.jpg)
http://img170.echo.cx/img170/9486/p10100069rn.th.jpg (http://img170.echo.cx/my.php?image=p10100069rn.jpg)

[PAToyota]

If you want to speed the process up a bit, use washing soda instead of plain baking soda. Can usually find it in the laundry aisle of the grocery store. The guy that gave the demonstration made the point that baking soda WILL work, but that the washing soda makes a significant difference.

[braxton357]

Im not too impressed, I could do that with a wire wheel in 20 mins...


I agree, unless it's something really intricate or that could be hurt by the wire wheel then I can see wasting time with all of that, otherwise just get the grinder out.

[SC_TJ]

I wonder how well this would work on the inside of an axle. Have a rusty 14bolt that someone drained fluid out of and now has a nice layer of rust inside the diff.

[PTSchram]

I wonder how well this would work on the inside of an axle. Have a rusty 14bolt that someone drained fluid out of and now has a nice layer of rust inside the diff.

Should work easily. If you can find plastic plugs, plug the ends and run a piece of rod through the center, fill the housing and attach the wires. Almost identical to what I used to do with shotgun barrels to remove hte chrome.

[PAToyota]

As PTSchram notes, you'd have to run the rod through the axle. It was explained to me to keep in mind that it is a "line of sight" matter between the anodes and the piece you are working on. So if you have an anode on only one side, only that side is going to have the rust removed.

As for the question on whether it is worth doing, it comes down to what you are working on. The axle would be an obvious answer. You could remove the rust from the inside where you could not get at it with a wire wheel. The guy demonstrating it for the woodworking group was restoring old hand planes and other tools so he wanted something that would not otherwise damage the actual metal. I agree that if it is just a hunk of metal that doesn't need any real precision, then the wire wheel would work better.

Of course, if you have this thing set up, which is more work? Spending twenty minutes at it with a wire wheel? Or dipping it in the tank, forgetting about it, and coming back the next morning?

[PTSchram]

As PTSchram notes, you'd have to run the rod through the axle. It was explained to me to keep in mind that it is a "line of sight" matter between the anodes and the piece you are working on. So if you have an anode on only one side, only that side is going to have the rust removed.




That isn't completely accurate. While the electron (and current) density will be highest nearest the electrodes, the oxidation/reduction will occur throughout the solution.

Platers put sacrificial electrodes on complex parts to attempt to equalize the electron density and current density throughout the part so that the plating will be consistent throughout.

In industrial applications, it is common to agitate the solution using compressed air to ensure fresh solution in contact with the material. The hydrolysis that takes place spontaneously is not sufficient o accomplish this unless you have a small piece and very high current.

If one wanted the process to take off and run very fast, your welder would make a good power supply. I have used battery chargers and low voltage, high current power supplies. 5VDC at 35 amps works very well!

[PAToyota]

I admit that the presentation I saw was pretty basic. Thanks for making a few things more clear, PTSchram. The guy who was showing the system demonstrated with a battery charger, but was using a Variac (guess a transformer of some sort?) at home for his setup.