Electrolysis Bucket

This is a method of rust removal that is effortless and effective.

Warning: Do not do this inside. Hydrogen gas is produced and can ignite in enclosed spaces. Remove flames, cigarettes, etc. from the area. Use gloves and avoid touching the electrodes.

Step 1: Measure

Find a 5 gallon bucket and measure the circumference. Mark 6 equal intervals around the top portion.

Step 2: Drill

Drill holes through the marked spots.

Step 3: Cut Rebar

Cut steel rebar to 1ft lengths and quickly brush the surface with an angle grinder. Do not use stainless steel. It contains chromium and will produce poisonous chromate, which is carcinogenic and illegal to dump.

Step 4: Drill Rebar

Drill holes in the top portion of the rebar to accommodate a bolt.

Step 5: Bolt Rebar

Fasten a bolt to the rebar.

Step 6: Fasten to Bucket

Push the screws through the holes in the bucket and fasten them with another nut.

Step 7: Build the Circuit

Strip some copper wire and wind it around every screw on the outside of the bucket making a full circle.

Step 8: Add Water

Add water to the bucket up to just below the screws.

Step 9: Add Washing Soda

Add about 1/3-1/2 cups of washing soda (sodium carbonate) per 5 gallons of water. This is often sold in the laundry sections of stores. Washing soda can also be made by heating baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in the oven.

Step 10: Add Rusted Item

Find an item that needs rust removal and connect the negative(black) lead to it. It can then be submerged into the water. Another way to design the rig is to make a steal wire hanger or clip that hangs into the water and holds the item. The negative lead can be attached to this wire.

Step 11: Connect Charger

Connect the positive(red) lead to the copper wire circuit. Plug in the charger. Not all car battery chargers will work for this. I used a Schumacher SE-82-6 Dual-Rate 2/6 Amp Manual Battery Charger. You should see many small bubbles begin to rise to the surface almost immediately. If you need to troubleshoot try the following:

1.Increase the distance between the part and the rebar (anode) 2.Dilute the solution by adding water. 3.If you have a 6/12 volt charger, set it to 6 volts.

The process is self halting and will stop when there is no more rust to remove. It can be left overnight if the item contains a lot of rust. A wire brush can also be used periodically to remove loose scale.

Step 12: Remove Item

Remove the item and work with a wire brush to remove any remaining scale. Dry immediately to prevent flash rusting. Heating the item will help remove water.

Step 13: Waste

The waste solution is OK for the lawn unless you have plants that don't like iron rich soil.

Now you can give life back to the dead with the magic of electrolysis.

Comments

[Strongarmsidley]

Very effective process. If you can find an old lorry brake drum it saves a lot of setting up time. Place it in a plastic trug to contain the electrolyte. I went to a lorry haulage company and got one for free!

[Muttadog]

Is there any way to de-rust bulk small items like screws etc without having to wire them up separately? I was thinking of putting them in a stainless mesh holder but obviously that is out. Any ideas?

[djpolymath]

Check out my drill press restoration instructable https://www.instructables.com/id/Drill-Press-Restoration-Refurbishing-Techniques/

I tired a couple of different methods and vinegar bath seems to work pretty well for small parts.

[SHOE0007]

Have you ever condsireed cobalt or nickel plating or chronium plating? The only issue is the waste. Cobalt chloride can be neutralized with lye and hydrogen peroxide but nickel and chronium are toxic and cancer causing so you have to be extremely careful with them. You would have to send the waste to a secure waste plant.

It is interesting though.

[djpolymath]

I've read a little about it, but I haven't tried it. I didn't care to deal with, the toxicity and disposal issues you mentioned.

[MatthewM358]

That was great! I'm doing this for my science project.

[alastair.stewart.7146]

A great article. I am about to rewind the secondary transformer coil using 12 gauge wire and am not sure as to what dc voltage is required after the bridge rectifier to make a power source for the purpose of electrolysis (rust removal).

Any help would be much appreciated.

Big Al.

[vactirio]

Hi,

Please give us some information about the charger.

[foxhound52]

Although it may work just fine, I'd avoid chargers with all the fancy safety features and digital displays you find on the market today. I'm going to use a flea market find, old school charger. No ICs, chips, or modern silliness. Just power conversion. Now, the newer chargers are absolutely stellar for ordinary charging duties, but sometimes you need the "dangerous" versions to accomplish tasks (ahem, cooking off plates).

[foxhound52]

Although it may work just fine, I'd avoid chargers with all the fancy safety features and digital displays you find on the market today. I'm going to use a flea market find, old school charger. No ICs, chips, or modern silliness. Just power conversion. Now, the newer chargers are absolutely stellar for ordinary charging duties, but sometimes you need the "dangerous" versions to accomplish tasks (ahem, cooking off plates).

[bruce.desertrat]

It's just a standard 12/6V battery charger you can get at an auto parts store, hardware store or someplace like Harbor Freight.

[Fly4aWhiteGuy]

I suspect some chargers wouldn't work (if they have a circuit to reduce amperage as the battery gets full).

A battery with a charger on it would remecy that.

[PaulB238]

hi Mark 42 most if not all car battery chargers current is reduced as the battery charges, when the battery voltage increases due to charge Volts becoming close to equal that of the source (charger) amps are reduced by that parity, considering electrolyte itself cannot store a charge it would come down to the effectiveness of the electrolyte to pass current between anode and cathode, as the electrolyte is depleted with every use, its ohms law for the amperage, so change or top up the electrolyte if the reaction is diminished considerably.

[Fly4aWhiteGuy]

Ah, I see. That makes sense (it's why the needle pegs when I short the clamps together on the battery charger).
Thanks!

[djpolymath]

The charger is a Schumacher SE-82-6 Dual-Rate 2/6 Amp Manual Battery Charger. It's true that not all chargers will work for this purpose.

[ILykMakin]

Addendum:

Strip wire wrapped around the bucket only at the points where it will wrap around bolts and use shorter bolts, wrapping each with gorilla tape to insulate against inadvertent shocks.

[Jurie-W]

bee; Only Hollywood DC current will shock people in the movies. You will not get a shock if you touch both poles of a 12 v battery or battery charger.

DC current is, measured in Ampere,' flows [electrons] from the negative [cathode] to the + anode. Current flow is electron flow !

[foxhound52]

Can you tell that to all my wrenches that I've accidentally welded to frames over the years? If you short out a 12V battery, at least the car version 99% are envisioning here, those can carry MEGA amp loads, at least for purposes of damage. I've seen terminals melted and blown off, plenty of arcing on tools, and have heard several well trusted stories about wristwatches inadvertently being launched into space. I'm going to make this, but I'm going to use ring terminals secured with a second nut for the best continuity. You should take a cue from the cable gauge on the charger and battery connections in your car. Using the 12 or 14 ga wire it looks like you have has made an impromptu fuse. If you were to experience a serious fault in the system, that copper wire will fail before any other components removing the immediate damage.

[Venom8]

WRONG! Current is current, and whether you're getting a DC component or an AC component, they are the same!

[Jurie-W]

You are right but I did not say that current is only DC.......I thought we are talking about electrolysis which is only possible with DC.

Still current flow is the flow of electrons which flow from a high to lower electrical pressure. Dc current flow is from negative positive in the circuit but from positive to negative inside a battery when in a circuit. Old books are wrong where stated that voltage "flow" in the opposite direction as current flow. Very quick to use Venom, I hope this says what you like or know to be right.