General Electrolysis thread. >What has your experience been

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What would be the best method to remove rust without damaging the decal?

I tried it on a bike chain and when done it had a lot of pot marks and holes in some parts. I don't know if the holes were from the rust or if that from the electrolysis.

>>1171806
Vinegar? Not sure if it damages decal or not, but it didn't remove the paint off my knife. Just place it in a bucket of vinegar for a few days.

>>1171804
>What have you found to be the prefered method of rust removal?
I use lemon juice on the steel pins for my kayak caddie, but I'm more interested in function than fashion in that sense. The metal has tarnished and has black spots all over it, but no rust and the structural integrity of the pins has been holding for the past 3 years.

>>1171804
Used to use it for removing rust from guns but it always seems to effect the bluing. So now its just regulated to items where i don't care if i have to refinish them.

Has worked great at refurbing old tools

>>1171806
I don't think its possible. Either way you will destroy any collector value.

>>1171806
Bucket of salt water for a few weeks will clean that right up senpai

>>1171806
leave it alone
assuming you actually own this helmet, preserve its current condition if you care anything for historic value

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>>1172493
this

>>1171806
Evapo-Rust.

Thank me later.

>>1171806
like everyone has said, removing the rust will also remove whatever collector value is left, which for an authentic m-35 helmet can be anywhere from 50 bucks to over 1000. if you dont care about that and the liner is missing or irreparable then your best bet is probably acid

scrub as much dirt and loose rust off as you can with some warm water and mild soap, then mix up some diluted muriatic or oxalic acid (whichever you can find). you can also brew a super strong pot of tea and use the tannic acid in that to remove the rust

just check on it often and brush off any loosened rust/replace the solution if it gets too weak. and follow obvious acid safety shit

afterwards toss it in a bucket of warm water with baking soda mixed in to neutralize any acid remaining in the pores, otherwise itll just rust up again right away

you can try sealing it with some varnish or something but oils and distillates run the risk of fucking up the decals

>>1172202
>I don't think its possible. Either way you will destroy any collector value.
>>1172493
looks like M36 helmet widely used in europe during WWII
if so, it doesnt have much value anyways

https://auction.bg/Auction/3420226/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%9C36-5
https://auction.bg/Auction/3420231/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%9C36-6

these are with bulgarian army insignia and cost around 10$ each

>>1171810
They were from the rust. Electrolysis only moves rust particles. That's why it's so great at restoration.

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>>1171804
>File: Sam1Left.jpg

US $1,275.00
>+$11.25 shipping

I left my stainless steel leatherman in a wet salt water bag. There's rust in the hinges and deep in the tool. Best way to remove it without damaging the steel?

>>1177075
For electrolysis csn the whole tool be submerged with the positive wire touching it in solution or does part of the tool have to be out of the water?

>>1177081
You should submerge it fully.

DO NOT USE THIS FOR CHROME OR STAINLESS STEEL

TOXIC GAS AND ILLEGAL.

>>1177096
>ILLEGAL.

How about a link to that law.

>>1177096
It shouldn't matter if the stainless steel part is the one getting cleaned. You shouldn't use stainless steel as the other electrode, though.

>>1177224
Dunno about laws, but if such law exists, it's about hexavalent chromium.

>>1177226
If you're in Europe

>>1177224
Its not a law. improper dispossal of hazmat is though. using stainless creates hazmat

>>1177251
>using stainless creates hazmat
>>1177226
>It shouldn't matter if the stainless steel part is the one getting cleaned.

Cleaning stainless by electrolysis doesn't produce hazardous material.

>>1177096
Same poster here.

I am referencing hexavalent chromium. I don't care too much about laws but i posted the warning because every guide/tutorial has said not to use stainless steel or chrome plated items because its lethal gas being produced.

Is there credible source that states you can clean stainless steel but not use it for electrodes? Why would you even need to de-rust stainless steel anyway since it doesn't rust..

>>1177578
Hexavalent chromium is produced by electrolytic oxidation of chromium and that happens on the sacrificial electrode only. The work piece is getting reduced.
Not too sure where that "lethal gas" comes from. Maybe it's referring to the spray produced by electrolysis, which will contain whatever trash the solution has. Or chlorine or whatever if you choose your electrolyte badly, but that isn't really specific to stainless.

>Why would you even need to de-rust stainless steel anyway since it doesn't rust..
Well, yeah. It gets rust spots and blackens sometimes, though.

>>1177587
so it is a solid and not a gas? if it is gas its obviously lethal but if its solid you will be fine as long as you don't get it on you right? i am no expert on this subject.

>>1177614
Hexavalent chromium is an ion. It can be dissolved in water (as is usually the case if it is generated by electrochemical or purely chemical means) or bonded to negative ions to form a salt that is usually encountered as a solid. This is the form that is produced by hot working of stainless steel and chrome, and it is a fine particulate that is easily inhaled.

>>1177617
>particulate that is easily inhaled.
then my warning is not pointless :D

>>1177614
It doesn't really matter if it's a "real" gas or a dissolved solid in the fine spray produced by electrolysis. You shouldn't inhale either.
One can also speculate that if the electrolyte contains chlorides (it shouldn't), you could get some chromyl chloride, which is a (volatile) liquid. Dunno how likely that is and the chlorine gas generation would be a more immediate hazard in any case.

>>1177578
>every guide/tutorial has said not to use stainless steel or chrome plated items because its lethal gas being produced.


Yeah they say use Graphite, Gold or Platinum - which is ideal if you're a fucking millionaire.

>>1171806
use warm sugar water and soap

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I've used it before to remove rust from an old bench I restored. I was mainly trying to get the rust removed from all the pits in the cast iron. This video shows how to mix the solution of Super Washing Soda available at all grocery stores -

https://youtu.be/y4yYF8gSHdA

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>>1178198
Mix your solution. I used an old brake drum as the sacrificial piece of metal

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>>1178199
Hook up your car battery charger. Note the negative goes on the piece you want rust removed, and the positive goes to the piece rust will move too. Just think you want negative rust
>dat bubbling

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>>1178200
I gave it 24 hrs which was more than enough time. All the rust moved over to the brake drum

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>>1178201
The rust is gone but it left behind some black residue that I had to wire brush off. desu if it was a smooth piece I probably would have just wirebrushed it, but I wanted rust removed from the pits too.

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>>1178203
Hitting it with the wire brush to clean the surface stuff off.

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>>1178205
and viola, rust is gone. Wire brush wouldn't have been enough here so the electrolysis was definitely necessary for deep penetration. If I had bought my sand blaster sooner I would have gone that route, would have been much faster. But this worked much better than expected.

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>>1178207
Make sure to prime it when done, or at least add a coat of clear to keep it from rusting again. I added three coats

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>>1178210
Added three coats of paint, and three coats of clear as well. Takes a long time but it'll hold up for years to come

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>>1178211
aaand done. she looks freaking great on my front porch, huge difference. Just a subtle way to tell the neighbors you're a liiitle bit better than them lol j/k. That's all folks, hopefully this has been helpful

>>1178200
That thumbnail looks nsfw

Question:

Would it be possible to use electrolysis on the inside of a steel tank without submerging the entire thing?

>>1178214
looks nice dude

fuck your neighbors

>>1178574
probably, but if it is bigger than you can flip then my bet is you shouldnt be using electrolysis. we talkin a fueler truck? or a fire extinguisher? cause the latter can be done, the former, well you wouldnt be bringing that to /die/

>>1177666
you know graphite is basically pencil lead, and it's cheap as fuck, right?

>>1171806
Peroxide and vinegar. It's a brief immersion and you'd do well to scrub it with a super-saturated salt and citric acid solution first.

>>1177081
You don't want the wire in contact with it an solution you'll get galvanic effects.

>>1175789
Anything with a swastika is work 10x more though

>>1178603
Just use a steel wire.

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I have an electrolysis rig.

I don't use it for delicate projects or anything painted, since the cleaning action removes everything adhering to the metal and the electrolytic solution is highly basic and tends to ruin paint or lacquering anyhow. That stuff gets Evaporust, which is just as effective as electrolysis but is much gentler on finishes. The only reason why I don't use it for everything is the cost.

>>1178865
The Harbor Freight in my area carries it. Using a 20-25% off coupon helps reduce the cost.

>>1177226
Why is this? My electrolysis tank is stainless. 304l I believe. The tank is the electrode.

>>1178421
Gotta say m8 I'm not seeing it? Show me using some ms paint skills
>protip: girls only want boyfriends who have great skills

>>1178584
thanks m9 desu idgaf about them. It's my property and I just care to make it nice for myself so when company comes over they can be like nice place nigga and fuxk my couch up

>>1171804
The best rust removing method is this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_cyanate
t.real chemist

>>1178934
Hexavalent chromium. Electrolyte turning yellow? It's this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chromate

>>1178586
larger than a fire extinguisher but comparable. Would I need to completely fill it?

>>1180134
>Would I need to completely fill it?
It only works where the solution is touching.

>>1179492
You'd need a lot of that to change the color of the liquid to yellow. Iron hydroxides do that too, and they're much easier to produce.

>>1178207
Sand blasters are annoying and your electrolysis worked fine. Electrolysis is often used on expensive machine tool parts during restorations where blasting roughens the surface.

Nice work.

I like doing electrolysis but i just read about hydrogen embrittlement and now im pissed.... why does every method have to be something that makes it not worth doing.

>>1178203
>The rust is gone but it left behind some black residue that I had to wire brush off.

That's Fe3O4, chemically converted from a thin layer of the remaining surface rust. It's "Black rust" which doesn't further damage the item and serves as a protective coating. People long ago used to induce it as a way to keep their tools from falling apart.

>>1179487
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_cyanate


Explain?

>>1181263
Intredasting, guess I could have left it alone but didn't want to take any chances.

>themoreyouknow.jpeg

>>1181263
I made a mistake. Its this : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thioglycolic_acid
The salt of it potassium thioglycolate
I remove rust from Steel or stones, because its free of acids. When it reacts with rust it chainge the colour to violett. Because its a solution in water, you can spray in corners...

https://www.hygi.de/mellerud_rostflecken_entferner_fuer_alle_steinoberflaechen,pd,64193.html?mcid=5&gclid=CJnc8YqIidQCFWgo0wodX6cBCA