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09-04-2012, 01:49 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 26
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Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
I am de-rusting some running boards in a 50-gal. plastic garbage can with TSP as the electrolyte and 3 4x12-inch graphite plates as the anodes off and on for several hours (8 to 10, maybe) for over a week. Power comes from a battery charger feeding through a 12v battery with the leads going from the charger to the battery to the tank ( 2 to 8 amps). Everything is going well, hydrogen bubbles coming up, etc. I have assumed that the bubbles come from converting rust to iron phosphate. Do I keep going until no more bubbles? Is there a risk of eating-up good metal? Thanks for any comments or advice.
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09-04-2012, 02:34 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: South East NJ
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
It can not eat up good metal. You can look up all the chemical details at other websites. As I understand it the red iron oxide will be removed. The black oxide of iron (I forget the name) is reconverted back to iron and left on the surface.
You need to go until the iron oxide is removed all the way at the bottom of the pits. You should not see a dark spot at the bottom of the pits. The dark spot will quickly bloom surface rust around the pit. |
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09-04-2012, 05:21 PM | #3 |
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Location: Sacramento Ca
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
it should take overnight
you will have to use a wire wheel to remove the black oxide it will come off very easy if like Kevin said ,if theres more black in the pits,just stick it back in overnight The TSP or sodium carbonate is only used for a path of the current even rusty water works good tom |
09-04-2012, 06:29 PM | #4 |
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
I looked at several websites describing the setups and electrolytes. Some preferred sodium carbonate, and some TSP. Most said that it didn't matter much, so long as the brew was of sufficient strength to conduct efficiently (there was one mention of using molasses!!). TSP won because I already had some on hand. How's that for a good reason?
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09-04-2012, 06:55 PM | #5 |
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Location: Maryville, TN
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
TSP is getting hard to find. Sodium carbonate is easy to find at the hardware or feed supply store.
Vic |
09-04-2012, 07:24 PM | #6 |
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Location: now Kuna, Idaho
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
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09-04-2012, 07:30 PM | #7 |
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Location: Fresno, Ca.
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
I've had it take 2-4 sessions, at 12 hour shifts. I must drag home rustier junk.
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09-04-2012, 09:09 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Mpls, MN
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
I used washing soda in tap water and my 6 amp battery charger. My very rusty Cub Cadet wheel came out great after two days. I did have to pull up the steel rods a few times to clean the crud off them. Here are some pictures. Someone used calcium cloride in the tires for weight and the wheels had very heavy rust from it. After the rust removal had done it's job I rinsed in hot water while giving it a light wire brushing.
Last edited by Tom Wesenberg; 09-04-2012 at 09:42 PM. |
09-05-2012, 09:12 AM | #9 |
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Antonio Texas
Posts: 636
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
What is the ratio water to TSP or sodium carbonate?I"d like to try this for some wire rims I have should be better/cheaper than blasting,thanx Webb.
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09-05-2012, 09:27 AM | #10 |
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Location: Fresno, Ca.
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
Texas,
I used "fordgarage" ratio on his site( #3 above ) works good.. .............................www.fordgarage.com........................ |
09-05-2012, 09:42 AM | #11 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Mpls, MN
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
I used about half a cup of washing soda in the laundry tub about half full of warm water.
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09-05-2012, 09:55 AM | #12 |
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Location: So Minn
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
I did a flathead V8 block with sodium carbonate (washing soda) and it took about 2 weeks continuous with the charger hooked up through a battery, but it cleaned out the insides too. The main problem I had was that the re-bar that I used for electrodes had to be cleaned off every day and pretty much ate away to nothing before I was done. I have since purchased some graphite rod but have not used it yet. Vince's Ford Garage site says it doesn't have the same crud problems that the re-bar has.
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09-05-2012, 12:06 PM | #13 |
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Location: Sacramento Ca
Posts: 1,179
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
rebar is a waste of time
find some old 4 in pipe or even an old disc brake i use any old heavy scrap of iron you MUST clean the sacrificial iron every day |
09-05-2012, 01:39 PM | #14 |
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Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
That must be where the term "slower than molasses" came from that my mother use to use all the time!
Last edited by CarlG; 09-05-2012 at 02:03 PM. |
09-07-2012, 08:43 AM | #15 |
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Location: North Dakota
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
PH Plus sourced from pool supplies in Walmart is about $7 for 5 lbs, pure sodium carbonate. Powdered lye works well as electrolyte and gets rid of paint at the same time!
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09-07-2012, 09:20 AM | #16 |
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Location: Bucks Co, Pa
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
It really doesn't matter! The "Pollutant" that you use merely helps the conductivity of the water. The dirtier the better! To flip the situation, Try doing it in distilled with zero conductivity! You'd have to contaminate the water with something to get a result. Once the water has been used for de rusting, it's good. I will concede that maybe some products are better at conducting than others. But almost anything will work. One to try is rocksalt. Sodium Chloride works well in other forms of analysis.
Terry |
09-07-2012, 10:26 AM | #17 |
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Location: Portland OR
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
I don't know about TSP or other concoctions but with washing soda the brew can be dumped on the ground for your iron loving plants.
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09-07-2012, 09:56 PM | #18 | |
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Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 140
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Re: Electrolytic rust removal -- when to quit?
My gawd, that's beautiful (wiping away a tiny tear of joy)
seriously, I need to try this on *something*. Quote:
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