Electrolosis(sp?) Crap I don't know even know how to spell it!

[WRX2FFU]

So I am cleaning up my chevy 4x4 knuckles to be used on my upcoming "Godzirra" legacy project and I am thinking this sucks.

 

 

I got these knuckles from the junk yard. They are old and really rusty so I want to clean and paint them with ceramic paint. Ok, no big deal right?

 

Wrong! They are really rusty and just all around crappy and to clean them would take forever.

 

I think to my self - I wonder if electrolosis would work?

 

So I get a cheap plastic bin from big lots, A 99 cent box of baking soda, an old battery charger, A junk chevy truck rotor, and some water.

 

I fill the bin with water, then dump in the box of baking soda mixing it in. Clean off a spot to hook the clamp from the battery charger on the rotor and set it in the tub of water. Then I cleaned a small spot on the knuckle to hook the other battery charger lead. Put it in the water.

 

Stand back and plug in the charger........ Well the charger loaded down as it should and within seconds i could see bubbles coming from both pieces of steel.

 

I could not remember which lead to hook to the sacrificial piece so I moved them around after a few minutes and got them right.

 

So the thing has been setting for about 4 hours. The water now looks like sewage but it is working great.

 

So if you ever have any rusty metal you want cleaned with out expensive chemicals or lots of elbow grease, give electroliosiss:grin: a try.

 

I'll post some before and after pics when it's done.

Edited December 29, 2009 by WRX2FFU

[Legacy777]

Yeah I'd like to see some before and after pictures when you get a chance.

[WRX2FFU]

Ok, got some pics.

 

This is what it looks before it goes in the soup.

 

 

 

Six hours in the soup. Still has minor surface rust but when I spray it with brake cleaner before I paint it it should be good to go. I might even put it back in for a couple more hours.

 

 

Next to a subaru knuckle so i can compare what was to what will be.

 

[MilesFox]

Looks great. i wish i knew about this trick when i de-rusted my entire rear suspension on the 87 RX. i spent a good week with a wire wheel and naval jelly, and was picking rust boogers out of my nose.

[Frank B]

Actually, you need to use Arm and Hammer Washing Soda.

 

1/2 cup of washing soda for 5 gallons of water.

Neg on the piece, Pos on your electode.

[daredevil1166]

I've been using electrolysis for years.

 

Works great.

 

 

Good instructions here if anyone's interested.

 

http://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp

[edrach]

Story I got from my brother when he served in the army (don't ask me which war): They were required to take their rifles apart and clean the metal pieces and re-install them. Hours of wire brushing and then cleaning with a solvent. One of the more clever GI's discovered if he dropped the pieces in a jar of warm coca-cola, they were bright and shiny in the morning.

 

True story, I never confirmed it since I don't do guns; but I thought it was interesting.

[MilesFox]

Carbonic Acid.

[Scoobywagon]

Carbonic Acid.

 

You mean soda water?

[Frank B]

That's an old trick to remove the rust in motorcycle tanks. Fill half with coke, throw in some bb's or little nuts and shake it up.

[Splinter]

I have images in my mind of my brat and an above ground swimming pool

[Markus56]

You can also let the rusty thing soak in straight vinegar. It takes the rust right off with some minor wire brush action.

[TeamCF]

I've heard of doing this many times. Never tried it though. Might have to try it out sometime.

 

 

I have images in my mind of my brat and an above ground swimming pool

[Txakura]

I have images in my mind of my brat and an above ground swimming pool

 

http://antique-engines.com/trailer-electrolysis.htm

Edited February 8, 2010 by Txakura

[Setright]

Nice work!

 

Good idea...I intend to copy it

[Txakura]

I just got my Subaru knuckles back from the hot tank. I have the rusty parts wired for tomorrow. I'm baking soda at 300 Fahrenheit for an hour to convert it as per the directions on that website. Tomorrow I'll mix the solution and put a battery charger to it and put up some before and after photos. This is waaay cool.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Txakura
300F is not swearing

[Txakura]

Left everything boiling like mad, hoping the shop is still there tomorrow :-\

 

I realized today an old cooler would make a nice tub for this, built in drain to rinse it out and all plastic... handles for moving and a lid for storage.

 

wanna hear something funny? some guy's web site had his before and after... he couldn't figure out why his part was rustier than before he dipped it

 

if you read his text, he connected the positive to the part to be cleaned - he doubled his crud

[Txakura]

Thank you WRX2FFU for posting this, this is the coolest shop trick. I got amazing results and this is a great tool to have in the inventory of old school tricks.

[s'ko]

how long did you leave it in there for?

 

Looks great

 

BW

[Txakura]

overnight, I could have cut it short and used a conversion coating once the majority was off but wanted to see how far it would go

[7point62fmj]

TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE

Knowen as TSP. Is the best stuff to use. It is getting harder to find due to EPA restrictions. You can stil find it at Lowes.

[Nug]

I'm gonna have to try this. I need to clean a fuel tank. Maybe fill it with a TSP/water solution, and run an electrode into the sender hole, and connect to my welder (on low).

[WRX2FFU]

Thank you WRX2FFU for posting this, this is the coolest shop trick. I got amazing results and this is a great tool to have in the inventory of old school tricks.

 

No problem. Parts look great!

 

It saves a tone of elbow grease, and is good for the environment.

 

The funny part is that you waste a tone of time just watching the crap in amazement.

 

I will almost never wire brush or sandblast some parts again.

[Txakura]

TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE

Knowen as TSP. Is the best stuff to use. It is getting harder to find due to EPA restrictions. You can stil find it at Lowes.

 

 

I'm not sure about that, the soda ash takes part in the chemical process as an electrolyte, TSP is a cleaner - and a good one, but it would have different chemical properties. TSP is readily available at any hardware store or paint supply but it's akaline.

 

The soda ash is acidic and is listed in those outside web links in this thread as being the preferred cleaner. My point being, other people have gone to some trouble to compile the web postings, if all they had to do was buy some TSP and dump it in, I think they would have mentioned it.

 

My own mad scientist contraption was sustaining 6 amps. Overnight it dropped to 2 amps. There are several reasons for that I'm sure, but the electrolyte's composition could have been changing too. The acidic mixture may have also been a catalyst in that it enabled the electron transfer but also was consumed in the process as well as the electrical potential of the parts changing over time. Interestingly, changing the fluid bath caused the 2 amp pot to resume at 6 amps. The alkaline bath may work, but not as well. As the original post was baking soda, but cooking off the soda to form a crude soda ash yielded even better results.

Edited March 3, 2010 by Txakura
typo

[7point62fmj]

I'm not sure about that, the soda ash takes part in the chemical process as an electrolyte, TSP is a cleaner - and a good one, but it would have different chemical properties. TSP is readily available at any hardware store or paint supply but it's akaline.

 

The soda ash is acidic and is listed in those outside web links in this thread as being the preferred cleaner. My point being, other people have gone to some trouble to compile the web postings, if all they had to do was buy some TSP and dump it in, I think they would have mentioned it.

 

My own mad scientist contraption was sustaining 6 amps. Overnight it dropped to 2 amps. There are several reasons for that I'm sure, but the electrolyte's composition could have been changing too. The acidic mixture may have also been a catalyst in that it enabled the electron transfer but also was consumed in the process as well as the electrical potential of the parts changing over time. Interestingly, changing the fluid bath caused the 2 amp pot to resume at 6 amps. The alkaline bath may work, but not as well. As the original post was baking soda, but cooking off the soda to form a crude soda ash yielded even better results.

 

There are a few states that have banned cleaners with phosphate in them I could only find one store out of 5 that had straight TSP. I am also not sure how you came to the idea that I was saying electricity was not needed to do it.:-\

Here is some more good info too.

 

http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=47973&p=397473&hilit=electrolysis#p397473

 

Here