Labor Day Putting down your wrenches or time for
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| | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 | I tried something Zoo Keeper posted for someone wanting to get a rusty master cylinder cleaned up. It is the first time I heard of electrolysis. I took a 5 gallon bucket,some PH balancer from the pool store and my battery charger and tried it out. My heater core case & blower motor housing had been home for field mice for years when I got my truck. The inside was rusted pretty badly. I have tried D-Rust-it on some other parts and it works great, but is a little expensive for me.So I tried electrolysis on my heater box.Four hours in the bucket and it came out coated with crud. I wire brushed it for about 60 seconds and hit it with the garden hose.I was amazed. It was completely clean of rust,old paint,everything. I told my wife I was going to push the whole truck into the pool & derust it. She said if I do I will never live to see how it worked.  Thanks Zoo Keeper for a cheap way to clean my rusty parts. 
1957 Chevrolet 1/2-ton Stepside LB in the Gallery My Photobucket shots The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873) | | | | | Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 191 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 191 | I have to admit I was skeptical about electrolysis until I tried it a few months back. Items I would have trashed in the past now get reused after spending some time in a bucket. | | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,890 Socket Breaker | | Socket Breaker Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,890 | how does this setup work exactly?
I'd like to read zoo keepers post...
-W | | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 424 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 424 | Electrolysis worked great for me. I permanently removed all the unwanted hair from my Stovebolt. Except for the rust it's now as smooth as a baby's behind. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,028 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,028 | I have used a 12 volt battery charger and a rubbermaid container to derust many parts. Washing soda and water worked great for me.
I used about 10gallons of water to about 2 cups of soda. Connect the positive electrode to a piece of steel, larger seems better. (re bar or just flat bar). Connect the negative electrode to the piece to be derusted. (DO NOT CONNECT THE POSITIVE TO THE PART. THE ANODE IS CONSUMED DURING THE PROCESS). Let it sit for several hours or days in the bath depending on the level of rust and you will have a clean part.
Note: a byproduct of this process is a small amount of hydrogen gas. I keep my electrolysis bath in a ventilated area.
Rich
Rich | | | | | Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,028 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,028 | I think there is something in the tech tips that explains the process.
I know I read it soemwhere If i find it I will post. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,028 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,028 | Tech tip under Rust removal | | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 | Thanks for the tech tip Joe. I used rebar for my positive connection. After reading your link I am glad I didn't use stainless steel. Sounds like it turns to bad stuff.
1957 Chevrolet 1/2-ton Stepside LB in the Gallery My Photobucket shots The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873) | | | | | Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 20 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 20 | Here is another link that explains the process. Looks like it is mostly the same info shown in the previous links.
http://users.eastlink.ca/~pspencer/nsaeta/electrolysis.html
1940 Chev pickup
“Make the world a better place, save a rusty truck.”
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 |
1957 Chevrolet 1/2-ton Stepside LB in the Gallery My Photobucket shots The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873) | | | | | Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 43 Member | | Member Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 43 | Works great. I did my running boards, Built a box large enough for them and lined it with a heavy mil plastic. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 | ttttt I'd sure like to see some pics of that if ya took any. Something with that much surface area I would think would take an awful long time to clean up with a trickle charger. Here I would think that a power supply that could supply a large amount of current would be in order.
I bought a gallon (makes 10) of D-Rust-it concentrate and mixed it up in a rubbermade box. In the dip for a couple of hours and it really does work well. I need to figure out how to heat it up thought to speed up the process.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
Denny G
Sandwich, IL
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 166 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 166 | Originally posted by Alan's 57:
Thought I would post some before & after pictures if anyone wanted to see how good it works. Wow that came out great! Wonder if there is a way I can do that with my grill. Thing is straight but the grate part is all rusted. Need to get the McGeyver husband on that one.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS "Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan 1966 Fleetside SWB Webshots | | | | | Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 443 | Lori, Have McGeyver build a box out of plywood or something,and as tttt8 said, line it with a heavy plastic so it will hold water & drop in the grill. Please read the links above on how to do it & what not to use.What I read is stainless steel is very bad to use.
I have also used D-Rust-It and agree,it works very good too.
1957 Chevrolet 1/2-ton Stepside LB in the Gallery My Photobucket shots The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873) | | |
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