New to the HAMB, not a newb......

Very helpful! I have not read everything on both sites, so it may have been there, but I did not see the tip about minimizing solution amounts, and anode exposure. I will be giving this a try soon. I have a nice 35 amp, 15 volt regulated, variable power supply. It should do this very well!

I did see the part about hydrogen, so I will set it up in my old drafty garage...err, pole barn.....

 

Have you tried or read of using electrolyte as in batteries? I have about a pint leftover from the last battery I bought for my mower.

 

Variable amps is good. I would do some tests with the amperage with parts you don't care about. Too much power isn't great. Slower seams better.
Oh yes. A common fear is "hydrogen embrittlement" from the process. Metal will naturally go back to normal after a sort time or you can warm it up to speed up the process. It is explained on the site and isn't a big deal.
Battery acid is way too strong for this from what I've read.
Simple Arm & Hammer soda works very well and isn't as caustic.

 

Baking soda it is then! I have a piece at work I will give this a try on. This could be something we could use a lot at work, with a very minimal investment.

 

Oh, a point.. I meant to say Arm & Hammer WASHING soda, not baking soda (it's mentioned on one of those sites). Though some say they have used baking soda.
I hope it works as well for you as it did for me.
Cheap and less destructive than blasting or (shudder) acid dipping.
Cheers

 

I have never seen "washing soda"...could be a problem.

 

nah.. can't image it will be an issue. I got it at the grocery store.
There are even recipes on the web how to make it. If you have a chemistry-type-person around it's Na2CO3

 

I did see a reference to using lye, and I have seen that around. I will have to just do some digging.

 

Yup, but I read lye tends to be strong and harder on the steel. Also a real stinker on your skin, clothes and lungs.
Also consider disposing of it after.
Soda crystals is another name for the stuff as is sodium carbonate.
Common stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_carbonate

 

Thanx for the info Len. The glass is still in the car and is in great shape, so I did not intend on removing it. Does this mean I will have to or is there a way around this? The head liner was removed and the bows are laying in the trunk. How hard is it to locate them? THANX AGAIN, Wally

 

Placing the bows is trial and error. Keep placing them until they all fit about the same. The glass does not have to be removed, but getting it attached well under the rubber can be a bear, and it will have half the glue surface at best. If you attempt this you will need to fashion a tucking tool from a thick bladed putty knife by rounding the corners and dulling, then polishing the edges.

 

Gizmo, you were right, no trouble finding the soda. Not at my local grocery, but I did find it at a larger one on the way to work. I'll be setting up a vat this weekend.

 

Len, thanx again for your wisdom! Wally

 

That's great, Trimmer! I hope you have as much luck as I have with it. I bought a complete 30/31 A pickup box in pieces. I'm fabbing an anode to do each piece at a time and making the tank out of scrap wood that I have. I'll line it with thick plastic sheet that I bought from the hardware store and put down some car mats to protect the plastic sheet before lowering the whole package in the tank and givin' her the juice. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

How's it goin' Len? Any progress lately?
Make any Hydrogen yet?

 

A little. I got the new axle mounted. I also got some structural steel welded into the cab. The doors will now close without lifting them! I also got one door capped off. Just not much to take a picture of. I suppose I should, just for posterity.

I am making hydrogen as we speak. Finally got around to setting up a "vat" this evening after work. I went out and checked it just a while ago, and the water is already scummy with rust. The anode plates are also coved in a layer of scaly rust. It looks like I will have a nice clean part by morning. Well, after a rinse and scrub.

 

Great! Sounds like progress. Nice to not have saggy doors.
Yes, pictures for the scrapbook. You never know what you might want them for.

Depending on a number of variables count on 48 hours for the parts to clean up. Amps, size of anode to cathode, amount of rust...
The black magnitite that it creates on the part will scrub off nicely and what doesn't scrub off is converted rust and will be fine from what I read.
I've also heard stirring up the water once in a while will help the electrolsys work better. Some put a fish-tank air pump in to keep movement.
I've started taking the part out and scrub it after 24 hours to get some crud off (shutting down the power first).
If you have sensitive skin you might want to wear gloves. Especially cover your arms. Some people don't do well with the solution.
Good luck. Hopefully you won't be disappointed.

 

So... how did a dip in the "vat" turn out?
I have a very nice looking bed-side for my 30/31 truck after it went for a dip. One side was in great shape so I dipped it. The other side, not so much so I fired up the mig and have been working on it.

 

The part never got past the black stage. It would not scrub off. Dont know what I did wrong.....

 

If you don't scrub it off right away while it's wet the magnitite is harder to get off.
I used a wire wheel on mine and it's nice and shiney.
And any that doesn't come of is supposedly ok to prime over.

 

I did scrub it still wet. From the bucket to the sink. I was interested in this method as a time/work saver over using the blast cabinet at work. It don't seem to be working out that way. I may try again, on a piece large enough for it to be worth the trouble of setting it up. Like something a bit large for the cabinet, but to small to bother taking to the blaster dood.

 

Interesting.
I wonder what the difference is with our methods.
Blasting with a large blaster would certainly be faster but so much harder on thin steel like mine.
I've read about too much amperage being worse than too little.
I'll do some more reading on this.

Joe

 

Amps could be part of the problem, I guess. I could not get it less than about 3/4 amp, at 4-5 volts. With both turned down all the way. It was very strange. First time I ever hooked up my PS and was unable to kill the power with the variable controls.

 

The quantity of soda determines the strength of the electrolyte solution. The stronger the solution the more current will be drawn. Too much and it's like there is a wire directly between + and -.
I had a 6 amp charger peg a 6 amps and actually shut down on it's relay once. I dumped some solution and just added water to dilute the solution
The metal will pretty well always come out black but a plastic brush while rinsing off should have removed most of it.
Back to the books on this for me. I'll try an experiment or two this weekend.

 

I managed to get a little work done to the RPU this weekend! After firing up the small block to make sure it was still good to go, I got the motor and tranny pulled from the old van, and stripped all the un-needed bits. Man, what a messy chore! It still needs a major cleaning, but that can wait until I have all the heavy fabrication done to the frame.

The coolest part is I finnally got to see the actual ride height/rake!
The right side profile pic really shows it well, IMO.

 

That IS quite the profile! Nice.
She looks low and long.
I bet it's good to see some progress.

 

Yes it is! Now that the engine is in place, I can get a lot of other stuff moving along. Like the floor pans and tunnel, radiator shell mounting, header fabbing, etc.

 

Gee... don't psych your self out of all that work!
But it's great to do that work, isn't it? I've been away for a few days and hurt myself before that (old and clumsy.. don't ask). I'll be getting back at my truck on Tuesday and can't wait.
We're just like kids at Christmas. Second childhood I guess.

 

Nah, no psych...I am looking forward to those parts of the build. Stuff that is visible progress. I'm NOT looking forward to the endless hours of welding and grinding, waiting on money for the next needed part......

 

How goes the project lately?