Electrolytic Rust Removal aka Magic

Step 5 Attach rusted tool

1) clean a small piece of the tool where you will attach the clip - choose a place where it will also hang securely.

2) Attach alligator clip (which is attached to the negative end of the charger) and and hang the tool completely in the water. Its ok if the clip is in the water  it wont hurt it. Wiggle the clip to make sure you have a good connection.

3) Make sure the tool is attached firmly and is not touching the rebar or any part of the setup that is attached to the positive lead.

4) Areas of the tool that do not have a line of sight to the rebar will not be cleaned  if you have a complex part you might need to rotate it or add more rebar electrodes.

Comments

[spot86t]

I believe most of the commonly found alligator clips are chrome plated, not stainless. I would think if you had stainless ones that you would have had to search for them or special order them (and they'd be a bit more expensive too). Personally I've never seen stainless clips - surely they exist, I just have never had a need for them so I've never looked for them. I have a large spool of galvanized wire leftover from when I had an electric fence, I wonder if that would be ok to use - anyone have input on that? I agree - great instructable! Now if only I could figure out a way to use it to clean up my 46" lawnmower deck....

[smithhenry]

I used galvanized wire to link the anode grid and didn't have any problems; since it's not submerged in the electrolyte bath it won't have any effect on the reduction process.

[LetsExplodeSomething]

stainless is chrome plated

[GitarGr8]

Chromium is a part of stainless steel, but that does not mean that stainless is chrome plated.

[myplanetrock]

Sir, are your alligator clips stainless steel? Im foing your instructible now taking care to remove any nut or bolt that might be stainless because of al the warnings from the comments. Then my clips caught my attention... (Great Instructible by the way).