Electroloysis burning up

[Forino]

I found a few 9v charges so I was using them for cleaning some old spoons and they work well but they keep burning out on me. Do I no have enough voltage for something that large? I also need to leave them on for a while so I thought that could be a problem too. Would appreciate the input. Thanks!

 

[floridabill]

make sure the two items aren't touching each other. And you should be using the small alligator clips the big ones don't seem to work as good, and last use salt & some lemon juice hope this helps

 

[Forino]

make sure the two items aren't touching each other. And you should be using the small alligator clips the big ones don't seem to work as good, and last use salt & some lemon juice hope this helps

Thanks, I've done all those things but still have trouble.

 

[hobbes_lives]

You're drawing too much current and overloading the chargers.

Here's what I'd suggest. First, start with distilled water. It's pure and has no additives. Place the item in the water, connected to the charger like usual, and turn on the voltage. You should see no bubbling. Now, add a very small amount of the additive you are using to make the electrolyte, baking soda, lemon juice, whatever. You should start to see some bubbling. It should take only a small amount to get things going. Once the bubbling starts, you should be all set.

Note that as the water evaporates, the electrolyte will get stronger, allowing more current to flow. You'll need to dilute the solution to limit the current then, otherwise, it'll overload the charger.

Another option is to get a higher current supply, but you may be OK doing what I described above. Good luck!

 

[floridabill]

I thought baking soda would neutralize the action (at least I thought I read that) but I am far from an expert on this subject?

 

[Forino]

You're drawing too much current and overloading the chargers.

Here's what I'd suggest. First, start with distilled water. It's pure and has no additives. Place the item in the water, connected to the charger like usual, and turn on the voltage. You should see no bubbling. Now, add a very small amount of the additive you are using to make the electrolyte, baking soda, lemon juice, whatever. You should start to see some bubbling. It should take only a small amount to get things going. Once the bubbling starts, you should be all set.

Note that as the water evaporates, the electrolyte will get stronger, allowing more current to flow. You'll need to dilute the solution to limit the current then, otherwise, it'll overload the charger.

Another option is to get a higher current supply, but you may be OK doing what I described above. Good luck!

Thanks I will try that!

 

[Forino]

I thought baking soda would neutralize the action (at least I thought I read that) but I am far from an expert on this subject?

I've just been using salt with some lemon but I can try baking soda as well.

 

[hobbes_lives]

I thought baking soda would neutralize the action (at least I thought I read that) but I am far from an expert on this subject?

Baking soda can be used in the distilled water to form an electrolyte.

Perhaps what you read was to use baking soda to neutralize the effects of lemon juice being used as an electrolyte in an electrolysis setup? Lemon juice is acidic, baking soda is alkaline. After an object is taken out of lemon juice, baking soda can be used to neutralize the acidic effects.

BTW, I'm not an expert on the subject either.

 

[SauerKraut]

What hobbes said! But you I found the Chargers still get hot no matter what, you can only prolong it. I stepped up to a mower batter with charger for this reason(but I put alot of big things in the bath). The fire hazard the small ones create just left me too worried.

Alex

 

[Forino]

What hobbes said! But you I found the Chargers still get hot no matter what, you can only prolong it. I stepped up to a mower batter with charger for this reason(but I put alot of big things in the bath). The fire hazard the small ones create just left me too worried.

Alex

Ok thanks I'll remember that.

 

[Chaparral]

Hi, have you considered using a fuse to prevent burning up your power source? Another member of the forum sugested using a rheostat to control the current. I use both. Depending on the output of your power source, components (fuse, fuse holder, and rheostat) should be reasonably cheap. Probably under ten bucks at Radio Shack.

 

[Lowjiber]

This is a good thread. It provides a lot of useful information that goes with the other Electoloysis thread at the top of the forum.

I just made it a "sticky".

 

[dfxing virginia]

my question is why does my grounded steel in the electrolisis setup start to decay and pit and break is my current too high? or is my solution to strong? i use the powder that came with the machine from my grandpa a long time ago my dad gave it to me and i thought i have no use for this then i started metal detecting and rememberd i had it. what should i do about the metal plate in there that is falling apart. please help me understand this.

 

[fir469]

the grounded stainless steel is your "sacrificial" transfering the currentto allow the electrolysis to occur... it always will corrode. I use cheapo stainless steel spoons from the dollar store, you get 2 in a pack for a buck and they last quite a long time...

 

[dfxing virginia]

cool thank you for the info. now i dont think im doing something wrong.

 

[sofasurfer]

From what I understand, the solution becomes more conductive, not because of evaporation, but because of the increase in conductive particles in the water. I don't know if this is true, but I can tell you that I have burned out more than a couple adapters before any noticable evaporation took place.

 

[Surf Master]

I am building 1 now,2 stainless steel plates,10 to 12 volt marine battery charger,large aligator clips,plastic tub,i guess i will use heavy gage wire,is coated or bare wire used?

 

[Arclyt]

bath

This is all new to me- step by step could someone explaine how to make one of these and surely want it t be safe

 

[jkwidener]

I use electrolisis to help unstick engine parts that have been sitting for 30 or 40 years. I use alot larger setup "12 battery charger for cars" But for the chemical process, i use Arm and hammer washing soda from the dollar store. It comes in powder form.... Works great and is alot cheaper than lemons...

 

[007tallguy]

i had some electronic parts kicking around collecting dust and slapped together a system that is both fused and with variable voltage output... and air cooled!

my AC adapter goes to a small circuit board which also has a fuse and a heat sink on the output transistor and a variable resistor for the final output.
i found that it was still getting quite hot (maybe i had the voltage too high) so... i had an extra 2 DC wires coming off the board and i installed a small fan from an old laptop. when i adjust the output voltage to the alligator clips, the fan speed also changes accordingly. if i don't crank it too high, it works great and stays much cooler now!
i also find that if the 2 clips (or the stainless and the item being cleaned) are too close together, i can actually hear a noticeable difference in the fan speed and the "hum" of the transformer! less distance seems to put more of a strain on the whole set-up and is comparable to shorting out the transformer. keeping the pos and neg as far apart as possible seems to work the best and still does a great job at cleaning the item.
i put the whole works in a vented case and i can run it anywhere from zero to about 12 volts, though i find the 8-10 volt range is about the best to use with this particular setup. i haven't cooked it or blown any fuses...... yet.

Pete