Electrolysis

[Soldner]

Which do you guys perfer? TSP or Washing Soda in the Tank? What are each benefits and bad points? I thought i read somewhere that one creates hydrogen, and the other creates chlorine. which creates which..

[Donny M]

I use washing soda. "Real" TSP is hard to find as it's a phosphate and the tree huggers don't like that stuff in the water table.
The washing soda works great and is easy to dispose of.
Hydrogen is a by-product of the process and will occur with both.

[Soldner]

Thanks so much.. Yeah i know about tree huggers.. I go to a 4 year college in WI, and on campus we have ALOT!!! I am a Geography major, (soil geomorphology).. And I know all about dumping and environmental problems, but hey Industry dumps stuff thats worse. I just wanted to make sure. .Thanks for all your help.

Soldner

[Jim Becker]

I don't think many of us have tried both. Everybody goes with whichever one they can find. I use TSP because I couldn't find washing soda.

I found TSP in the paint department of Lowe's. But lately I think that shelf space is being taken over by a TSP substitute.

[MADSCIENTIST]

When I read about the reverse electrolysis process here last week I had to give it a try on some of the smaller pieces from my Cub. I used a 5 gallon bucket as a rudimentary tank. I filled it with hot water, baking soda, and a half scoop of powdered laundry detergent. I didn't have TSP or lye, or anything else really. But all of these chemicals are alkaline PH, so I assumed the baking soad and detergent mix would work. I hooked up my motorcycle battery tender (2 Amp) 6/12 volt, negative lead to the part, positive lead to a sacrificial anode I made out of a piece of 0.04" sheet metal. I worked like a champ! The bucket is just big enough to stuff a battery box in it. I can't believe it worked so well.
Let's see, $0 in parts, 15 minutes labor, $0.11 worth of electricity, and the batttery box is saved, (I was going to trash it an make a new one)
Pretty good process, thanks again Cub Forum.
P.S. Don't make the Anode (Positive Terminal) out of stainless steel, or any metal containing chromium, makes bad stuff during electrolysis, hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), nasty stuff.
Also avoid any galvanized or copper, tin, bronze anodes or you might end up plating the item your trying to salvage.

[Buzzard Wing]

I found Arm and Hammer washing soda at the 'non super' (small) Stop and Shop grocery in the laundry section. It really suprised me that a small store would have it.

Here is a before and after of the battery box... only trouble is the electrolisys does not seem to work well on the inside of the box (current flow to it??)
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Bu ... c8dc0e.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Bu ... 936667.jpg

Did the seat spring and other seat post parts also. I could only submerge part of the battery box at a time... but it worked!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/Bu ... CN0123.jpg

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I was at the local farm and home supply (Dickey Bub) and noticed they had several boxes of real TSP on the shelf. If anyone needs some I can check on the price and bring it to Cubfest.

[Dan England]

BW: Looks like electrolysis is doing an excellent job of cleaning the metal. I have never tried this but I am thinking that if you lowered rebar into the center of the battery box that it would do a good job of cleaning the inner surface. The only problem I see is anchoring them firmly so that they don't touch the metal of the box. Dan

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Dan, get a piece of garden hose or something similar and cut several notches in it, then slip it oer the rebar. Will reduce the action due to smaller surface being exposed, but eleiminates the shorting problem.

[WJ]

I swear a short piece of garden hose has as many uses as duct tape and bailing wire.

Great idea John.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Unfortunately I can't take credit fo the idea. One of they guys on YTMAG posted that he uses a similar system with sttel wire for clenaing the interior ppassages of old blocks.

[Dan England]

Good idea, John. I would not have thought of that. Dan

[Rudi]

John:

Gonna use that idea. Will post as an update to the tank presentation along with a few other upgrades. Oh, got my new 5 gallon tank and parts basket from Richard before we left for Ottawa. Hopefully will get to try it out soon.

Will post pics before I use it though.

[WJ]

If I want to do alot of bolts, do I need to wrap wire around each bolt or could I put the bolts in a wire basket??

[Rudi]

WJ:

Nope, all you need is a wire basket. As mentioned, I got my new one. Will post pics as soon as the server is back up and I can get the pics uploaded.