New electrolysis setup

N3HCP

New Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
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17
Location
Lebanon Co. PA
After trying electrolysis successfully in an old cat litter bucket with a coffee can anode, I decided to go for a more long lasting setup. The components are six ground clamps, six 1/2 by 18 inch rebar, Lowes bucket, some wire and, od course, a battery charger.

I would love to take credit for the design, but I found it on a YouTube video. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOcmvzYZh64

Credit where credit is due! :D

Setup2_zpsad9615d4.jpg


Edited to add: Oh, yea, I forgot to mention the very important piece of a yard stick from which to suspend the valuable find!!:laughing:

setup1_zps53a6321f.jpg
 
Are all 6 rebars a must or could you get by with a couple?

I would think as few as one would work and I may try that. All 6 makes it hard to put larger items in there without shorting out the against the rods.

However, the more rods the faster and more even the rust removal will be. This is basically line-of-sight so with fewer rods the possibility is greater that some part of the artifact will be "shadowed".

Here's the pictures of what I thought was a railroad spike...

Hammer1_zpsca3be974.jpg


After about 30 hours in the soup, turns out, it appears to be a hammer! :shock: Who knew??

Hammer2_zpsa3686534.jpg


Given that this is the second hammer along with a horse shoe and lots of nails, I might have stumbled on a blacksmith shop or at least a farmer who did a lot of his own blacksmithing.
 
The more bars, the better.

Electrolysis cleaning works on the basis of proximity and line of sight. If you use one electrode, you will probably have to turn the treasure to make sure all side get clean. If you use multiple electrodes it goes slower at a given current than if you use one electrode, but the results will be much better.
Also, soda is a much better agent than salt. Once salt gets in the pores of the metal, it is very difficult to remove it completely.
HH,
John Morton
 
Electrolysis cleaning works on the basis of proximity and line of sight. If you use one electrode, you will probably have to turn the treasure to make sure all side get clean. If you use multiple electrodes it goes slower at a given current than if you use one electrode, but the results will be much better.
Also, soda is a much better agent than salt. Once salt gets in the pores of the metal, it is very difficult to remove it completely.
HH,
John Morton

Correct! Washing soda seems to be the best electrolyte for the solution in my opinion.

That is a nice setup. Let us know how the rebar holds up after a few sessions. I like small, thin steel plates as the anodes. I picked up a couple at Lowes for a few bucks each. They have a good surface area, and are easy to bend around the container, but they're done after a few times. You have to turn them around, flip them over, clean them, or just toss em. Great job on the setup!
 
My family had a blacksmith shop here in Carlisle for years. The shop burnt down in 1960. My grand dad & father made a living as horse farriers. Dad is fifth generation blacksmith. I have my own tools & can do some of the work. Again nice set up & finds. HH TIM
 
Sort of looks like a torture device.....



I built this same setup after watching a Youtube video a few months ago. My results on a large horseshoe were less than spectacular. I will try again in the next week or so and see if I get different results.

I use the AH Washing Soda, but no salt.
 
Sort of looks like a torture device.....



I built this same setup after watching a Youtube video a few months ago. My results on a large horseshoe were less than spectacular. I will try again in the next week or so and see if I get different results.

I use the AH Washing Soda, but no salt.

If the horse shoe was extremely rusty that might have been your problem. Sometimes you have to clean a spot where you make your connection to your power supply to get a good clean with electrolysis. Sometimes if I clean a skillet that is totally covered in thick rust it will not work at all and I have to use something to scrape a small bit of the rust away at my connection point. Then it will work wanders.
 
I have a 5-rod version of this setup. My experiences match yours, flyin-lowe. If you can make good electrical contact, this device works great. Otherwise, not so much. I use a the AH super washing soda in my solution.

I've started wrapping a metal hose clamp around the object, and then connect the negative lead to that. It seems to encourage better conductivity (more surface area).
 
I love electrolysis! its so helpful for cleaning my artifacts! I use two shovel heads instead of stakes. Nice hammer!
 
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