Big Boys Hobbies

Electrolysis - is there a correct way?

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Kale1278

Junior Member
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Oct 8, 2020
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Location
Sherman, TX
I have tried this a few times and have had luck with both methods.... however is one better than the other?

Positive (red) on the sacrificial metal or item I'm trying to clean?

I have read many post on the forum and they all do seem to have their own way of doing it.


Can anyone explain why one way is better than the other? Positive on junk or positive on the good item?
 
This is my understanding, perhaps someone can doublecheck this.
Whatever you put the positive wire on becomes the sacrificial anode. Meaning it will break apart and become ions and free electrons. The electrons will travel through the electrolyte over to the iron relic and enter the rust and reduce the rust back to a soft form of iron. A lot of the rust falls off the relic in the process and so only the deep rust turns back into iron. When the process is complete this new soft iron is a thin loose layer and it just washes off leaving clean original metal behind. If you hook up the wire backward the iron relic become the sacrificial anode and it slowly degrades as it's atoms are turned into ions and free electrons. This slowly destroys the relic but at the same time a lot of rust is removed so it looks like its working. Technically putting the negative wire on the relic should do a much better job but for some severely rusted things it may not look like much difference.
 
Country Dirt Kid said:
This is my understanding, perhaps someone can doublecheck this.
Whatever you put the positive wire on becomes the sacrificial anode. Meaning it will break apart and become ions and free electrons. The electrons will travel through the electrolyte over to the iron relic and enter the rust and reduce the rust back to a soft form of iron. A lot of the rust falls off the relic in the process and so only the deep rust turns back into iron. When the process is complete this new soft iron is a thin loose layer and it just washes off leaving clean original metal behind. If you hook up the wire backward the iron relic become the sacrificial anode and it slowly degrades as it's atoms are turned into ions and free electrons. This slowly destroys the relic but at the same time a lot of rust is removed so it looks like its working. Technically putting the negative wire on the relic should do a much better job but for some severely rusted things it may not look like much difference.
Click to expand...

Sound good to me. Thank you for the explanation. As mentioned I have read a lot of post on her about the process, and it seems a few people (including me at times) are doing it backwards. Thanks again
 
In DC power, the electrons flow from positive to negative. In so doing, they will carry molecules from the positively charged material, and deposit them onto the negatively charged material.
If you want to clean up something through electrolysis, then you have to put the positive on your piece, and negative on your sacrificial anode. This way, you'll carry rust particles from your "save", to be deposited on the sacrificial anode, until such time that it's down to solid metal, and that's why you keep tabs on your process.

However, you're not required to believe me. I suggest this; do a bit of internet research on powder coating and home electro-plating, then think about how it's done, and apply the lesson(s) to removing oxides from your "save", and depositing them onto a sacrificial anode.
Powder coating and electro plating are about depositing materials onto a desired piece, so it's just a matter of reversing the process for electrolysis.

Just my 2-pence.....Roger
 
Kale1278 said:
Thank you!
Now my charger keeps showing I’m not connected... I’ve have tried an expensive charger and a $4 cheap-o. It worked one time last week and now nothing. Frustrating.....
Click to expand...

If they are newer in manufacture you might have an automatic disconnect when it feels that it shorts. Even cheap chargers have this as a safety feature. That's why I went with a desktop power supply like used in electronics work. You can dial in the voltage and amps with no auto offs.
 
Here's a link to the exact one I bought. Since the alligator clips will pick up corrosion over time, I did go to home depot and buy wire and stronger alligators (<$20). What I do is maintain the ones it came with for the easy plug in, add a piece of wire, and run the larger and stronger clamp. The "plug in" on the front also unscrews so you can just put any wire end on the generator. They are awesome machines and you can dial in the voltage and amps to set it where you want. I find running low slows the process and causes less damage to the metal items. Just depends how big the piece is.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TW8H2S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_-764FbW45FSHP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
 
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