Electrolysis - E tank

[meadowfield 2,545]

Hi all,

I was aware of electrolytic cleaning, but not how good it can be until I saw some of the results on the threads.

Yesterday I took a 99p bucket, some sainsburys washing soda, a battery charger and a strip of mild steel.

I dropped the top heat shield from the top of my Kohler 10hp in and left it for an hour. I was astounded by the state of the liquid was I checked and when I rinsed and cleaned with a scotch pad there was shiny metal.

I cleaned the anode and dropped it back in and left it another hour. I can safely say thay had I stripped the paint off and then done this then it's a much easier way of cleaning up old parts. It takes time, but is not labour intensive at all and gives great results.

Will post some pictures later.

mark

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

and the best part is the piece is rust free down to the MOLECULAR level - not just as good as you can get it with a wire brush or a grinder. The rust has been neutralized.

Primer it as soon as possible.

[Coadster32 793]

Glad you gave it a try. :banghead:

[rmaynard 14,921]

Unlike other methods of rust removal, this one can be done while you sleep. :banghead:

[Shuboxlover 474]

can someone post a link to how you make an e-tank

:banghead:

[neil 2,398]

i thibk im gonna give that a try mark i ve got quite a lot of stuff that needs de-rusting

[Anglo Traction 759]

Hi all,

I was aware of electrolytic cleaning, but not how good it can be until I saw some of the results on the threads.

Yesterday I took a 99p bucket, some sainsburys washing soda, a battery charger and a strip of mild steel.

mark

I'm Gonna need a Bigger Bucket ! :banghead:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,128]

can someone post a link to how you make an e-tank

SEARCH results:

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?...te=electrolysis

[meadowfield 2,545]

i thibk im gonna give that a try mark i ve got quite a lot of stuff that needs de-rusting

you have to try it, it gets the same results as wire wheeling and jenolite/just proofing win probably 3x the time, but very little labour.

It is none invasive and converts the iron oxide (red rust) to a similar oxide to that used in bluing a kind od passivation. You can leave it on or clean it off and prime over it, obviously depends on laziness/quality of material/finsih you want.

You have to do this immediately to prevent a fresh layer of oxide.

I'm using a BIG bin this weekend - maybe even the wheelie bin to do my sons Westwood W11 chassis.

Lookout for the hydrogen explosion in yorkshire!!! (jokes)

mark

[can whlvr 991]

i e tanked all kinds of things,with a 50 gallon drum,a bunch of rebar,flat iron and a small battery charger u can do allmost a whole wheelhorse,i did an auger from a snow blower,u cant sand that peice,the tank was the ticket

[landsurveyor 2]

I think I might try doing some rear wheels, as they are always a pain to brush, ready for paint.

Let us know how you get on Mark.

Simon

[meadowfield 2,545]

I think I might try doing some rear wheels, as they are always a pain to brush, ready for paint.

Let us know how you get on Mark.

Simon

It will definitely work, I would say to speed things up though, nitro mors to remove the paint first is a must.

Then you will see the results far quicker.

mark

[meadowfield 2,545]

Update on my E-tank !!!

Just been to the garage to take some more parts out and to clean the Anode...

Its a piece of 2.1mm mild steel plate and it's virtually disappeared, it has rusted away to just holes. You can now see why they are called sacrificial anodes.

mark

[btrrg1969 11]

can someone post a link to how you make an e-tank

I couldn't get Terry's to open , maybe this will http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/electrolysis.htm

[AMC RULES 36,945]

So what happens in the tank, the rust transfers to the sacrificial anode? :thumbs:

[Coadster32 793]

u can do allmost a whole wheelhorse

You certainly can!!

[neil 2,398]

:thumbs: :drool:

[Anglo Traction 759]

:thumbs: A in a Trash Can being Electrocuted and Drowned!. Still, I suppose you have to be cruel to be kind.....Nice one Chris.

[mattd860 161]

What is the optimal amount of amperage that the battery charger should be set to? I have a small 12v 4amp trickle charger but I also have another charger that will do 8amps, 15amps, and 40amps.

In the past, I tried using the 4amp trickle charger but after 3 days in the e-tank, only a small amount of rust was removed. Is it even safe to leave the 40amp charger in the e-tank for an extended period of time?

[wheelhorse656 20]

What is the optimal amount of amperage that the battery charger should be set to? I have a small 12v 4amp trickle charger but I also have another charger that will do 8amps, 15amps, and 40amps.

In the past, I tried using the 4amp trickle charger but after 3 days in the e-tank, only a small amount of rust was removed. Is it even safe to leave the 40amp charger in the e-tank for an extended period of time?

on a coupleof sites i read on it looks like the minnum u should use is 15amps. it also said the higher the amps the faster the part gets done. but also it says you should check on the part every hour. at higher amps it probly would be safe but i am not sure mabey you could try 2o amps to see if that works or the 15amps. hope this helps,Jordan :thumbs:

[stevasaurus 22,235]

10 amps works great...google "electrolysis" for some very good reading about the process. :thumbs:

[wheelhorse656 20]

10 amps works great...google "electrolysis" for some very good reading about the process.

Thanks for the info steve like i said above i was not sure i dont own one but i am goint to build on. thanks for the info i might try this. Thanks, Jordan.

[stevasaurus 22,235]

Here is the thread that I was talking about...did not realize how many pages on hair removal there were. This will answer all of your questions about the process.

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/ele...c_derusting.htm

[meadowfield 2,545]

Here is the thread that I was talking about...did not realize how many pages on hair removal there were. This will answer all of your questions about the process.

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/ele...c_derusting.htm

Because I leave mine unattended and am not in a huge rush, I use 3 Amps. However as the anode scales up the current drops anyway, so you can't make it draw huge current forever. Also once the piece becomes clean the current seems to drop significantly.

mark

[stevasaurus 22,235]

Here is the thread that I was talking about...did not realize how many pages on hair removal there were. :thumbs: