Yup, it had unsightly body hair, and it just wasnt pulling like that...

Electrolytic rust removal is a damn good idea actually, and worked very well for me. I guess its been covered before, but anyone sweating it out with "the tool" should try this. Dead cheap, pretty safe and it works a treat.

2 safety thoughts:
1) Do NOT, and i mean DO NOT, and once more with feeling DO NOT(!!!) use normal table salt (Sodium Chloride) in place of Sodium Carbonate, since the part you are cleaning will give off Chlorine gas (basically Mustard Gas), possibly in sufficient concentrations to asphyxiate you!

2) Its a good idea to wash your hands immediately after handling the solution, as its a pretty strong alkali, and can irritate your skin.

I did a Caliper bracket for about 5 hours with a gallon of water and some sodium Carbonate crystals (£1.09 from the DIY!), running it at about 20 volts and 2 amps.
It is possible to control the current by the strength of the solution (watch the ammeter go up as you add more!), or by lifting the electrode (not the bit youre cleaning) out of the solution and suspending it at the right height.

Ed.

You've been had with the crystals. Mine where 59p from Tesco!
On another saftey note to anyone who's new to the technique DO NOT EVER be tempted to use stainless to stop the electrode corroding. It gives off hexavalent chromiun which IS VERY BAD.

AGREED! electrolysis with stainless steel gives off vapourous electolytes that you cant see and you breath in, very bad for you!

Yup! I knew it was, *ahem*, baaaaaaaad, man, but I hav just read that exposure to Chromates does the following

Cancer, Dermatitis, Perforation of the septum (bit between mouth and nasal cavity), kidney failure, permanent eye damage on contact.

so NO chrome in the drink!

Ed.

So, any before any after pics??

I use caustic soda, higher current drain but so much quicker to use

Here's my electrolysis write up

quote:

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Originally posted by ed_crouch
I guess its been covered before

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<nit> Chlorine is nothing like mustard gas, except they were both used in WWI to kill people </nit>

Agree you really don't want to breath it even in low concentrations.

GEEEEEEK!

Ed.
P.S. only joking! Just cos you (probably correctly) called me out on that one!

Numpty question.
Do you have to protect machined surfaces, such as the stub axle on the uprights, so they don't get attacked by the chemicals or do said chems only attack the rust?

NO!

Thats the cool thing about electrolysis: it only attacks the rust.

I had a conversation with the missis last night about this (chemist), and we think that the electrolysis process reduces (de-oxidises!) the iron on the part being cleaned. This happens from the inside out, i.e. the reduction starts where the rust layer meets the good metal, and erodes the mechanical link between the rust and the good metal, hence the rust falls off in big chunks.

Ed.