I use rebar. The best stuff to use for anodes is carbon like they use in EDM machines. Waaaaay less mess

Ok, not one but two layers of paint, one red one silver, and about a pound of rust later and there's an anvil under there.

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7lzivIFRQT4Ak4xXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0bjZ0NDY0BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1FJMDM3XzEwOA--/SIG=11sjd7t4o/EXP=1367485794/**http%3a//fboerger.com/restorationtips.html  If this link works .it should help with the stainless fears....I've been useing stainless for about 10 years for sacrificial in a 100 gal tank, off and on...Dave

Thanks Stefflus...I'm not to good at this stuff........Dave

Electrolysis realy works.

 

I had to try it. Especialy when I was given three escutcheons, a lock and hooks that were salvaged when a church was demolished in France. Probably stuff from the 18th or more likely 19th century.

 

So I got this drum, inserted 8 rods (bent them, cut the threads with a tap), pulled a cross bar of 5/16" rod to attach the objects to be treated on, wired the rods together, pluged a battery charger and let the thing work overnight. I am not inclined to playing with electricity. If I can do it anybody can. And it does the job thorougly.

 

Here are a few pics.

 

The barrel stands at the door of the smithy.

 

The battery charger is inside, in the entrance of the smitty. I pulled wires over the door to the barrel.

 

Yes it works!

 

 

I love the electrolysis method-hands off, no muss-no fuss.  Way better if it's a antique type of thing you're derusting-no wire brush marks or damage to the piece.

I love the electrolysis method-hands off, no muss-no fuss.  Way better if it's a antique type of thing you're derusting-no wire brush marks or damage to the piece.

I use plastic brushes for the hands to get the goo off. The lock I protected with a mixture of linseed oil, turpentine and bees wax (1/3 of each (by weight)).

yves....I don't think it's a good idea to put a lid on your tank.....ya know hydrogen gas is emitted during the process. Would it collect enough to cause a problem, I don't know. But with an open top tank ,if you run a propane torch on the foam bubbles they do pop quite loud....just a thought.Has anyone tried phosphoric acid to finish the process? It works real nice, .....Dave

Dave,

 

The tank is outside and the lid does not fit tightly. It is mainly to avoid young birds falling from the vine on my silo in the tank. Gaz cannot accumulate under the lid. The tank is outside to avoid precisely hydrogen accumulating in the smitty.

 

As for the acid route, I want to avoid this. I do not want to manipulate or store such acids in the smitty. I do not know how to handle them and what it means as a procedure to use them on steel/iron and what they do to metal. As was mentioned by Mark, electrolysis is an effective hands off method.

yves ,maybe I should have given a little more info on the acid. It basically does the same thing chemicaly that your tank does electricaly..converts red rust to black oxide.It also puts a protective phosphorus coating on your metal.If you get a chance read the link that Stefflus posted above.This is the guy that I learned from.....very informative, also I should mention the acid is pretty mild. You'll find it in the soft drinks you drink every day....yip that's right , coke, pepsi, ect. Check it out I'm tellin' ya....enjoy,Life is good.....Dave

I used steel remesh for the sacrificial anode when I restored my blower.  The process worked well, let it sit in the tank for about 2 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after you use the solution is it garbage ?

after you use the solution is it garbage ?

After finishing cleaning, the residue is soap and water with a little Ferrous Oxide in it. Not toxic at all. If you have more pieces to do, do them

 

I have used this process many times, Simply Magic, it is so simple.

 

Neil

ok sounds like i will give it a try then

Still need to try this on my frozen blower.  I've tried everything else to get it unstuck, but I haven't screwed up the courage to give electrolysis a go.

Don't be scared of doing electrolysis. You really can't hurt anything as long as the electrodes are hooked up in the correct polarity and they are not touching. Red to sacrificial anode, black to the part to be derusted. I prefer to use carbon rods vs rebar as my sacrificial anode. I picked up some 3/4" carbon arc rods from McMaster Carr when I did my vise. They were cheap and I didn't have the mess like you do with rebar.

I have thought about phosphoric acid:

anyone know what concentration to use or if it is likely to cause hydrogen embrittlement?

can get 5 liters ( just over 1 UK gallon and a lot more than a us gallon ) of 75% phosphoric acid here easily enough, was thinking of trying it for derusting and blackening but dont know how much to dilute it

ok so no answers on the phosphoric

on the sodium carbonate I got 1 kilo on ebay, I have a 25 ltr bucket ( about 5 gallons ) I was thinking of filling half full, how much sodium carbonate to 12.5 liters ( 2.5 gallons ) of water should I use?

Just use vinegar, safe and cheap, as chips( smells like too)

tried 100g ( about 4 oz ) in 15 liters ( 3.3  ( uk ) gallons ) 

a piece of rebar and 12v.

it has been fizzing for about 3 hours now and there is a thick layer of rust on top

It's working! I usually put 1/2 cup into about 4 - 4.5 gallons, but I don't think there is any hard fact formula.
Post a pic when your done! :o)

About 1 Tbls. per gallon of water will work fine. Remember it is basically a line of sight process. Also ,surface area of sacrificial electrode to part ratio makes a big difference in speed of the cleaning. If you use scrap iron for the sacrificial it will need cleaned fairly often, and will erode eventually. You are only just beginning to be amazed.....Enjoy .......Dave 

I have been using electrolysis since 2006 to clean more than 1000 pieces of cast iron cookware.  It  only removes rust (and paint except aluminum) with no harm to the cookware.

 

I use approx. 2 handfuls of carbonate of soda to 5 gallons of water in a plastic barrel lined with stainless steel sheet.  From what I have read there is no risk of hydrogen embrittlement in this method.  The stainless does have to be replaced periodically but is much longer lasting than using steel for the sacrificial. 

 

A manual battery charger is necessary.

 

Jerry

I have been using electrolysis since 2006 to clean more than 1000 pieces of cast iron cookware.  It  only removes rust (and paint except aluminum) with no harm to the cookware.

 

I use approx. 2 handfuls of carbonate of soda to 5 gallons of water in a plastic barrel lined with stainless steel sheet.  From what I have read there is no risk of hydrogen embrittlement in this method.  The stainless does have to be replaced periodically but is much longer lasting than using steel for the sacrificial. 

s

A manual battery charger is necessary.

 

Jerry

 

BE VERY CAREFUL if you are using the stainless to pass your current through , you are creating Hexavalent gas and deopsiting hexavalent chromium in the water bath. The bath then becomes a Hazmat material. The best sacrificial electrodes are made from graphite. Otherwise use iron or steel and your bath will contain nothing poisonous.