Am i not doing something right with electrolosis ?

[Holly_squirrel]

It's bubbling but only slightly.



Ok I'm so green to this I'm lime neon green, so bare with me! 1. The black clamp goes on the relic , right? 2. Why is the scrap iron bubbling more than the relic? 3. Am I using the right charger n settings.4. I get more bubbling if I put charger on start engine, but I'm afraid it will burn out the charger. 5. There is a Slight , very slight, white vapor coming from tbe relic sometimes ... Is it harmful? And 6 th and most important ... What would happen if one of my cats or worse one of my kids happen to put their hand in the water while its on?
Sorry for simpleton questions, but you got to start somewhere ... And one last thing... Am I imagining it or could whatever is coming off the iron and I to tbe air be making my nostrils burn?

 

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[Holly_squirrel]

Anything that conducts well and will hold it's shape.

Something like 14ga SOLID copper house wire would work great. Just make sure that when you wrap it around the artifact, it is making good contact.

WM

I got copper wire out of an extension cord and you know rolled it, braided it to make it one tight wire...and I know it had great contact .... But no bubbles. Put the negative right on the artifact and it worked great, bubbles. However I noticed tbe clip sticking out of the water caused alot less bubbling. Is it just slower with the wire. I watch these tutorials and things are foaming n bubbling all over. Maybe I need that Armand hammer detergent instead if just the soda. ?

 

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[releventchair]

Starts slow for me. The distance between what's being cleaned and the other piece your using is a factor too. I put a cross piece of wood over container to hang article to be cleaned from and use clamp to hold other piece to side of container,suspended off bottom. With power wire wrapped around wood i can slide object being cleaned close to(but not able to touch if it turns)other piece. Sounds like your copper wire is not conducting well. Some times clip surface wire attached to can corrode also and reduce conductivity.
I prefer wash soda,can use it in laundry as well,but does not seem to be the issue here.

 

[olfacere]

It sounds like your problem is contact. Washing soda works great as an electrolyte. I wouldn't use the detergent because it has so many other things added to it. It might create unpredictable vapours. I use small alligator clips for my connections and they work fine. Wrapping a wire around the item won't work well. The current needs to flow through it, not around it, so secure contact at one point (alligator clip) is usually best. Just be aware that most alligator clips are made of nickel-plated steel instead of stainless steel. The nickel will come off quickly, but won't redeposit on your item. Also, whatever part of the electrode (clip, wire, whatever) is in the water will cause an electrolytic effect on itself but will not do anything with your item. So, as long as your item is fully submerged, then let whatever else that wants to stick out of the water do so.

 

[dieselram94]

Make sure your charger is working properly...