Electrolysis Tank Recommendations

[HorseFixer 2,013]

I have a 35 Gal plastic Barrel that is about 17 1/2 Wide and about 28" deep. I plan on installing a Bulkhead fitting on the bottom to drain and maybe another for future options. How many electrodes would you install of a tank this size and what would be the spacing of the electrodes? I do have some 1 1/2" Angle Iron Would that be Okay? Here are some pics of Barrel I have.

~Duke

[can whlvr 994]

they say the more the better as the process works off of line of sight kinda,if a part is not in the line of a rod it wont get stripped,and angle will work,i made one with any thing i had laying around

[rmaynard 16,290]

The general rule of thumb is that the more surface that you have for your anodes, the better. If there was a way that the whole tank could be lined with steel plates or rods, you would have a more efficient system. You are trying to get a flow of electrons from the cathode (item being de-rusted), to the anode. The more surface that is available for those little electrons to flow to the better.

[fireman 1,022]

Duke,

I used 1/8" sheets of steel to line the inside of my barrel. They last forever and gave great results.

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,527]

I have used both larger tanks and smaller 5 gal buckets with mixed results. If you are looking to do small parts then go with the 5 gal bucket and load it up with sac metal and it works great. The more water volume you have the longer it will take to work.

[rmaynard 16,290]

The more water volume you have the longer it will take to work.

That's a good point. If you are going to put a bulkhead fitting in the bottom of the tank, you could easily drain the solution to a point where it is just covering the part being worked on.

Don't forget to completely clean the anodes every now and then.

[Rooster 192]

I am not arguing with anyone about the line of sight , I have not done any large, flat parts.

But, I have done this 4 times now...A crank Shaft, a Camshaft and a flat seat bracket.....and I did a tube just for testing.

Each time I used only 1 anode and both sides of the part cleaned off equally, no line of sight issue what so ever.

Surface area is definitely a difference. I switched from round bars to flat plates and it worked much better, you could see a definite increase in the amount of "bubble" action with the larger flat plates.

[stevasaurus 23,274]

All of the above is correct Bob. Ultimately, line of sight, and a container sized for the part to clean is the best. Do not use stainless steel, copper, or aluminum for cleaning or anodes...only ferrous steel and iron should be in contact with the solution. I use a c-clamp to hold smaller parts below the solution and put my clip on the top of the c-clamp. Also, hold your anodes up a little from the bottom of the container...no grounding out from sediments.

[Rooster 192]

If the part falls over and your charger lead is in the water...your charger will need a new lead...

[Actonhorse 26]

In a tank that size I have used 1/2"round bars with good results, I think we had 6 around the tank. My 14 year old son made the tank to derust his lawn ranger. It did an amazing job, you just have to be patient!

[Rollerman 290]

One thing thats pretty slick about electrolysis, you don't need to be present to do it.

Get your part or parts set up & you can move on to another project while the tanks does it's trick.

Everything said above is good info.

I use 2 1/2" wide strips of iron about a 1/4" thick & have good results & off the bottom of the tank as Steve mentioned.

Keeping the sacrificial anodes clean is messy, but needs to be done regularly for best results.

I've seen 12volt light bulbs used in some tank setups to act as an indicator, if the light burns dimmer & dimmer the anodes are in need of cleaning or changed.

Mine is powered by a 25amp 12volt fan cooled power supply, no it's not running 25amps constant....but it's worked out great & does a better job than automotive type battery chargers.

[Rooster 192]

To keep your anodes cleaner, you can put a piece of steel in the tank and reverse your polarity.

[can whlvr 994]

i also made a tank from a steel barrel,i still have (no camera though )and it worked great and no holes developed in the several times i used it,i think a bigger source of power would speed it up though

[can whlvr 994]

found one of the steel etank