rust removal

[RDT]

Can anyone tell me about using electrolysis to remove rust from tools-I recall once having read an article about online but can't find it now...Thanks

[Swingman]

for starters, and one of possibly many. Also, IIRC, bridger posted an informative post on rust removal a few years back that you may find archived on Google.

[Jay Pique]

Google on electrolysis rust remov*

I've been doing a bunch of it. Works like a charm. Go to the pool section at the borg for sodium carbonate. Get some tie-wire and some scrap steel (rebar, flat-bar, anything ungalvanized) and then wire it all together inside a plastic tub of needed size. I use a clear one to make sure the tool doesn't touch the scrap steel.

Be careful if you're buying a battery charger, the new ones have processors that won't work. You want an old one, or you'll have to go to Radio Shack and do some EE.

Pick up some kerosene too. If you don't wipe them down with rust protectant afterwords they'll rust again in a hurry. Good luck. JP

[bridger]

there are several good sites on the web explaining the process.

I bought a new one with some kind of overcharging limiter on it and found that out the hard way. I ended up using an old motorcycle charger, which works fine, but slowly. has anybody tried a computer power supply yet?

[Jay Pique]

built power source. There's a web page out there that gives you the instructions. I'm not sure how it's better, but I think he said that it converted more rust into metal or something like that. A rusty old battery charger has worked fine for me.

JP

[C & M]

[Jay Pique]

Thanks for the link C&M. I've noticed that I get areas of black that won't really come off at all, no matter the length of time I leave them in the bath. Here's the link I was looking for earlier, which shows how to build your power source...

might need to build one since I tried derusting my rusty old battery charger. I hooked the positive lead to my anode , the negative back to the rusty casing itself, and tossed the lot into my tank. Results not pretty.

JP

************** Darwinian.

[bridger]

those areas may have oil on them, keeping the water from getting to the metal. try a degreaser.

[dingbat]

I've used a 200A PSU from a Vax, but that was for rather a large job (canal narrowboat)

In general, avoid computer PSUs. They're switch modes, so they'll go into grumpy shutdown modes if you don't pull enough current from them. They're also far too powerful for wooddorking restoration, so they're too inclined to try and kill you.

You're working with both wet hands in a conductive electrolyte here. I know it's only a few volts, but this is fecking dangerous and really could spoil your day - a cross-chest belt is no fun at all.

If you can't find an old battery charger, just find a 12V transformer with a couple of amps output and a nice big bridge rectifier. The electronics is trivial, so long as you can make a decent solder joint and work on mains voltages with adequate insulated workmanship to avoid killing yourself.

There are also some "digital camera PSUs" around - wall-warts with 2A DC at 12V (more current than the typical wall-wart). These should work fine.

[bridger]

vax had a lot of machinery in it. I bet that sucker made the rust boil....

the PC power supplies I'm familliar with, and have some potential donors hanging about, have 5v and 12v output leads on them. I was figuring on using one of the 12v leads, but hadn't really thought about it more than that.

[Australopithecus scobis]

Grocery store has sodium carbonate: "washing soda" Rubberized mesh drawer liner wrapped around 'trodes or object can help prevent shorts. Don't submerge the clamp you hooked to the sacrificial metal...

[Jay Pique]

Will do. JP