Electrolytic Cleaning

[NTwoO]

Or an agitator to help remove deposits as they are formed?

I did not know alligators do that?

 

[M@tt]

wilko's do a 31 litre one that fits perfectly in it for £3.50 its what i've used in mine (and i've used the same 50litre tub )

also i've been cleaning up a few suspension parts

however this part has been in the tank bubbling away for a day or 2 but i seem unable to shift the scale off it. It's not rust perse so is that the problem? also the metal bits aren't a shiny as i'd expect they're more of a dull black, also scrubbing tends to produce a black coating in the water, any ideas?

 

[rtcosic]

It's not rust per se so is that the problem?]

If it isn't rust have you any idea what it is?

also the metal bits aren't a shiny as i'd expect they're more of a dull black, also scrubbing tends to produce a black coating in the water, any ideas?

Hope you haven't been misled - parts don't usually come out super shiny. They usually have some lightly adhereing 'black stuff'. High pressure water jet is my first attack.

Say this quietly: if The Ultimate Authority is out of the house for at least two hours, I have been known to put them in the dishwasher on the pans cycle!


Then still need to give them a wire brushing, but it is a quick light and easy going over.

 

[rtcosic]

I did not know alligators do that?

GROAN smiley STILL missing!

 

[rtcosic]

No. That was not my intention. I took your design and modified with a wood plinth sitting on the lip of the bath. The sheet steel anodes are then bolted to the wood plinth so they cannot move. I just thought that was a better way of doing it.

Um, that's seems an awfully serious response to a very light-hearted observation 'Design' is a bit of a misnomer for slapping together whatever I found in the shed.

Yours just looks so 'designed and constructed' as opposed to my slap-it-together jobbie.

 

[M@tt]

If it isn't rust have you any idea what it is?

It seems to be some sort of crusty scale on the surface. Scrubbing it with a wire brush fairly hard gets rid of it though, i was hoping it would all just fall off

 

[droopsnoot]

My problem with this is I worry about leaving it running overnight as it's in a rented garage several miles from home. I'd hate to get back the next day and find that the whole place has somehow caught fire and burned to the ground.

Liking the "pimp my treatment tank" ideas, though. Makes my 99p bucket look poor.

 

[richweld]

How will I know when all the rust has gone?

I have started with a pair of brake discs to see how things go. The rusty areas of the discs are now black, but a rusty scum still forms in the bath after skimming off.

Is it a matter of trial and error? Will I have to pressure wash the discs to know whether all rust has gone?

 

[rtcosic]

How will I know when all the rust has gone?

I have started with a pair of brake discs to see how things go. The rusty areas of the discs are now black, but a rusty scum still forms in the bath after skimming off.

Is it a matter of trial and error? Will I have to pressure wash the discs to know whether all rust has gone?

Trial and error.

If you keep skimming scum off and more forms then let it stew for a while longer. When that stops take the part out pressure wash or scrub with a stiff brush or whatever and inspect.

Brake discs, especially vented ones, can have 'hidden' areas that may not 'see' the anodes and thus not get well cleaned in these 'hidden' areas though. Adding an addition anode nearer to the problem area usually helps.

I usually leave overnight and in the morning clean, inspect and repeat if required.

It is an inherently SLOW process.

 

[rtcosic]

Oh and a small warning. The 'black stuff' is a bit like carbon black from photocopiers or laser printers - it's very fine! So if you don't wear gloves it gets right into the pores of your skin and can be a right b****r to scrub your hands clean!

 

[richweld]

Oooo! Potential shiny bits and new projects to admire! Photos please when done.

Brake disc before.


Brake disc after.


The brake disc had been partially derusted with wire brush and vinegar prior to electrolytic cleaning.

Brake caliper before.


Brake caliper after.


Flash photo makes brake caliper (after) appear shinier than it really is, but shows up rust better in photo (before).

 

[M@tt]

wow those look really good i'm getting very mixed results with mine. i've left stuf bubbling away for almost a week and it's not looking anywhere near that.

I've got a feeling the parts need a really good degreasing and clean before dunking in the electrolytic tank as i tried it with some really manky brake calipers and bolts and they didn't look much different to when they went in

 

[richweld]

They don't come out the electrolytic bath like that. Take them out when they are black. Then use a powered wire brush to remove the black oxide.

The calipers took quite sometime to get like that using various wire brushes. I also used a dremel type thing to remove much of the rust before putting the caliper in the bath, but that is not necessary.

 

[droopsnoot]

Or an aquarium heater to hold the bath at elevated temperature to speed up the process?

Picked one of these up at the car boot sale recently for a couple of quid, not sure it's making any noticeable difference.

 

[steveo3002]

stick a test light on the items ...see if its all making contact

i did some bits the other day , nothing happend and i found there was a lousey contection , i now use vice grips on the parts ...give em a good wriggle so they make a good contact

when its working right you will see the part start to bubble n froth almost instantly

 

[droopsnoot]

Oh, it does all that. What I meant was, I don't think the aquarium heater is making any difference to how well or how quickly it works.

 

[steveo3002]

just wondering , how important is it to use the soda crystals ?

can you add a dash of washing up liquid or degreaser or something

 

[eil]

Droopsnoot, I think it might be the bilit hamber that he means by heating it up.

 

[rtcosic]

When I first make up the electrolytic bath I use hot tap water, around 50-60 deg C. Process goes much faster.

Same with Bilt Hamber DeOx or citric acid solution. At 50 deg C or so it only needs 15-30 minutes.

Maybe an aquarium heater thermostat can't be set as high as 50 deg C. If it is only keeping the bath at 25 or 30 deg C then I wouldn't expect much improvement over (summer) room temperature, but I was thinking of winter in the shed when the bath can get down to single figures.

 

[droopsnoot]

OK, I don't think this goes up much above 23 or thereabouts. It never feels all that warm to the touch, but then I don't leave it running when I'm not there "just in case".