Originally posted by: 03redzx6r
I searched all over the web and there is NOTHING on this except for Electrolysis for hair removal. Anyway, on to what usefulness this gadget has.
If anyone has a piece of iron (cast iron skillet) or steel gas tank from perhaps restoring an old motorbike, this is a great method of cleaning and stripping the paint without the use of harmful chemicals. I got the info from an older friend who restores vintage bikes as a hobby. Working for days myself after unsuccessfully trying to remove all the rust deposits from a 60's Honda CL77 tank, I tried this method and swear by it myself. So thought I'd share with my zx friends in case any of you have some projects that require extensive parts cleaning. Keep note it is not to be used for aluminum as it will completely dissolve. Here's the detailed instructions..........
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This is like giving someone written instructions on how to make a peanut butter sandwich! Simple task sounds much harder then it really is.
Supply's needed-
- container (tank). This must be a non-conductive and of a size to hold all the components of the system. I use a rubber maid tote, Hold 12 to 15 gal.
- Electrolyte solution; I recommend using sodium carbonate (other chemicals will work but this is the safest) The two best sources of this are, "Arm & Hammer Laundry detergent" (NOT A & H baking soda) and a product for controlling swimming pool Ph, (Ph+) Check to make sure it is sodium carbonate only though. You want nothing that will increase the chlorides in the solution
- Battery charger; It would be best if you could get one with an amp gauge and one that put out 25+ amps. Lower amps will work but will take much longer to do so.
- Anode; nice word for a chunk of scrap iron. I use a chunk of 2 ½ inch black pipe. (Do not use galvanized pipe the process will become hazardous if you do!!) Do not use stainless steel this produces a gas that has been shown to cause cancer in rats! (we don't want to kill any rats now do we?)
- cathode; What ever you are going to clean. Do not try to clean chrome plated or aluminum parts The chrome plating could come off and the aluminum just dissolve away to nothing!
connectors and wires
The set up-
The electrolyte, mix 1 cup to 5 gal of water A&H or 1 cup Ph+ per 10 gal. of water. You are not baking a cake, just get close. You can't put in too much or too little. As for the water tap water will work. Rain water or distilled works better. You can improve the action by getting some fish tank treatment to remove chlorides (as in chlorine) Tap water is full of chlorides (sodium chloride, sodium hypochlorite chlorine , calcium chloride and magnesium chloride to name the most common.) Chlorides will slow the process some. This solution will not go bad. It will get filthy but still work. When you can't stand to look at it any longer poor it on the grass! Plants love it (do not pour on acid loving plants; roses, pines, gardenias… )
You have your tank filled with the electrolyte. Place your anode into the solution in a way so that it is in the solution but can be connected to the positive side of the charger without the charger clip getting into the solution. You will also want to do this in a way it can be easily removed from the tank (you will understand why later)
Connect the cathode (the part to be cleaned) in the solution in a way it can be connected to the negative side of the charger. Use the same criteria as with the anode. Get your part as close to the anode as possible but not touching. Place it with the worst of what you want to remove facing the anode. While the cleaning process is not strictly "line of sight" It seems to be stronger on one side.
OK you are ready to start the process. Turn on the charger. The amp gauge should be showing close to your setting (as high as you can) If it shows nothing check your connections. If you are using the A&H detergent you will miss something neat! Your part and the anode will start to develop small bubbles! The soap suds will hide this. These bubbles are oxygen and hydrogen being removed from the water. The hydrogen part is why we want to do this with good ventilation! We do remember the Hindenburg don't we?
After an hour or so (a lot of variables can affect this) check you anode. If everything is working right it will look like it grew spines! And there may be a green-gray sludge on it as well. Clean it off. I scrap it with a wire brush and water hose. The cleaner you keep the anode the more affective the cleaning! That is why I said to hook it up the way I did. I know you will take this opportunity to look at your part go ahead, you may or you may not see any changes yet. Don't worry about leaving it in there too long You can't! Once all the nasty has been pulled off the GOOD metal it will just continue to break up the water molecules and not harm the part. As soon as you think you are happy with the condition of your part take it out of the tank, use a high pressure water hose to get the loose stuff off. And if you need to put it back in go ahead if not. Dry it and get a coat of rust inhibitor on it ASAP!
I think once you get going you will see it is really very simple. Just remember; positive to the scrap negative to your part. And don't stick your hand in the solution without turning off the charger first! If the amperage is under 30 it should not have any affect but better safe then sorry!
Nobody looks back on his or her life and wishes they'd spent more time at work.
Brotherhood smells like gasoline
Brotherhood smells like gasoline
Tried out electrolysis on my rust fuel tank and she
cleaned right up. For those of you who are on a budget it will cost you
next
to nothing to clean your tank. First of all you will need a plastic 5
gallon
bucket, add 1/2 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. This is important
it’s
Washing Soda not baking soda (see note 1 below). Fill
the bucket with water
and
mix it well. Pull the tank and drain the fuel. Remove the petcock and
wash
out the tank with lots of water. Fashion a cover to block the petcock
orifice.
I used a strip of 1/8" aluminum and used an old inner tube as a gasket.
I
set the tank on a piece of carpet and blocked it up to get it as level
as
possible. I then filled the tank with the washing soda solution. Then I
took
a coat hanger and fashion the sacrificial anode. You say what???? Ok
this
is the trickiest part of the procedure.
A little background on how electrolysis works (see actual photos below):
Its very simple really. As current
passes through an object it moves from negative to positive, so what
you are doing is passing a current through the rust on the tank, which
breaks its bond, and the rust then flows and attaches itself to the
positive charge on the sacrificial anode. Or at least it releases the
rust from the tank and floats around in the washing soda solution. The
idea with the sacrificial anode is
to insure that it does not touch the tank anywhere, you must insure it
only
come in contact with the washing soda solution or you will have a
direct short.
For my project I found a nice little plastic
cap and drilled two 1/8" holes in it about 1" apart. I then took the
coat hanger and bent it over and over until I had four loops on one end
that spread about 1" when grouped together (see fig. 1 below). Think about the
business end of a fork that you eat with, that’s what it should look
like. Then about 4" back from the business end of the fork make a
90-degree bend in the two wires and run them up through the plastic
cap. Put the sacrificial anode into the tank and spin it around to
insure the anode is not hitting anywhere on the tank (no short
circuits) (see fig 2 below).
Then using a 12-volt battery charger hook the positive lead to the
sacrificial anode and the negative lead to the fuel tank. I used the
mounting flange that
sits under the seat (see figs 3 and 4
below). Let her cook for several days. Mine took three days.
I pulled the anode twice a day and cleaned it with a wire brush. I have
a
small battery charger so it may take less time with a larger charger.
Anyway
my tank is back on and this morning I rode her into work and she never
skipped
a beat.
Update: Some of you have asked what did you coat the tank with to stop
further rusting? Nothing. Its bare metal. Some of you guys have
suggested two ways of coating the tank. 1. Use phosphoric acid and
slosh it around to coat the tank. 2. Use POR-15, I have heard this is
the stuff to use. I was also told to stay away from Kreem. The Suzuki
T-500 I own had a fuel tank coated in Kreem and it is crap, so I would
agree.
-Ken for questions, email me at cfsboy@sbcglobal.net
Note 1: ARM & HAMMER®
Super Washing Soda is 100% sodium carbonate and is used as a laundry
booster and general household cleaner. ARM & HAMMER® Baking
Soda is 100% sodium bicarbonate and has a myriad of household
cleaning, personal care, and deodorizing uses, as well as being a
leavening agent.
Note from Clay: The photos are mine. I used this method on
rather rusty Kawasaki tank I had, and it worked wonderfully. I
lined this tank with the Yamaha brand tank rusr remover/protector
(about $14.00 at my local dealer) and it is holding up well.
Figure
1
Figure 2
1
Figure 2
Figure
3
Figure 4
3
Figure 4
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