Successful electrolytic derusting project!
Successful electrolytic derusting project!
Put this on another forum I belong to but thought it may be of interest here also!
Err, OK so I took a chance and bought an old KURT 6" vice and if you know anything about vices you'll know KURT are bloody expensive I could never justify buying a new one but this one came up on Ebay and I thought I'd take a punt...
This is how I picked it up...
So into the electrolytic bath it goes, I never tried to clean it off at all just bared a little metal for a contact point...
And after 24hrs... the rust that's left just wipes off and the black which is carbon I think needs a bit of elbow grease to remove but you can see the base metal just under it, it's the best way I've found for removing rust. I am going to leave it another day to see if it can get any better...
They say the the process works on line of sight i.e. that the sacrificial anodes you use need to be able to see the areas of the rust you need to remove but in my experience and definitely in this case a lot of the rust couldn't be seen by the anodes and it still removed it all over it has even removed the rust from underneath the vice. All I had was two metal plates about 8"x4" one at each end...
Ok so I've moved on managed to get it all apart, cleaned and got it primed ready for a top coat...
As it came apart
Basic cleaning...
Proper cleaning and primed...
OK so DON'T use Hammerite Special Primer on cast iron, I had to get it all off today right bloody job still it's done now, new etch primer and top coat...
Just jaws and a handle to make now!
Including new labels very kindly sent to me from Kurt free of charge...
And Finally with newly made jaws...
Lee
Err, OK so I took a chance and bought an old KURT 6" vice and if you know anything about vices you'll know KURT are bloody expensive I could never justify buying a new one but this one came up on Ebay and I thought I'd take a punt...
This is how I picked it up...
So into the electrolytic bath it goes, I never tried to clean it off at all just bared a little metal for a contact point...
And after 24hrs... the rust that's left just wipes off and the black which is carbon I think needs a bit of elbow grease to remove but you can see the base metal just under it, it's the best way I've found for removing rust. I am going to leave it another day to see if it can get any better...
They say the the process works on line of sight i.e. that the sacrificial anodes you use need to be able to see the areas of the rust you need to remove but in my experience and definitely in this case a lot of the rust couldn't be seen by the anodes and it still removed it all over it has even removed the rust from underneath the vice. All I had was two metal plates about 8"x4" one at each end...
Ok so I've moved on managed to get it all apart, cleaned and got it primed ready for a top coat...
As it came apart
Basic cleaning...
Proper cleaning and primed...
OK so DON'T use Hammerite Special Primer on cast iron, I had to get it all off today right bloody job still it's done now, new etch primer and top coat...
Just jaws and a handle to make now!
Including new labels very kindly sent to me from Kurt free of charge...
And Finally with newly made jaws...
Lee
Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
Amazing! I guess that's what they mean by just a bit of surface rust...
I also just noticed the extra clamping blocks. Is that common and does it have much affect?
I also just noticed the extra clamping blocks. Is that common and does it have much affect?
Standards are so important that everyone must have their own...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
To measure is to know - Lord Kelvin
Disclaimer: I'm just a guy with a few machines...
Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
What was in the electrolyte?
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Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
Thanks for all the pics. I understand baking soda or washing soda will work with the latter more caustic?
Have used this direction on old muzzle loaders barrels
Have used this direction on old muzzle loaders barrels
Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
Very nicely done.
What was the electrolyte and concentration? How much current were you using?
I have done similar to cure rusty motorcycle and outboard motor fuel tanks, using enough table salt in water to bring the current up to 9 or 10 amps.
What was the electrolyte and concentration? How much current were you using?
I have done similar to cure rusty motorcycle and outboard motor fuel tanks, using enough table salt in water to bring the current up to 9 or 10 amps.
Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
Very nice job indeed. Have you checked if it still holds Kurt tolerance? I too would like to know what was in the electrolyte.
Jack.
Jack.
Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
That was a great refurbishment. I have tried the electrolytic derusting process, and it worked with just water, but I expect it would have been better with washing soda, whatever that is.
You'll like your Kurt, perhaps more so since you restored it from a very ugly tool.
You'll like your Kurt, perhaps more so since you restored it from a very ugly tool.
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Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
The electrolyte I use is about a cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate) crystals per 5-gallon bucket, 35-amp. start-and-charge that I've seen hit 35 amps on large, rusty parts. The strength of the.solution doesn't seem to affect the.current beyond the cup-per-bucket, but I found pure water much slower...hardly worked at all for me!
The current seems to depend most on the size of workpiece and anodes (makes sense) and proximity?
Instead of scrap steel I use carbon rods (lots of them), either arc gouging or arc brazing, with the copper stripped apart from an inch to solder to (I'm too cheap to buy terminals). Ferric Chloride PCB etch works well for that.
Using carbon instead of steel seems to work just.as well as scrap, but the electrolyte stays clean without all the gungy foam and sediment, and no crust on the carbon anodes, which last a lot longer, worth spending a few local currency units. They're good for home anodising too!
The current seems to depend most on the size of workpiece and anodes (makes sense) and proximity?
Instead of scrap steel I use carbon rods (lots of them), either arc gouging or arc brazing, with the copper stripped apart from an inch to solder to (I'm too cheap to buy terminals). Ferric Chloride PCB etch works well for that.
Using carbon instead of steel seems to work just.as well as scrap, but the electrolyte stays clean without all the gungy foam and sediment, and no crust on the carbon anodes, which last a lot longer, worth spending a few local currency units. They're good for home anodising too!
Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of Wise Men - Douglas Bader
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Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
I'm am just trying to understand what you are using for carbon rods. The carbon arc outing rods that you are using are still copper coated for most of their entire length? Like the picture below?Hopefuldave wrote:Instead of scrap steel I use carbon rods (lots of them), either arc gouging or arc brazing, with the copper stripped apart from an inch to solder to (I'm too cheap to buy terminals). Ferric Chloride PCB etch works well for that.
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Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
The way I read his post, is that he strips all but a tad bit of the copper from the rods. He leaves that little bit to solder his lead to.redneckalbertan wrote:I'm am just trying to understand what you are using for carbon rods. The carbon arc outing rods that you are using are still copper coated for most of their entire length? Like the picture below?Hopefuldave wrote:Instead of scrap steel I use carbon rods (lots of them), either arc gouging or arc brazing, with the copper stripped apart from an inch to solder to (I'm too cheap to buy terminals). Ferric Chloride PCB etch works well for that.
James
Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
Beautiful cleanup indeed.
Ken.
Ken.
One must remember.
The best learning experiences come
from working with the older Masters.
Ken.
The best learning experiences come
from working with the older Masters.
Ken.
Re: Successful electrolytic derusting project!
I'm impressed!