Serious mad-scientist $hit

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:27 pm

Ok boys and girls, grab a squat I'm gonna drop some serious science on you. I've been picking up old tools at flea markets and online for a couple of years now and they all have one thing in common RUST! I have used various methods to restore and make these tools useful again. Mechanical method is sanding/steel wool or wire brush/wheel, DIRTY. Chemical method is vinegar ( makes me puke - got to do this outside ) or evaporust, make a big stinky mess. This time I'm going to embrace science to solve my problem. I've built a reverse electrolysis tank. The theory is that by passing a current through the rusty part in a electrolytic solution the oxide will be removed from the host and be deposited on a sacrificial host, been watching lots of videos and wanted to try it.

Ok, now to the build. Bought a cheap old style battery charger off craigslist for $10, found a 2 gal bucket in the shed, used 2 hunks of iron for the sacrificial anodes, some steel wire I had left over from installing a fence and washing soda and water for the electrolytic solution.

Mounted the plate to the side of bucket with zip ties and connected them with a piece of wire.

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399238869.848716.jpg (104.77 KiB) Viewed 1454 times

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:32 pm

The next step was to connect rusty part with wire and suspend in bucket.

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399238968.798460.jpg (89.49 KiB) Viewed 1452 times

Next fill bucket with water and about 1 cup of washing soda and mix till dissolved.

Connect charger to leads - anode (+) to the plates and cathode (-) to the rusty object.

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399239136.499321.jpg (105.43 KiB) Viewed 1452 times

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399239152.165512.jpg (114.76 KiB) Viewed 1452 times

Plug it in, set to stun and watch the fun.

Post by **WLJ** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:35 pm

BOOM!

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:35 pm

Here is a not so good picture of it working, it's bubbling like crazy.

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399239300.665412.jpg (83.97 KiB) Viewed 1449 times

Stay tuned to see if it works or I burn my house down.

Post by **Dustin** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:40 pm

nemo wrote:
Stay tuned to see if it works or I burn my house down.

What ever it's going to be cool to watch.

Post by **WLJ** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:45 pm

nemo wrote: Stay tuned to see if it works or I burn my house down.

I got the hotdogs!

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 5:51 pm

Thanks for the vote of confidence. So far about an hour and a nice rusty scum has formed on the surface.

Post by **86 slo-vo** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:01 pm

Been thinking about making one of these for a while.

Post by **WLJ** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:02 pm

nemo wrote:Thanks for the vote of confidence. So far about an hour and a nice rusty scum has formed on the surface.

I'm just bored, hope it works.

Post by **Wyldman** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:05 pm

Good luck, Nemo. You have science on your side.....

From the Wyldphone

Eireguy · Post by **Eireguy** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:17 pm

I've built a small one of these to clean old Roman coins . It works on them

http://www.youtube.com/user/ssracer02 · Post by **ssracer** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:31 pm

Post by **jackalo626** » Sun May 04, 2014 6:54 pm

Staying tuned for pics

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:03 pm

Before:

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399244505.299826.jpg (130.1 KiB) Viewed 1397 times

After 2 hour in tank and dry:

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399244537.616161.jpg (123.53 KiB) Viewed 1397 times

Already seeing flash rust, got to put something on it.

Post by **guncrank1** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:49 pm

nemo wrote:Before:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399244505.299826.jpg
After 2 hour in tank and dry:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399244537.616161.jpg
Already seeing flash rust, got to put something on it.

Meh , 2 hours

Muratic acid /water/soap -about 40 seconds- no rust or grease.

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:51 pm

After a scrub with a scotch brite and a coat of water displacement #40 spray.

: ImageUploadedByTapatalk1399247509.350631.jpg (125.63 KiB) Viewed 1382 times

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:53 pm

guncrank1 wrote:
Meh , 2 hours

Muratic acid /water/soap -about 40 seconds- no rust or grease.

Might have to give that a try.

Post by **guncrank1** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:54 pm

Good job nepot

Use a similiar process to remove Nickle plating.

Post by **guncrank1** » Sun May 04, 2014 7:56 pm

nemo wrote:
guncrank1 wrote:
Meh , 2 hours

Muratic acid /water/soap -about 40 seconds- no rust or grease.
Might have to give that a try.

Need to be big boy - vapor can make your girly eyes water :llama:

Post by **Toddstang** » Sun May 04, 2014 8:20 pm

Next up: Cooking meth in the bathroom with nemo!

Post by **Toddstang** » Sun May 04, 2014 8:20 pm

Good work!

Post by **bigelowe** » Sun May 04, 2014 9:03 pm

Toddstang wrote:Next up: Cooking meth in the bathroom with nemo!

Lmao

1fastmach1 · Post by **1fastmach1** » Sun May 04, 2014 9:14 pm

Why not just sandblast it?

Post by **Frailer** » Sun May 04, 2014 10:41 pm

guncrank1 wrote:
nemo wrote:
guncrank1 wrote:
Meh , 2 hours

Muratic acid /water/soap -about 40 seconds- no rust or grease.
Might have to give that a try.
Need to be big boy - vapor can make your girly eyes water

Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid; dpending on the concentration used, it can also dissolve your lungs.

Not stuff you want to play with unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Post by **nemo** » Sun May 04, 2014 11:05 pm

In conclusion after judging results and time spent, think I'll stay with using the chemical rust removal method. Using evaporust works great, doesn't harm paint and is water soluble. At $25 a gallon I need to find a way to filter it so it can be used again.

Kentucky Armory Club