Electic rust removal?

[ggggr]

Did I read it on here or somewhere else? I think a battery or charger were involved and some solution made up that is fairly easy to get hold of OR a household product. I suppose its like the copper plating we did in school but to take rhe rust off rather than put it on. Thanks for any help (must dig out the battery charger.

[Airsporter1st]

..... I'm just about to try beadblasting a Mk 1 Airsporter to remove the rust, but its sure to end up a bit pitted. Possibly electrolysis would be kinder?

[edbear2]

I personally, if it is a real rust bucket, put them in a lathe!.500rpm and start with 240 grit pads on a block......end up with say 800-1000rpm and 1000/1200 and you are ready to polish......bit messy on the machine, so have beaded the truly awful ones I have done.....

[T 20]

Did I read it on here or somewhere else? I think a battery or charger were involved and some solution made up that is fairly easy to get hold of OR a household product. I suppose its like the copper plating we did in school but to take rhe rust off rather than put it on. Thanks for any help (must dig out the battery charger.

Hi Guy

The process was shown in a vintage tractor magazine about two years ago.

I can't remember it exactly but I think you make up a solution of washing soda and water. The work piece is put in attached to one side of a battery charger and a tin can is used as the other electrode.

I can't remember which was the Anode and which was the Cathode, but the work piece should produce bubbles and the tin can should get covered in rust.

If you get stuck Guy give me a shout and I'll try to find the article and email it to you .

All the best Mick

[elanmac]

I know that you can clean silver using washing soda in an aluminium container but I have not heard of removing rust. Bead blasting is the best option as it does not remove metal. The next best is probably Jenolite or something similar. Both these methods leave any marking intact. Any pitting will have to be removed by removing the surounding metal down to the bottom of the pitting, which is not always possible.
Mac

[keith66]

Rust removal on steel can be accomplished by putting the parts in dilute hydrocloric acid, drop a lump of zinc in and a reduction reaction takes place that removes all rust very quickly, after rinsing the part can then be polished.

[motormouse]

Ive tried a electrolitic dip before, i was not really that impressed.

Being a metal detectorist as well, the best chemical way ive found to remove rust etc is descaler prefferably "betterware" descaler

Just drop the item in and remove when all the rust is gone, simple

Bare in mind it will remove your bluing as well!!

the wife hates it when she goes to descale the kettle and finds black descaler though!!!

[mickmick]

Hi all you need to find someone with a shot blast cabinet that users soft white sand, that is used in cast moulding cleaning, regards MIck.

[Co2]

I know that you can clean silver using washing soda in an aluminium container but I have not heard of removing rust. Bead blasting is the best option as it does not remove metal. The next best is probably Jenolite or something similar. Both these methods leave any marking intact. Any pitting will have to be removed by removing the surounding metal down to the bottom of the pitting, which is not always possible.
Mac

I may be wrong but wont washing soda chew straight through an aluminium container?

I seem to remember an associate who made up a solution of washing soda to clean up a aluminium motor bike cylinder head.
He left it in over night to make sure it was clean, only to find it had completely dissolved, nothing left whatsoever, he was not a happy bunny!

Grans best jam making pot will never be the same again!

[another_dom]

Dissolve a tablespoon of cleaning soda per gallon (approx 5 litres) of water. Hook the positive lead of a car battery charger (around 10A) to a sacrifical ferrous electrode, and the negative lead to the part to be cleaned. Submerge in the solution, switch on, stir occassionally. You cannot 'overdo' it as only rust will be removed from the part. Once clean rinse thoroughly, dry and you're done.

Do not use stainless steel for the electrode as I am told it will release hexavalent chromium to the solution, which is apparently pretty toxic stuff.

Good luck,

Dom.

[averageplinker]

......gets very good write ups in car restoration mags....

http://www.bilthamber.com/deoxc.html

ATVB Rich.

[Micky Spillane]

Chemically rust removal from ferous metal should involve phosphoric acid (the active ingredient in Jenolite Jelly) for a large piece like a gun barrel I'd use a stronger solution than you find in 'jenolite' in an acid bath. The phosphoric action will produce a black coating when the rust is eradicated, which can be regarded as a 1st stage protection layer, but can be polished off if not desired.

[theartfulbodger]

....I seem to remember an associate who made up a solution of washing soda to clean up a aluminium motor bike cylinder head.
He left it in over night to make sure it was clean, only to find it had completely dissolved, nothing left whatsoever, he was not a happy bunny!

...was his name Malcolm......Ogri's mate?

[Airsporter1st]

Whichever method is used, you will still end up with pitting unless the rust is purely very light surface rust.

I just bead blasted a relatively lightly rusted receiver/barrel and there is little point in going further - the pitting is too deep to level by removing surrounding metal and it is obvious that bluying highlights blemishes rather than covers them.

In my case I'm not considering restoration as such anymore and will therefore spray the gun with a satin finish black which tends to hide at least some of the imperfections.