Fellow 'bolter Cletis mentioned in another thread about using electrolytic rust removal so I made a simple set up and just hooked it up. There is a thread in the Tech Tips section here also. I was out of tsp, so I just used baking soda and water, and a piece of stainless strap that goes around the inside of a five gallon bucket. You have to keep the battery charger clips out of the solution, and make sure you don't have a direct short. Polarity is negative to the rusty relic and positive to the stainless electrode. I'm trying to remove the rust from an old hub right now with a gallon of hot water and a couple tablespoons of tsp. The charger is humming, and tiny bubbles have formed on both the electrode and the rusty hub.
If anyone else has done this let us know how it worked and any cautions. Up here in rust country this could be a real useful tool ;if it works out.
One caution I read is to make sure the polarity is correct. Otherwise the rusty object could erode away...
