I first used this method of cleaning parts more than 10 years ago, my test piece was an old VW Rabbit wheel. After cleaning it off, I painted it with rust paint and hung it on the wall for a garden hose reel. More than 10 years out in the weather and it has no rust on it. The process not only removes rust it seems to kill the rust and prevent the part from rusting again.
To use a cheap battery charger include the batter. Avoid the temptation to go faster quicker more power etc. It works as is as good as a caustic hot tank and is a heck of a lot safer and eco friendly. If you want to improve it, Heat the water . A water bowl heater for cattle should do it well. Even a 250 watt infa red bulb would work shining down on it. Or put the barrel in the hot sun. If it is black that would get very warm. Iron bar at the side . Because it is an electrolyte the mixture conducts nicely as is. Results improve as voltage approaches 15volts. If you want a quick way use booster cables from the battery of a running vehicle. Not practical long term but just fine for a quick trial. Dont go crazy. That is a sickness. This system works fine as is, doesnt need the bigger better louder richer quicker shinier approach. Don
Check Mcmaster-Carr. or Amazon. Carbon stock, plate, bar and round, used to be used in EDM machining for cutting odd shaped dies and punches. Probably still is where shapes that a wire EDM can't do.
head the warnings!!!!!! the gas that comes off is poisonous and flammable, DO not breath and ventilate well! Try the Arm & Hammer washing soda when you wash up, good stuff!
Actually, the ARM & HAMMER washing soda is the recommended detergent to add to your water beforehand. Buy a box for this operation, (and for washup afterward) When the concrete crew poured my shop pad, I bought a large box of plastic sheeting (for the 'moisture barrier') After the pad was finished, I had half the roll left...Large roll of heavy black plastic. The forms and materials were mine, so I cut the long ones to 12 feet, stacked 2 of them widthwise, nailed 4 foot ends on them, and draped some of the black sheet plastic over. My Model A frame went onto the plastic, then got filled with water...and Arm & Hammer soda mixture. Small Schauer battery charger & 12 volt battery and I had a gray frame in 3 days! I did some axles, tubes & I-beams, then backing plates, drums, and some Houdaille shocks. Model T rear springs, (disassembled) Man, what a bath tub! Like havin' "all new sh!t"...
I have been doing this for years. The best thing is you are cleaning rust while you are doing other things. Here is a good link. http://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp
I didn't take before pictures because I wasn't confident this would work. But this part looked as bad as the brake drum shown a couple of posts up. it soaked for 3 days. For scale, it's 8 inch diameter. Could have went a little longer to get all the black out of the rust pits, but I'm happy.
I''ve been using this technique for rust removal for years as well. I have a large plastic tub and I'm going to put a bare small block in it after I degrease and power wash it. Ken
I'm looking for a serious tub too, it'll run overhours coming months I think. Running three large buckets at the same time now
heared some things about that indeed, but what do you place as donor to do so? second, does anybody have a good way to remove the black residue on the surface after the bath? Tend to get lazy now, so if the bit of brushingoff could be eased, I'm all ears!?
two wheelcaps came out like this got a good tip to put them into a bath of citric acid (yes the eatable one from the candy) for another day.. works like a charm and all the black was gone!
Some people sometime ask about using a huge source of Amperes. I once used a arc welder , with big rectifier diodes to have DC. I didn t see any improvement. I read ( I can t remember where ), that museum use this technique to remove rust from rusted parts afters centuries under the sea. They use a really low voltage/ amperes. It takes longer, up to months, but doesn t make any damage. I d have to find the source of this info ...
I'm getting busy on a fifties child-charriot (?) for the moment. Also got me a couple of 1000L basins the coming weekend.. Now I'm wondering if it would be smart to suspend the entire flathead block in it, instead of only filling up the waterskirts..? good to see this turned out to be a usefull tread for some folks uphere! cheers
from right to left (logical as I am) : -rusty crusty start -after the electrolysis -after the citric acid all I did for the rest was brushing off with a soft brush, and putting rustblock oil on it.
Ok, citric acid seem to come as a powder. Amazon has it. How strong or weak a solution do you use?? And maybe vinegar would also work as a mild acid for the final wash? frank
I mixed a kg into 20litres of hot water for this, could be a bit less I think, you actually see the black going. Left one in for a day, but result was the same as after four hours. I bought it from a wine shop, they seem to put it into big barrels to change the taste. Prices are far better than candyshops hahhah
the chrome (or what was left of it) does seem to come off my hubcaps.. the black one lies in the acid now question is wether it would have stayed on if I had put em on in the state they were.. this weekend I get my tanks for the larger parts so we can move up a gear!
For us traditional guys still in a non-metric world, would that be about a pound to 4 gallons? probably close enough.
The Jalopy Journal
