erictheviking

I stumbled across a method of removing rust from small parts on the net.It seems quite a few people have been using this for years.All you need is a battery charger ,a bucket,an electrode (anything steel) and some caustic soda.I tried it tonight and it works a treat!If anyone has used this before let me know how you got on.If anyone wants to know how to do it,I'll put up a link to a couple of sites who could explain the process a lot better than me.

custom85

please post the links id like to see this method
thanks

Midnight Sun

Post the link please.

erictheviking

Ok people heres the links:
http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/rust.htm http://journeytoforever.org/at_billhook.html#rust
and my favourite:http://www.oldengine.org/members/billd/electrol.htm

I've literally only done 2 parts myself and was very pleased with the results.I just need to perfect the technique,especially removing the black residue left.I used caustic soda in the water which is so cheap that it doesn't figure in the cost.
Happy rust killing people and let us know how you get on.

MFaulkner

A nifty thing about electrolysis is that if you're working aluminum and snap a bolt off in it (or a 0-80 tap), you can dunk thje whole thing in the bath. It eats away the iron, but not the aluminum. While you're at it, research annodizing. I've never done it, but its a similar procedure.

deadbird

An even simpler form of light-medium rust removal is



Oxisolv Rust Remover
I've used it quite a few times and it works extremely well. It's also available in a gel form. The best part of it is it leaves the zinc coating which is similar protection to a cold galvanizing compound like ZRC. Oxisolve is available through http://www.eastwoodco.com

erictheviking

I totally agree.Oxisolve(basically phosphoric acid and available under many different names) is an excellent product which I also use.There are pros and cons with both.what does interest me is the fact that you can immerse some fairly hefty items in the electrolytic tank(mines 0ltrs,but seemingly could be made much larger) very inexpensively.10ltrs of phosphoric acid at £10($1.60) a litre is a lot of dough.Oxisolve wins though when applied to bodypanels.Trust me on this though, the electrolysis works great.

dirtbag

I use naval jelly on all of my rust. Makes anyhting look new no matter how much rust it once had. You may experiance pits though if the rust was extremely bad.

Mathius

Has anyone tried this with their tools? I want to try it out with my tools, but I'm concerned what will happen to the rubber handles and such that tool companiess put on for grip. Will they be prone to melting, or will it just insulate them?

Mathius

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

a buddy and I just did it over last weekend. We did a oil pan, motor mount clam shels, flywheel, brackets..

I went and bought a Big RubberMaid tub, 6 pieces of rebar and 3 boxes of baking soda.

mix some baking soda in the water.... Ground the part to the rebar you see in the middle.. connect the outer 4 bars together somehow. and put the + on them..

Pic's are worth 1000 words. Heres some durring.. I should have taken some of the parts after but I'll just say They were Deff. clean. You can see the rust ***** on the 4 outer bars.
WORKED AWESOME......

http://www.cecoatings.com/images/mis...olisiscleanig/

erictheviking

The first 2 parts I did were the front spring isolators.These are mostly rubber and the process did not affect these whatsover.
Glad to see you got on so well TPl383.
I should imagine some pretty big parts can be done pretty easily.You really have to give it a go to see how easy and inexpensive this is.

SBlackfoot

Oxisolve sounds an awful lot like POR-15's Metal Ready, with the zinc coating and the dissolving of rust. Same kind of stuff?

That'd be great if it is, since I have a gallon of Metal Ready sitting behind me right now. lol

MechCD

It won't affect anything other than rust. It doesn't really zap anything. In simple terms, it takes the material from the electrode and deposits it on the part to be cleaned. I accidentally stuck my hand in my small rig and nothing bad happened, but I don't think I'd want to do it often.

My lil bucket gets pretty nasty after a few hours, but I've been running screws in there for a few days now and it still works with the nasty water. If you use a smaller container, a few pinches of salt works great to get the brew started. For larger buckets, I'd say a few grains of sidewalk salt would work great. My bucket is around 5-6 inches in diameter and about 8 inches tall and I only fill the water to 3 inches high because I'm using a shoulder bolt as an electrode It takes a lil while, but those screws and small brackets come out great and ready for paint (brackets mainly)

And just to reassure, it isn't all that messy. The bubbles are very fine and the whole brew does NOT bubble. The messy part is removing the part and washing it off.

Its fun just to try it, thats how I got started and now I can't stop

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

Yes it is... Gary and I were like M lets toss this in. Mm lets toss that in..hehe......

I was told buy somoene that a hydrocloric acid will work great. Better then bakingsoda and water.( This info came from the owner of H&R plating. They do chrome plating and use this method to clean parts. But they juice the parts with 3000amp.)

I wonder if salt works better. I may have to give it a try next.

erictheviking

Christ I can't stop,I've done loads of parts and they have come out amazing!I reckon the next step is to use a large drum or dustbin(trashcan) and do an engine block,cylinder head or rear axle etc.If someone lends me their pool I'll stick the whole bloody car in!

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

Ha, funny you say this... a buddy already asked " can you stick a block in a plastic 55gallon drunm I have.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

ttt,

A buddy of mine called me today to ask about when I did this.

He wanted to know what if he added muriatic acid also.

and used a Old Buz box welder instead of a 100amp battery charger.

From what I read on a few of the other site is its the CURRENT that does the cleaning. not the solution mix.

so a buzz box would deff. pump out some current. but what about the acid?

gearhead0384

iTrader: (7)

So it takes just the rust off not any of un oxidized metal??

Kevin

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

Yep. I belive so.

So far I have done alot of stuff. messing aound. Works great.
1tspb of baking soda per gallon of water.
They say more is just a wate. Personally I just dump the complete box it. They are cheap enough.

2vmodular

naval jelly works, but it takes a good long while to treat thick scally rust.