WOW! electrolytic rust removal

Balvar24 · Post by **Balvar24** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:27 am

I'm thinking maybe a Harbor Freight Tarp. One could be had for $20 $30. I've got one now over my m416 holding up about 5-10 gallons of water. The most pressure that a 4' deep tank would see would be around 1.7 PSI. If I spaced 8' long 2x4's on 2' centers, the most force seen would be no more than around 30 lbs. I'm intrigued. I may try some fenders first. I've got some scraps that I can build a tank frame out of. I'll keep you posted.

Bretto · Post by **Bretto** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:56 pm

I just pull and cleaned my T90 case out last night. Wow again.

If you've got an area in the yard, dig a hole and line it with plastic. Just keep any kiddies away! When done poke holes in the liner (if you don't care about it), let it drain into the soil, remove the plastic and backfill. Could be a lot of work for a tub sized hole though.

Here is a guy that built a tank to do a trailer frame.
http://www.antique-engines.com/trailer-electrolysis.htm

Balvar24 · Post by **Balvar24** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:27 pm

The trailer thing looked pretty neat. Looks like if you aren't careful, you'd be better off putting the money towards soda or sandblasting.

Bretto · Post by **Bretto** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 11:01 am

Balvar24 · Post by **Balvar24** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 1:41 pm

Bretto · Post by **Bretto** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:11 pm

Thanks, clean enough for a kitchen table center piece.

RICKG · Post by **RICKG** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:08 pm

it'll be a shame to paint it huh??

SFCKUNERT · Post by **SFCKUNERT** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 6:06 pm

Is anybody still doing this?

billybob · Post by **billybob** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 7:17 pm

sfckunert I tried it on My gas tank for several hours and it did a fairly good job. After that I tried the molasses method for about two weeks. Then I rinsed it and poured in about a gallon of small gravel and about a gallon of the molasses mixture. I then made a jig to mount it to my concrete mixer and let it run for about an hour in various positions. I know it sounds like a lot of work but I was VERY pleased with the results. After I rinsed it good with soapy water and dried it GOOD I gave it a coat of "red kote" sealer and as I've already said I'm very happy with the results. U-tube has lot of videos on molasses rust removal. I got the molasses at my local feed store. They are the type made for cattle feed. Mine cost about $1.50 per gal. Don use too small of gravel because there are too many places for it to hang up making it harder to get it out of the tank. Now I know.

DMCarpenter · Post by **DMCarpenter** » Sun Dec 01, 2013 8:08 pm

I made a tank out of the big plastic containers with a wire cage around it that chemicals come in. I cut the top off. I can get fairly sizable pieces in there. The pictures I saw above with rebar in 2x4's mounted give me an idea to improve mine. It does work well.

jimm · Post by **jimm** » Wed Dec 04, 2013 11:03 pm

I have experimented with both, and have found that sheet steel for the anode works much better than rebar because there is so much more surface area. With rebar, the anode becomes the limiting factor in the speed of the process, plus the crud builds up on it really fast because the action is concentrated. Consider that an inch of 3/8" diameter rebar has just over 1 sq. inch of surface area; four pieces gives you under 5 sq. inches per inch of length. Whereas a piece of sheet steel lining a 5 gallon bucket gives you somewhere around 30 sq. inches per inch of depth (I don't count the back side of the sheet) and much more uniform exposure for the cathode (part being de-rusted). Any thickness of plain carbon sheet metal (not galvanized!) that you can shape will work, but thicker will last longer. A local sheet metal fabricator may have scraps that they will just give you. Junk automotive panel steel will work, too.

SFCKUNERT · Post by **SFCKUNERT** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:52 am

Great point. I tried this process over the weekend with the rebar and an exhaust manifold with great results. I'll try ton get some pictures of my setup and the results tonight. In going to try the sheet metal method this weekend.

Bretto · Post by **Bretto** » Thu Dec 05, 2013 7:33 pm

Works great doesn't it? I haven't had to de-rust anything for a while but it's a nice tool to have available.

Balvar24 · Post by **Balvar24** » Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:33 am

I'm always afraid I'm going to burn the house down.

WOW! electrolytic rust removal

Electrical rust and paint removal

wow!electrolyic rust removal