Hello Mr. Pete, after I take the tools out of the electrolysis tank and wash them with the brush and fresh water; put them in a tub with a gallon of pool acid (HCl) diluted to about 50%. This takes off the magnetite, (black rust) and they come out beautiful iron gray. (This only takes a very short time; watch it and you can tell when all the black is off. Wear chemical gloves, a mask and an apron!) Rinse in a 5 gallon bucket of water, then throw them in a 5 gallon bucket of boiling water, this cleans off all the acid and also heats up the tool for the next step, throw or dip them in a bucket of oil, (any kind, leftovers, etc.) I then pile them on a cardboard to cool for a few hours or a day or so. Wipe with a rag, and PRESTO, a nice gray tool and no more rust. They don't seem to rust again, as it seems the oil gets down in the pores of the hot steel. 1/2 my working tools are this way. Thanks for all your very good and informative videos.
Hello Mr Pete , I’ve done a fair amount of rust removal with this process and what you needed to do was intermittently remove the rust collected on the sacrificial anode ( say every 12 hours ) . At that point they would have continued to remove rust from the cathodes . They tend to reach a point of saturation and need to be “reset” . I enjoy your videos , keep the camera rolling 😉
Our Arts and Crafts class did this when I was in the 7th grade. The teacher asked all the students to bring in some old rusty tools. I brought in a handful of rusty 12 inch timber spikes. Many of the kids didn't have any rusty tools or anything else to use so I shared my extra timber spikes with those kids. We started this project on a Friday and by Monday it was finished. The results were not very good but it was a fun class. The teacher got into a little trouble for dumping the waste water into several large potted planters in the courtyard that was between two buildings. That was 50 years ago. Memories!
You sir are a very good man. I have watched the vast majority of your videos. I wish you could have been my shop teacher when I was in school. You make learning interesting and fun. Thank You for sharing your wisdom and experience with us!
I have a 55 gallon plastic drum set up for an electro tank. I use old lawn mower blades for the anodes. When the current drops off I scrape and brush the anodes clean to re-invigorate the system. Interesting note. The Confederate Submarine 'Hunley' was salvaged in 2000 and put into electrolysis for many years as a preservation method.
Better yet "How to clean things in the dish washer without the wife knowing." Or: "Sneaking in new tools without the wife knowing."😉 Great info. Thanks Mr. Pete.👍
Happy belated birthday, Me Pete! (the guy from Windy Hill Foundry tipped us off in one of his recent vids). And thank you for all the great educational content.
After all the rust removal techniques which would be your “go to” method. Thanks for all the videos, I consider you my mentor. I have a 10 in South Bend K lathe because of you. I thank you
Thanks for the video Lyle. I have yet to find any rust removal method I am happy with in all situations. I find the one I am using the most is molasses, though it takes weeks to work, it seems to removes the least amount of good material. I like glass bead blasting, but I no longer have access to the process. I hope to set up a blasting cabinet some day. Too many projects, not enough time.✌
I thought the results looked pretty good - the tools still look old, because they are, but not rusty and neglected. I prefer the blackened look to the kinda scorched gray that the expensive chemical stuff produces. I know there are a lot of saw users out there, myself included, who would rather see the nice saw plates put to real use. Not the end of the world, of course, although some would try to make a federal case of it. Thanks for another interesting video!
This is generally step two in my process for cleaning old car or machine parts. Step one is to soak over night in a bucket of lye (sodium hydroxide) which will de-grease and de-paint. Even if I do decide to blast the parts lightly before replating or painting, knocking the worst of the crud off first really extends the life of blast media. I save the expensive Evaporust for hardware which I wire wheel to finish and/or fling across the shop. My wife does not mind if I poach the occasional bit of Tupperware for the shop. We had only been married a few weeks when she came home to find most of a small block Chrysler in the dishwasher. As long as I don't do that again, she looks the other way.
My morning coffee always tastes better with one of your videos, Mr. Pete. I really like the saw blade cathode idea, by the way. Thanks for yet another wonderful edutaining video!
Thanks Mr Pete. Interesting video. Not sure this is the best way to remove rust. Re: Made Rite--Loved 'em. Bet not many folks know what we are talking about.
I remember that I want to "subtract" rust from the tools, so they connect to the negative terminal, and "add" the rust to the sacrificial iron, so it goes on the positive.
@@g.tucker8682 all I know is you better not get confused. If you get it backwards the parts will be destroyed. I came close once to destroying an engine block one time.
It looked like two of the sets of pliers were hung by their insulating handles, so there would be no electrolytic action, yet they seem to have come clean as well. Makes me wonder how a soak in sodium carbonate solution without any power would do. The corrosion on the Vise-Grips has removed the (nickel?) plating so unless you re-plate them they will never look great.
I wonder if you had removed the rust instead of turning the saw blades, would,nt you get a better result, because the saw blades conduct electricity better again? or put more salt in the water ?
Eifel Plyers! THANK YOU SO MUCH ive been trying to figure out the name of those for a while!! i absolutely loved the set I had and I lost the small jaw portion of it and could read the stamps on the side!
I have used electrolysis on tools with good results but maybe the steel was different than what you have. I removed rust from the bore of an old muzzle loading rifle barrel by installing O-rings on thin stainless tubing placed in the bore. I used a PVC pipe for my container.
Hi Mr Pete i have not tried this to remove rust but i do have the exact battery charger as you have got it off an old friend 25 + years ago . good video . JM
Thank you so much for this video. I’m restoring a drill press from 1933 and this process has worked wonderful to remove all the rust. I’m using a brake rotor as the anode, I figured it has a lot of surface area and I always wondered what to do with the old brake rotors, after I put new ones on the car
Thanks Mr Pete! I have a large, Champion Buffalo Forge camel back drill press which is rusty and needs restoration. Since all the parts are huge, I want to try electrolysis. I will be using a 250 gallon plastic tote and a 36 volt golf cart battery charger. Fingers crossed!
Lol, can't stop the spite mowing Tubalcain, but it doesn't affect the video quality. It is always top notch. It is nice to see you clean up those tools and find them a home.
I used to clean cast iron skillets that way. Works better if you give them a scrub with steel wool between soaks. Rinse in cold water and dry them with compressed air and they wont flash rust.
Instead of disconnecting the battery charger and dumping tools into a bucket of water. Just switch it off while picking a few items to clean and oil, and then let the rest still undergo a tiny bit of electrolysis to remain flash rust free.
Those vise grips are the best made. They were made in Dewitt Nebraska by Peterson Manufacturing. It’s stamped on the side!! They are out of business unfortunately. Those will last forever!! I have several versions of them. It was a small town business. Too bad they sold out! Enjoy the channel.
Great video Mr Pete thanks for showing us the process even though you didn't get the results you wanted was still super enjoyable to see you try. Keepem coming
Mr. Pete, I wonder how much better the de-rusted tools would look if you gave them a short bath in an acid solution followed by a rinse and oiling. It may take off that mung finish and get down to base metal.
You mentioned Habitat for Humanity (and the ReStore locations) a great place for buying donations of tools (and building supplies, furniture, etc). I work Thursday mornings at the ReStore in Elgin Illinois sorting through tool donations. Boy, I have seen some rusty stuff! Drop by and I will give you a tour. Ask at the front counter for "John in Tools".
I've watched your videos for quite awhile, think this is the first time I saw a mistake. Noticed that on some of the pliers you had the wire wrapped around the insulated handle.
Hay guys great ideas and thanks because I'm working on the tools that agave been handed down to me from my grandfather to my father and now with me. I'm working on the screwdrivers that have side wooden grips and although I have the best latest tools with me I just want to keep the memories of my family alive. Thanks again
This process is a lot less expense compared to those chemical rust removers such as Evaporust although some of the chemicals do a cleaner job but very expensive. I wonder if a 30 amp charger makes any difference vs. a lower amp?
1 Tbs. per gallon of water works very well with the Arma and Hammer washing soda. A plastic kiddy pool can take on larger car parts and this stuff can be poured directly into a flower bed afterwards when emptying the tub or pool. (Not a vegie garden though). Worked with it for years in doing up various Model A Fords and currently my 1925 Ford Model T Runabout/roadster. (Don't use copper wire or it puts in a greenish goo to the mixture as it works). I usually use rebar and not the metal strips as you did, as rebar is cheap and can be found at a lot of construction sites as trash to be tossed away. I rinse them with a gallon container of Dawn dishwashing liquid and water. Most stuff cleans up nicely and some say that you don't have to coat them after the Dawn and water rinse, but I always use just WD-40 or a product called Corrosion X. I ride a Ural sidecar made of Russian metal which is prone to rust, and that Corrosion X product keeps it all nice and clean of rust, even during the wet winter months. Either works well to keep the flash rusting devil at bay. Nice video and thanks for sharing the info.
I use an old salt chlorinator that will do 20 amps at 8 volts DC . This way a stronger solution of washing soda can be used with heavier guage wire and thick steel straps connected in series as the anodes . This will really rip the rust off things like old corroded bench vyces etc .
My preference would be for a wire brush wheel as well, but it won't get into the joints of the pliers and the worm of the adjustables the way this will. I'd try this method for difficult to wire brush objects.
I tried a very rusty old drill bit, and used vinagar and a battery charger. I only had to leave it in for about 20 min. I was very surprosed on how it turned out.
I quite like that 'blued' effect you get on some of the tools. Its a bit like the cold-bluing solution you can buy for rifles and pistols. Fascinating video and looking forward to the next as ever!
Great video, One question though. How long do them sacrificial saw blade anodes last for before they disintegrate? Reason I ask is I want to upscale the amounts. Need a good quality secure garden shed 6'x8' and on ebay there is rusty 3mm - 1/8" steel sheet getting sold at a good price.
I have soaked some in white vinegar but it really smells bad on your fingers if you don't wear suitable gloves! This looks a good method - I'm going to look under the sink cupboard for soda crystals and I have an old skool charger but only 4 Amps but it doesn't mind being maxed out - its an old bradex type!
A wire brush is hard to beat unless you cant get to all of the part with it. Evaporust seems to be catching on and works pretty well, it is a weak acid but is pricey if you need much of it. I have bought from the pipe and fence supply store a gallon jug of what I think is the same product as Evaporust, smells the same and works the same that is concentrated and is much cheaper.
I searched everywhere for the washing soda. If you can't find it try oxy clean powder...don't know if it is better or worse but it worked well for me. I find the black residue is also a problem using evaporust...usually it will wire brush off easily.
For those of us who don't have any discard sawblades handy, or the stringer bars like you have, would it be feasible to use those cheap bar clamps from Harbor Freight? I believe the main component of them is iron, maybe a smaller portion of steel included in it?
Does the mixture of arm and hammer diminish as the rust leaves the tools and settles on the sacrificial metal. You might have to add more arm and hammer and clean water as time goes by
Saw one video. The guy used a mixture of of vinegar, and baking soda. And let the tools soak for 24 hours. It took the rust off. He said you can reuse the mix many times.
Handy video, I’m going to watch your other de-rusting videos. I wonder if different electrolytes besides sodium carbonate might give better results. (I see you also tried vinegar, I’m going to watch that one next) (Commenting to help with the YT algorithm :-)
Instead of brushing by hand, I use the softest possible wire wheel on a motor to clean off the black (magnetite?) that needs to be removed. This is much faster and more complete than brushing by hand.
you can't have too many tools " space the final frontier " and the time spent looking for the one you need. i come across the tool i was looking for, on the previous search, but I like the improve things. thanks for the info' what happens to the hydrogen gas ?
Pete, QUESTION... In the current market, WHO makes a true manual battery charger that will work for electrolysis? MANY are labeled manual but will not work for the process. Most are TIMER controlled as well. For 10+ years have restored hundreds of pieces of cast iron using a Die Hard roll around. But that charger market is GONE today. Can you help?
What brand was the super thick socket? I know it does not really matter, but you showed it before the electrolysis and I was waiting to see it after. I have been wanting to do an electrolysis video myself. I have heard that it works better with carbon as the anode instead of a sacrificial steel. I have also heard it is best to use a battery because the power from a charger is not always "real" DC. It may only give you one side of the AC wave.
It is currently impossible to find a new analog battery charger, they are all these “smart chargers” and will not work for this. I use the cheapest harbor freight welder set on ten amps for my electrolysis tank.
I've got an old Variac. It works great! Also, many chargers have an 'initialize' setting for if you're starting dry or the battery is just too dead to register.
Just a thought from experience as you said surface area is important for a good anode (sacrificial/positive) I do a lot of rust removal and I have had great results and cut the time needed by frankly an unbelievable amount for instance heavily pitted and rusted shut pair of shears was finished in 4 hrs using fine steel wool I wired to some chicken wire I pulled it the steel wool) evenly to make it thinner and wider. If you get the chance to try it yourself I'd love to see if you find it as useful and efficient as I do. Ps love the channel my class was the last year the school offered shop class that was back in 2000...... It's a shame but they still have homec?!?
I'm no expert but if the ways are rusty they probably need re scraping or grinding back in anyway. Even if you don't re scrape them when some metal rusts it expands many times over thickness wise. just cleaning the rust off would make the cross slide more accurate than with the rust left on.
I did that several years ago to clean some brake piston. I used a power supply that I could adjust the voltage. It got the brake piston looking like new. I think 14 Volts is too much voltage.
I was under the impression that the negative charged ions are supposed to be connected to the item with the rust being removed and the positive charged ion is to be attached to the scrap steel? Am I wrong?
I'm not 100% sure if I'm answering your question but I'll try, If not sorry for the misunderstanding. Back in the day of scientists learning electricity they thought the flow went from positive to negative. It doesn't, conductors like copper and metal ect, the positive atoms can't move they are locked in place. any dc circuit or battery has loads of electrons making their way from negative to positive when the circuit is on. Same for this rust cleaning. the electrons are heading out of the negative tools and heading into the sacrificial positive saw blades.
Hello Mr. Pete, after I take the tools out of the electrolysis tank and wash them with the brush and fresh water; put them in a tub with a gallon of pool acid (HCl) diluted to about 50%. This takes off the magnetite, (black rust) and they come out beautiful iron gray. (This only takes a very short time; watch it and you can tell when all the black is off. Wear chemical gloves, a mask and an apron!) Rinse in a 5 gallon bucket of water, then throw them in a 5 gallon bucket of boiling water, this cleans off all the acid and also heats up the tool for the next step, throw or dip them in a bucket of oil, (any kind, leftovers, etc.) I then pile them on a cardboard to cool for a few hours or a day or so. Wipe with a rag, and PRESTO, a nice gray tool and no more rust. They don't seem to rust again, as it seems the oil gets down in the pores of the hot steel. 1/2 my working tools are this way. Thanks for all your very good and informative videos.
Thank you, very good information. I need to try that, although that sounds like more work in trouble than the original rust removal, lol
Hello Mr Pete ,
I’ve done a fair amount of rust removal with this process and what you needed to do was intermittently remove the rust collected on the sacrificial anode ( say every 12 hours ) .
At that point they would have continued to remove rust from the cathodes .
They tend to reach a point of saturation and need to be “reset” .
I enjoy your videos , keep the camera rolling 😉
Our Arts and Crafts class did this when I was in the 7th grade. The teacher asked all the students to bring in some old rusty tools. I brought in a handful of rusty 12 inch timber spikes. Many of the kids didn't have any rusty tools or anything else to use so I shared my extra timber spikes with those kids. We started this project on a Friday and by Monday it was finished. The results were not very good but it was a fun class. The teacher got into a little trouble for dumping the waste water into several large potted planters in the courtyard that was between two buildings. That was 50 years ago. Memories!
You sir are a very good man. I have watched the vast majority of your videos. I wish you could have been my shop teacher when I was in school. You make learning interesting and fun. Thank You for sharing your wisdom and experience with us!
I have a 55 gallon plastic drum set up for an electro tank. I use old lawn mower blades for the anodes. When the current drops off I scrape and brush the anodes clean to re-invigorate the system. Interesting note. The Confederate Submarine 'Hunley' was salvaged in 2000 and put into electrolysis for many years as a preservation method.
I wasn't aware the confederates managed to build a submarine. Fascinating!
most ships that stay in a harbour for long time are protected by electrolysis, just like underground gaspipes and fuel pipelines.
Mr. Pete, can you do a “how to” steal things from the wife’s kitchen without her knowing?
Better yet "How to clean things in the dish washer without the wife knowing."
Or: "Sneaking in new tools without the wife knowing."😉
Great info. Thanks Mr. Pete.👍
Mission impossible style! That would be hilarious!
😆
Yes I wanna see this too
Simple, buy her a better replacement for the item you desire for your workshop.
Happy belated birthday, Me Pete! (the guy from Windy Hill Foundry tipped us off in one of his recent vids). And thank you for all the great educational content.
Thanks 👍👍
I agree with others about cleaning the gunk off the anodes. This was a great video and it shows everything very clearly. Thanks Mr. Pete!
After all the rust removal techniques which would be your “go to” method.
Thanks for all the videos, I consider you my mentor. I have a 10 in South Bend K lathe because of you. I thank you
👍👍
Thanks for the video Lyle. I have yet to find any rust removal method I am happy with in all situations. I find the one I am using the most is molasses, though it takes weeks to work, it seems to removes the least amount of good material. I like glass bead blasting, but I no longer have access to the process. I hope to set up a blasting cabinet some day. Too many projects, not enough time.✌
The glass bead leaves a nice surface for painting for that type of item
I thought the results looked pretty good - the tools still look old, because they are, but not rusty and neglected.
I prefer the blackened look to the kinda scorched gray that the expensive chemical stuff produces.
I know there are a lot of saw users out there, myself included, who would rather see the nice saw plates put to real use. Not the end of the world, of course, although some would try to make a federal case of it.
Thanks for another interesting video!
This is generally step two in my process for cleaning old car or machine parts. Step one is to soak over night in a bucket of lye (sodium hydroxide) which will de-grease and de-paint. Even if I do decide to blast the parts lightly before replating or painting, knocking the worst of the crud off first really extends the life of blast media. I save the expensive Evaporust for hardware which I wire wheel to finish and/or fling across the shop. My wife does not mind if I poach the occasional bit of Tupperware for the shop. We had only been married a few weeks when she came home to find most of a small block Chrysler in the dishwasher. As long as I don't do that again, she looks the other way.
That sounds very true and hilarious! You are a certified-card-carrying tool nut! Good on you!
My morning coffee always tastes better with one of your videos, Mr. Pete.
I really like the saw blade cathode idea, by the way. Thanks for yet another wonderful edutaining video!
After your neighbor Tommy passed he left a vacuum and nature abhors a vacuum, so it was filled. Nice job on the rust removal.
Thanks Mr Pete. Interesting video. Not sure this is the best way to remove rust. Re: Made Rite--Loved 'em. Bet not many folks know what we are talking about.
“Positive does not go to parts”
Is the phase I programmed into my mind to remember the right polarity for doing this.
I remember that I want to "subtract" rust from the tools, so they connect to the negative terminal, and "add" the rust to the sacrificial iron, so it goes on the positive.
@@g.tucker8682 all I know is you better not get confused. If you get it backwards the parts will be destroyed. I came close once to destroying an engine block one time.
ruclips.net/user/clipUgkxRbZzJOaIUyumV1IF1evhnKnYG0cVo0lf?si=5op86fehuHivF7mr
It looked like two of the sets of pliers were hung by their insulating handles, so there would be no electrolytic action, yet they seem to have come clean as well. Makes me wonder how a soak in sodium carbonate solution without any power would do.
The corrosion on the Vise-Grips has removed the (nickel?) plating so unless you re-plate them they will never look great.
I love watching these, I did. A motorcycle gas tank years ago. It worked great!
15 very cool de-rusting videos - Thank You Mister Pete 👍
I wonder if you had removed the rust instead of turning the saw blades, would,nt you get a better result, because the saw blades conduct electricity better again?
or put more salt in the water ?
Eifel Plyers! THANK YOU SO MUCH ive been trying to figure out the name of those for a while!! i absolutely loved the set I had and I lost the small jaw portion of it and could read the stamps on the side!
Greetings from Phoenix Mr Pete and thank you for ALL of your videos, teaching skills and humor. You rock!
Thanks
I have used electrolysis on tools with good results but maybe the steel was different than what you have. I removed rust from the bore of an old muzzle loading rifle barrel by installing O-rings on thin stainless tubing placed in the bore. I used a PVC pipe for my container.
Hi Mr Pete i have not tried this to remove rust but i do have the exact battery charger as you have got it off an old friend 25 + years ago . good video . JM
Very helpful. I've got a couple of dull saws that aren't meant for re-sharpening, so this method would be a good use for them.
Thank you so much for this video. I’m restoring a drill press from 1933 and this process has worked wonderful to remove all the rust. I’m using a brake rotor as the anode, I figured it has a lot of surface area and I always wondered what to do with the old brake rotors, after I put new ones on the car
👍👍👍👍
I've saved many tools this way.. Good one Lyle...thanks for sharing.
ATB....Dean
Thanks Mr Pete! I have a large, Champion Buffalo Forge camel back drill press which is rusty and needs restoration. Since all the parts are huge, I want to try electrolysis. I will be using a 250 gallon plastic tote and a 36 volt golf cart battery charger. Fingers crossed!
I have been using Evaporust for some time and for the most part works good but I think I'll try the battery charger,DOUBLE THANKS🤗😎🤗😎
Lol, can't stop the spite mowing Tubalcain, but it doesn't affect the video quality. It is always top notch. It is nice to see you clean up those tools and find them a home.
Thank you very much
I used to clean cast iron skillets that way. Works better if you give them a scrub with steel wool between soaks. Rinse in cold water and dry them with compressed air and they wont flash rust.
Instead of disconnecting the battery charger and dumping tools into a bucket of water. Just switch it off while picking a few items to clean and oil, and then let the rest still undergo a tiny bit of electrolysis to remain flash rust free.
I'll have to show this video to my wife so she can get the rust off of my tools that she leaves laying in the yard
Reminds me of the electroplating I used to do back in the late 60's. Not 1860 but 1960.
Those vise grips are the best made. They were made in Dewitt Nebraska by Peterson Manufacturing. It’s stamped on the side!! They are out of business unfortunately. Those will last forever!! I have several versions of them. It was a small town business. Too bad they sold out! Enjoy the channel.
Malco bought the rights from Irwin tools and is now making locking pliers to the original pattern in Dewitt again.
Actually you have to clean saw blades before stage two, because process activity has depending of quantity amps per square milimetres
This works great to restore cast iron pots and pans.
Great video Mr Pete thanks for showing us the process even though you didn't get the results you wanted was still super enjoyable to see you try. Keepem coming
Thanks
Mr. Pete, I wonder how much better the de-rusted tools would look if you gave them a short bath in an acid solution followed by a rinse and oiling. It may take off that mung finish and get down to base metal.
Thanks for the update and the way you explain things thanks once again for the efforts and appreciate the great job u are a good teacher 👍🇩🇰🙏👌
I appreciate that!
You mentioned Habitat for Humanity (and the ReStore locations) a great place for buying donations of tools (and building supplies, furniture, etc). I work Thursday mornings at the ReStore in Elgin Illinois sorting through tool donations. Boy, I have seen some rusty stuff! Drop by and I will give you a tour. Ask at the front counter for "John in Tools".
If you put something zinc coated in there as the anode, would this still work? Zinc is used as sacrificial anodes for marine purposes.
I've watched your videos for quite awhile, think this is the first time I saw a mistake. Noticed that on some of the pliers you had the wire wrapped around the insulated handle.
Hay guys great ideas and thanks because I'm working on the tools that agave been handed down to me from my grandfather to my father and now with me. I'm working on the screwdrivers that have side wooden grips and although I have the best latest tools with me I just want to keep the memories of my family alive. Thanks again
👍👍👍
This process is a lot less expense compared to those chemical rust removers such as Evaporust although some of the chemicals do a cleaner job but very expensive.
I wonder if a 30 amp charger makes any difference vs. a lower amp?
vinegar, cheap fast and safe
Unbelievable amount of rust all the same Great video Thanks
1 Tbs. per gallon of water works very well with the Arma and Hammer washing soda. A plastic kiddy pool can take on larger car parts and this stuff can be poured directly into a flower bed afterwards when emptying the tub or pool. (Not a vegie garden though). Worked with it for years in doing up various Model A Fords and currently my 1925 Ford Model T Runabout/roadster. (Don't use copper wire or it puts in a greenish goo to the mixture as it works). I usually use rebar and not the metal strips as you did, as rebar is cheap and can be found at a lot of construction sites as trash to be tossed away. I rinse them with a gallon container of Dawn dishwashing liquid and water. Most stuff cleans up nicely and some say that you don't have to coat them after the Dawn and water rinse, but I always use just WD-40 or a product called Corrosion X. I ride a Ural sidecar made of Russian metal which is prone to rust, and that Corrosion X product keeps it all nice and clean of rust, even during the wet winter months. Either works well to keep the flash rusting devil at bay. Nice video and thanks for sharing the info.
I use an old salt chlorinator that will do 20 amps at 8 volts DC . This way a stronger solution of washing soda can be used with heavier guage wire and thick steel straps connected in series as the anodes . This will really rip the rust off things like old corroded bench vyces etc .
So, in retrospect would you do this again or use a wire wheel mounted on a bend/pedestal grinder? This seems slow and messy?
My preference would be for a wire brush wheel as well, but it won't get into the joints of the pliers and the worm of the adjustables the way this will. I'd try this method for difficult to wire brush objects.
I tried a very rusty old drill bit, and used vinagar and a battery charger.
I only had to leave it in for about 20 min.
I was very surprosed on how it turned out.
Thanks for the video, always enjoy watching!
I noticed the Polarity switcharoo Mr .Pete.
Nothing more satisfying than cleaning up rusty tools. By the way where can I purchase a tee shirt like the one you are wearing in this video?
I quite like that 'blued' effect you get on some of the tools. Its a bit like the cold-bluing solution you can buy for rifles and pistols.
Fascinating video and looking forward to the next as ever!
Excellent video! Thanks for the saw blade idea.
Can you skim the rust slime off the water? And reuse the water?
Thanks Lyle.
I noticed you had some of the tools held up with the wire around the plastic handle of the tool. No connection to the metal .
Mike M.
Cognitive decline
@@mrpete222 I'm getting there myself.
@@mrpete222 I find the song "Senior Moments" describes it well for my lapses. Truth is I've been having senior moments since I was born.
Great video, One question though. How long do them sacrificial saw blade anodes last for before they disintegrate?
Reason I ask is I want to upscale the amounts. Need a good quality secure garden shed 6'x8' and on ebay there is rusty 3mm - 1/8" steel sheet getting sold at a good price.
I like your tee shirt. My motto is "every job is an opportunity to buy a new tool"
You should do a general shop chemistry video. To help me remember why I have some of this crap.
I like to use electrolysis for cleaning gas tanks. Does a good job...
I have soaked some in white vinegar but it really smells bad on your fingers if you don't wear suitable gloves! This looks a good method - I'm going to look under the sink cupboard for soda crystals and I have an old skool charger but only 4 Amps but it doesn't mind being maxed out - its an old bradex type!
I’ve found that white vinegar works good although I haven’t tried other methods. Wash parts in soapy water after cleaning to stop the action
A wire brush is hard to beat unless you cant get to all of the part with it. Evaporust seems to be catching on and works pretty well, it is a weak acid but is pricey if you need much of it. I have bought from the pipe and fence supply store a gallon jug of what I think is the same product as Evaporust, smells the same and works the same that is concentrated and is much cheaper.
This is very interesting.Thank you.
Mr Pete excelent vídeo about desrusti g tools You are a very goog theacher God bless you
Thanks
I have exploded big piles of the foam floating on the surface with a map torch. It can be quite loud.
I searched everywhere for the washing soda. If you can't find it try oxy clean powder...don't know if it is better or worse but it worked well for me. I find the black residue is also a problem using evaporust...usually it will wire brush off easily.
For those of us who don't have any discard sawblades handy, or the stringer bars like you have, would it be feasible to use those cheap bar clamps from Harbor Freight? I believe the main component of them is iron, maybe a smaller portion of steel included in it?
Yes, as long as they are not painted
sparks at 8:56 before you turned the power back on?
Does the mixture of arm and hammer diminish as the rust leaves the tools and settles on the sacrificial metal. You might have to add more arm and hammer and clean water as time goes by
Thanks for the video Mr. Pete.
Greetings from Athens Greece Tubalcain 😉
Hello from the USA
My trouble has always been sourcing cheap plain steel for anodes. The old saw blades is a good idea.
Use re-bar, that's my go to metal. Works great!
Good idea
Saw one video. The guy used a mixture of of vinegar, and baking soda. And let the tools soak for 24 hours. It took the rust off. He said you can reuse the mix many times.
As I remember from HS chemistry, this is an oxidation reduction reaction. So, it looks like evaporust albeit more expensive.
Can you use baking soda or does it have to be washing soda
Handy video, I’m going to watch your other de-rusting videos. I wonder if different electrolytes besides sodium carbonate might give better results. (I see you also tried vinegar, I’m going to watch that one next)
(Commenting to help with the YT algorithm :-)
👍👍
Great video, Mr Pete! Thanks!
Instead of brushing by hand, I use the softest possible wire wheel on a motor to clean off the black (magnetite?) that needs to be removed. This is much faster and more complete than brushing by hand.
That's a good idea, I'll have to try it.
I have learned so much from you ....I should send you a check.😊
Thanks. Make that check for the amount of $1000, lol
you can't have too many tools " space the final frontier " and the time spent looking for the one you need. i come across the tool i was looking for, on the previous search, but I like the improve things.
thanks for the info'
what happens to the hydrogen gas ?
Pete, QUESTION... In the current market, WHO makes a true manual battery charger that will work for electrolysis? MANY are labeled manual but will not work for the process. Most are TIMER controlled as well. For 10+ years have restored hundreds of pieces of cast iron using a Die Hard roll around. But that charger market is GONE today. Can you help?
Yes, go to a garage sale, auction, pawn, shop, or thrift store. And buy a used one.
I use white vinegar, it also leaves the metal black, but certainly removes the rust!
What brand was the super thick socket? I know it does not really matter, but you showed it before the electrolysis and I was waiting to see it after. I have been wanting to do an electrolysis video myself. I have heard that it works better with carbon as the anode instead of a sacrificial steel. I have also heard it is best to use a battery because the power from a charger is not always "real" DC. It may only give you one side of the AC wave.
It doesn't matter if the DC is not a "pure" wave, it will work and work well with any DC.
Do you have a tumbling video (for fasteners and hardware)?
Thank you Mr. Pete.
I will try this...
It is currently impossible to find a new analog battery charger, they are all these “smart chargers” and will not work for this. I use the cheapest harbor freight welder set on ten amps for my electrolysis tank.
I've got an old Variac. It works great!
Also, many chargers have an 'initialize' setting for if you're starting dry or the battery is just too dead to register.
By adding an automobile battery between the charger and the rest of the circuit, you can "trick" the new smart chargers into working for electrolysis.
@@karlj.shields7645 that would work too. But I didn’t have the extra battery laying around.
Just a thought from experience as you said surface area is important for a good anode (sacrificial/positive) I do a lot of rust removal and I have had great results and cut the time needed by frankly an unbelievable amount for instance heavily pitted and rusted shut pair of shears was finished in 4 hrs using fine steel wool I wired to some chicken wire I pulled it the steel wool) evenly to make it thinner and wider. If you get the chance to try it yourself I'd love to see if you find it as useful and efficient as I do. Ps love the channel my class was the last year the school offered shop class that was back in 2000...... It's a shame but they still have homec?!?
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Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed.👍👀
Id like to see how much the sacrifice rusts if there's no rust to remove at the start
Maybe a wash in detergent to remove any oil and grease would help get better results. Just a passing thought.
I have graphite sheets I use for anodes. MUCH cleaner process! Not the cheapest but they last pretty much forever.
Yes carbon anodes work so much better, there is none of the scum or buildup. You can use carbon rods which are cheap and available online.
I'd like see how this compares to EvapoRust.
How would this work on something like a cross slide? Would it damage the ways?
I'm no expert but if the ways are rusty they probably need re scraping or grinding back in anyway.
Even if you don't re scrape them when some metal rusts it expands many times over thickness wise. just cleaning the rust off would make the cross slide more accurate than with the rust left on.
So you prefer vineger or electroysis
I’m currently doing 4 pieces of cast iron via the vinegar method.
Do not forget about it and leave it in there too long
@ I wire brushed and scrubbed with a Scotch pad. Light rust on all four pieces of cast iron cookware. How long is too long Mr. Pete?
Can’t I use pool acid?
I did that several years ago to clean some brake piston. I used a power supply that I could adjust the voltage. It got the brake piston looking like new. I think 14 Volts is too much voltage.
Thanks
Thanks for that, very interesting.
I was under the impression that the negative charged ions are supposed to be connected to the item with the rust being removed and the positive charged ion is to be attached to the scrap steel? Am I wrong?
I'm not 100% sure if I'm answering your question but I'll try, If not sorry for the misunderstanding.
Back in the day of scientists learning electricity they thought the flow went from positive to negative.
It doesn't, conductors like copper and metal ect, the positive atoms can't move they are locked in place.
any dc circuit or battery has loads of electrons making their way from negative to positive when the circuit is on.
Same for this rust cleaning. the electrons are heading out of the negative tools and heading into the sacrificial positive saw blades.