Electrolysis, build your own, how to use and what to expect.

[Roland58]

Would someone please point me in the direction of some information on how to build a homemade electrolysis system, how to use it and what to expect I would very much appreciate any sites that prove to be useful!

Thank you,
Roland

 

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[Swartzie]

Here's a good you tube video:

Electrolysis is an incredibly simple process. I use it to clean iron relics. Used it on an indian cent once and toasted it. So, I would advise against using it on anything but iron. I use a gallon ice cream container filled with water. A 6 amp battery charger. For my sacrificial metal I use the cover from an electrical junction box. For my electrolyte I use salt. About a tablespoon full. Make sure the positive lead alligator clip does not go in the water. Otherwise it will get corroded and fall apart. What I do is attach the positive alligator clip to a piece of wire and then attached the wire the the junction box cover (just wrap it around one of the screw holes).

Electrolysis gets the cruded rust off iron real well. It will usually take several hours to see results. I'll cook the item for a couple hours, take it out and try to flake some of the rust off then put it back in for a couple more hours. Keep doing this until it comes clean.

-Swartzie

 

[mick56]

here's another site with good info.

http://gometaldetecting.com/electrolysis_cleaning.htm

 

[Roland58]

Thank you, gentlemen!....very much!!

I must ask about the copper IH. Swartzie, you said you toasted an IH penny.......did you just leave it in too long?.....or is copper not safe to clean in this manner. The other site that mick56 posted said their set up worked well for copper.

I'm certainly going to make one.........this is just too cool!!

 

[boogeyman]

Start off with the lowest amperage you can, and your first few attempts check your item frequently. I use electroloysis on items coin sized up to lathe beds and drill press parts. For the most part if you put a coin sized object in with 12v @ 6amps without checking it overnight you'll end up with a bucket of smegma in the morning. Make sure you have your polarity correct. My favorite rig is a 12v battery charger with a surplus pot installed where the switch was.

Also, if an item is heavely corroded it will feel solid but will be mostly oxide.

 

[jeff of pa]

realy all you need is a cell phone charger,
a Stainless Spoon
an Aligator Clip
& A glass or Plastic Bowl.

& Salt, Baking Powder or Baking soda

Salt is the most Abrasive. But I Like it.

Hook the object to be cleaned
to the wire that Fizzles and
the spoon to the other.

when you place both
in the mixture & The object to
be cleaned in the alligator clip connected to
the other wire.

Use larger charger, Stainless conductor & Bucket for larger items.

Avoid Cleaning Copper coins with Electrolysis
untill you become Expieenced enough
to realize 60 seconds can go a long way
on Copper coins. Even too far at times.

the Patina on copper coins sometimes
shows more detail then a cleaned one.
Remove that patina & The date may go with it.

& Electrolysis on gold plate desolves it.

 

[boogeyman]

Citric acid works great. You can buy it from home brewing suppliers in 1lb. bags up to 100lb drums, is cheap and not as harsh as washing soda etc. For lightly corroded items or items with concretions on them use it without power. Trust me you'll like the results

 

[Roland58]

This is all too cool.......many thanks to everyone!!

 

[jeff of pa]

WARNING !
Don't let wires touch each other. Only takes 2 Seconds to Burn Unit out.

 

[boogeyman]

Excellent pictures Jeff!

Another thing I forgot. You can use strips of stainless linked with wire for larger objects. Junkyards will usually just give you a strip. Link several strips together and place around the tank or bucket. Helps when doing large or flat objects.

 

[jeff of pa]

Excellent pictures Jeff!

Another thing I forgot. You can use strips of stainless linked with wire for larger objects. Junkyards will usually just give you a strip. Link several strips together and place around the tank or bucket. Helps when doing large or flat objects.

Yep Like boogeyman says & what I Was trying to say with
Use larger charger, Stainless conductor

I Once cleaned up some Iron
Stove Plates.

They were so Heavily rusted it took Days,
& The drag on small Charger made the Plug
get very Hot.
the plastic was hot enough to burn me
when I Unplugged it.

Burned out several of them to do it.

A motorcycle battery charger & heavier
strips of stainless should
have been used for these.

 

[Roland58]

How about a car charger set on trickle?

 

[jeff of pa]

I'll let someone who Knows Say for sure.

6 Volt for large items is OK

I would think a Cannon with 12 Volts LOL

not sure with trickle

 

[Roland58]

I'll let someone who Knows Say for sure.

6 Volt for large items is OK

I would think a Cannon with 12 Volts LOL

not sure with trickle

Car charger will switch from 12v to 6v, 10 amp and trickle. Plus, I have some motorcycle battery maintainers, 12v 1.25 amp. I also have a crap load of old plugin transformer chargers ranging from 3v to 18v with very low amperage.

 

[boogeyman]

I use a cheapo 12 / 6v charger with a surplus pot wired in where the switch for 10 amp or 2 amp was. After using it awhile I can pretty much tell what's going on by the bubbling & how an item is cleaning up when I check them. If you're not sure get some of the junk out of your junk pocket or bucket and do some tests or grab up a couple pieces of scrap from the junk pile or junkyard and try them before you try cleaning anything you really value.

 

[Roland58]

I use a cheapo 12 / 6v charger with a surplus pot wired in where the switch for 10 amp or 2 amp was. After using it awhile I can pretty much tell what's going on by the bubbling & how an item is cleaning up when I check them. If you're not sure get some of the junk out of your junk pocket or bucket and do some tests or grab up a couple pieces of scrap from the junk pile or junkyard and try them before you try cleaning anything you really value.

I don't understand your reasoning for putting a pot in place of the switch for 10 to 2 amps. The small transformer type chargers only put out milliamps and trickle on the car charger is around 2-2.5 amps. What would I be gaining with this pot?

 

[sniffer]

the lower the output amperage of your power supply, the slower it will work. if it's a delicate or valuable item use a cell phone charger like Jeff said

 

[Joe Hoo?]

WARNING !
Don't let wires touch each other. Only takes 2 Seconds to Burn Unit out.





woah!!! i like this concept...... i guess this is one way to find out if something is electroplated as well, (if) you do not have the test kits to test metals.... thanx for the post... very informative.... HH

 

[Roland58]

One of the earlier posts stated that the electrolysis works pretty much by line of sight....hence, the need to turn the treated object around to complete the job. How about using a stainless steel bucket and suspend the object being treated in the electrolyte?

 

[jeff of pa]

as long as it never Grounds I suppose
it would work.

Eventually you will need a new Bucket though.

Spoons get eaten away

Plus you should never use the same Spoon
& Water for different types of Metal.

Different SS Bucket for each also ?