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ELECTROLYTIC CLEANING
This cleaning method is extremely useful as a rust killer and remover on iron and steel parts, especially on awkwardly-shaped items.
Before & After
This Jones Hand stitchplate has been de-rusted using electrolysis. The slide plate shows the rusted surface before cleaning.
Close-up Comparison of Surfaces
WHAT YOU NEED:
A 12 volt car-battery charger
A plastic washing-up bowl or bucket
A piece of stainless steel (an old stainless dessert spoon will suffice)
Sodium Carbonate crystals (washing soda) or Sodium Bicarbonate powder (baking
soda)
METHOD:
Fill the bowl with enough water to cover the item to be cleaned.
Add about one tablespoonful of sodium carbonate crystals for every gallon of water in there (measure not critical)
Take the RED/POSITIVE clamp of the battery charger and attach it to the piece of stainless steel.
Submerge the steel in the water on one side of the bowl.
Take the BLACK/NEGATIVE clamp of the battery charger to the item to be cleaned.
Submerge the item in the bowl some distance from the steel.
IMPORTANT: Ensure the steel and the item being cleaned are kept separate and do not touch each other.
Set the battery charger for 2 amps and turn it on.
After some time you should see some fizzing and bubbling, and a eventually a brown scum will begin to form on the surface of the water. This is the rust being removed from the item.
Leave for a few hours. The time needed will depend on the amount of rust on the item.
When finished switch off the battery charger before removing the item.
Gently rub off any remaining surface scum on the item with a light buffing using 0000-grade steel wool, then immediately dry and completely cover the newly cleaned surface with a smearing of sewing machine oil to prevent re-oxidisation.
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NOTES
Once you have removed the item, dry thoroughly (use a hair dryer if the item is awkwardly shaped), and apply a sealant immediately, or the surface will begin to reoxidise. Sewing machine oil is an excellent sealant.
The surface of the de-rusted metal may have a dull, grey colour, but with a little polishing later, this will begin to shine.
Please note that this method is for killing rust, and it does this very well especially on awkwardly shaped items, but it will not remove the surface pitting caused by very heavy rust.
Also it will not remove the smooth brown staining seen on many machines from around the turn of the century which have lost their plating.
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DISPOSAL
The sodium carbonate solution can be used several times.
There are no pollution issues so it can be disposed of any way you wish.