Rust Removal

Using information from sites referenced in previous posts on this forum I built a rust removal setup using electrolysis. The equipment I used was:

5 gallon plastic bucket
8 pieces of 1/2" x 2" long sch. 40 pvc pipe
4 pieces of 5/8" x 17" long rebar
1 piece of 5/8" x 14" long rebar
4 5/16" x 18 grade 5 bolts
About 4 feet of #10 gauge stranded copper wire
Length of chain about 12" long
10 amp, 12 volt battery charger

I started out by cross drilling a 3/16" diameter hole through the four 17" pieces of rebar about 1" from one end. This was to hold the 10 gauge wire which electrically connected the four pieces of rebar, forming the electrical grid.

I drilled and tapped for a 5/16" bolt, a hole in the end of the rebar intersecting the cross drilled holes.

I stripped about 1/2" of insulation from the wire where it passed through each rebar and ran the bolt in to hold the wire in place, eliminating the use of clamps.As the wire exited each rebar, I bent it down and taped it to the rim of the bucket. This allowed me to place and remove the object being derusted without having to deal with the wire being in the way.

I then glued the 1/2" pvc pipe sections at four even spaces inside the bucket, four pipes at the top and the other four at the bottom of the bucket, directly in line with the top ones. These pipes hold the rebar in position, again eliminating the use of clamps.

To derust an object I bolted it to a chain and bolted the other end of the chain to the center of the 14" rebar. I lowered the object into the bucket, and laid the rebar across the top of the bucket, making sure the object did not touch the bottom of the bucket or the grid rods.

To the bucket I added 4 gallons of water in which was dissolved 4 tablespoons of washing soda (sodium carbonate)

I connected the BLACK lead of the charger to the rebar holding the object and the RED lead to the vertical grid bars (It is important that these connections are not reversed)

When the charger is energized a stream of fine bubbles can be seen rising from the object being derusted.

The first pic is the setup described above

The second pic shows the rebar suspending the object and the stream of fine bubbles rising from the object

The third pic shows the effectiveness of the process. Both brackets had the same amount of rust. The one on the left was treated for 14 hours.

I was impressed with the results and will continue to use this method for derusting small parts.

tommy b

 

I have used the same method for over 2 years not and must admit that it works like the devil. Your omission of the horrible sludge that must be removed periodically (fouls the anode rods after a while), and the collection of residue that forms in place of the rust that must be rinsed/brushed off when done, is a small oversight.

Good article and clear description. Thanks

 

Thats alright !!!! I can see a rainy day project in the future....THANKS

 

Can I do that with my swimming pool, and just put my whole jeep in it???

 

Seems like I remember reading about somebody building a setup big enough to put a frame in....I think it was a wooden frame lined with plastic. Maybe I'm dreaming....

 

cool, im gonna build it!!!! maybe this weekend......hmmmmm can i make it bigger what about using one of those hug plastic tubs:twisted:

 

Yep, here's the link.

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

 

Wow. Now that's neat.

 

How does a person.....um....PROPERLY dispose of the water/sludge after doing this? Can it just go down the drain? Pour it in the neighbors yard?

I want to do this, but don't want to create a hazardous waste dump in the process!

 

It is just iron coated water. pour it out onto your yard away from pets. Nontoxic stuff.

 

This idea I like!