Cleaning rusted materials

[Mux213]

Hey guys,

I found this link on another site. I know the method already but this is a nice explanation. The other site did warn about using stainless steel anodes and suggested using normal metal.

http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/rust.htm

In basic, get a car battery charger, a big plastic container, add water, add some soda, put in your rusted 4 links, struts, whatever while attached to the negative lead, put in a bit of metal connected to the positive lead of the battery charger, leave over night.

When you come back the next morning you should find very dirty watter and your object with either all rust off or simply removable by wiping it down.

What the site doesn't say, and what I've never tried but heard that should work, is if you then put your object in a clean bath again with soda in there, you reverse the polarity and instead of using an iron anode you use zink or some other nice material (thus turning it into a kathode, if I am not mistaken) and leave it over night, you're little object should get a nice rust protecting coating

This FAQ btw says the waste watter is not dangerous, but i've also read sites that claim the waste watter should be handled as industrial waste, so use at your own risk and wear protection.

[Mux213]

Owh and this is where I found it:

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=9158

some nice pictures there of someone that has used this technique.

[jamiemirror]

I tested it before, good for rust removal but forget about quality zinc plating that way. I used baking soda as electrolite.