Outdoor Cleaning Area Setup

[miniwoodworker]

I don't have a good area indoors to setup for cleaning CI or other metals. So, I need to do a setup that'll stay outdoors. Planning to put together a lye bath, an electro bath, and possibly a vinegar bath. Have a large single bowl sink mounted into a table for the washup. Have a turkey fryer for heating water, when needed.

One of my concerns is that freezing weather isn't very far away. Our low temps can drop into the single digits in January. Will freezing temps cause a problem with the solutions, other than slowing down the effectiveness? Do you heat any of the solutions prior to/during use?

BTW, bought 3 no name skillets that appear to be too heavy to be old wares. Won't really know until I get them cleaned up. These will be my test cases for the setup. If they clean up will use them for campfire cooking. Paid $10 for the 3, so the price is right for experimenting.

Do you have any tips, suggestions, etc. for setting up oudoors? Your thoughts and advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Lee

[Greg Stahl]

Hey Lee,

The lye bath and the electrobath will FREEZE.  I've had both in my basement, here in MA, and they both freeze in the winter.  Of course, I have an unfinished basement.  The vinegar bath will freeze too.

You won't need the lye and vinegar bath, if you have the electrobath set up.

[Roger Barfield]

Lee, Greg is right as with the electro set up you won't need the others.  I do have a lye bath and electro, but I use it as a holding tank to keep things from rusting more until I can electro clean.  A suggestion on one of the earlier threads was to use a heavy furniture dolly or something like it to set the electro bath on so you can roll it.  I use a 45 gallon trash can, and  am planning to make mine that way so I can roll it in the garage when not using it.  It rarely freezes here where I live.  I'd like to do it to get it out of the way.

[Al Andrews]

Lee, I agree with the other folks, all you really need is the electro-bath.  For the cost of water and washing soda, why not just empty you bath when it is not needed.  The bath, while in operation, should produce enough heat to prevent freezing.  Another option is to buy a submergible heater to prevent freezing when not in use.  Insulating your tank can also help.

Al

[Duke Gilleland]

Ditto...Electro is all you need and the way to go.  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[d1vot15]

There are those heaters for animal water troughs that keep  water from freezing also.

[moosejaw]

I keep my electrobath in the basement and have not had problems with the water freezing.  It gets colder than a witch's ***, but it does not freeze.  My basement is also unfinished.  

I think one of the reasons the water get's so cold, is because the plastic tub sits on the concrete floor.  I'm going to set it up on something off the floor and see if that helps.  

[miniwoodworker]

Thanks, all, for your replies and great advice.

Think I'm going to set up both the electro and lye tanks. Couple of reasons. First, I've never done either, so I'd like to learn. Second, as mentioned, the lye bath will serve as a holding tank.

I'll hold off on the vinegar solution until (if) I actually need it.

Here's one of the reasons why I want to learn all the processes. This project is waiting for me to get started.

Lee

[moosejaw]

That's just a little bit too cool, Lee.  Who made it and is it a wood burner?

If you are going to set up an electrolysis unit, there is no need for the lye bath.  Electrolysis will remove both gunk and rust.  I'd be mighty careful with vinegar.....it can ruin a piece if left in too long.  If you use vinegar, make sure you cut it with water....I think 50-50 is the recipe.  You also have to neutralize it after you remove it from the vinegar solution.  I think it's baking soda in water that neutralizes vinegar.  

[C. Perry Rapier]

Marty, he wants the lye bath as a holding tank.

Lee, thats a very good idea. You could make a lye bath right now, today, in just a few minutes, and you could take off and submerge parts of that wonderful old stove that is going to hell and would not continue to do so, in fact, if you made a big enough lye bath you could put the big pieces in too, just lay them down flat. Also, keep a tarp over the lye bath, it keeps you from accidently dipping into it and taking a big cool drink, and it keeps the solution from evaporating, so if you do decide to take a big cool drink from the solution it will be there for you and not all evaporated away.

[miniwoodworker]

Marty, I don't know alot about it yet. There's a name plate: Majestic Mfg Co. St Louis. On the top towel (?) bar there's a Pat Oct 12 09 Something is over the oven thermometer, but I can't read it yet. (Glass still intact, BTW).

I'm not sure whether it was wood or coal. Don't know enough about these yet to know for sure. Do know that it had what appears to be a boiler setup of some kind in the fire box. You can see the broken pieces of it in the pix. On the backwall behind the firebox there are two holes with sliding covers. Apparently designed for use with or without the cast iron pieces for heating water. At least this is what I'm speculating it's for.

C. Piper, yes, that's part of the plan. I want to get a childs ridge plastic wading pool and set it up for a lye holding tank. Some of the pieces I can get apart now. Other's will take some work. As each piece comes off, would like to put it in the tank. May not be able to get all of it to fit, even after it's disassembled, but every piece will be a help.

Wish I'd bought a pool earlier this year. Don't know how long it'll take to find one, since most summer merchandse is off the shelves now.  Probably could have found one at a bargain only a couple of months ago. Oh well........

Oh.... will cover the pool with some type of wire, then put a tarp over that. The wire, supported by lumber or PVC pipe, should help keep the tarp from sagging from rain accumulation.

Again, thanks for all the responses. Much appreciated!
Lee

[Thomas_Callaway]

Hey Perry! You think we ought to tell Lee to watch out for the peasants?

TC

[moosejaw]

Yeap.....Perry needs to go help Lee set up a major cookerator.  Then there will be two, master's of the universe.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hey Perry! You think we ought to tell Lee to watch out for the peasants?

TC

T.C., it looks like he's got a lot of work on that stove. Maybe we oughta tell him about the peasant labor source but I don't know, I think we should check him out some more before we just turn him on to the best thing since sliced bread. And then again, oh to see the smiles and look of hope on the faces of the little peasant children as the mighty cookerator etc. etc. etc. etc. :-X

[moosejaw]

Uh Huh.  I see what you guys are doing to poor Lee.  You get this poor newb on here, and dance around about peasants and cookerators, trying to lure this poor fella in.  Lee, you need to watch out.  They want your stove.  You think they are being nice.......oh no.  That's the line they use every time they see a newb with something they want.  BEWARE the wolf in Perry like clothing.

Pretty soon, you will hear the knock on the door.  Appearing before you will be two innocent looking guys.  My advice to you is don't let them in.  They will portray themselves as peasant labor sent by WAGS, to assist you in your cleaning.  They will try to razzle dazzle you with all kinds of stories about cookerators and peasants and lions.....OH MY!  You may be lured into a false sense of security.  Don't be tempted.  

Just to be on the safe side, I might suggest sending that stove to me.  I will look after it for you, and should the rascals appear on my doorstep, I know how to handle them.  I keep a stock pile of year old aebleskivers, just for this very purpose.  I will fend them off for you, Lee.  I will guard your stove with my life and my aebleskivers.  I'm a woman, so you know you can trust me.  

[miniwoodworker]

Cookerators, peasants, aebleskivers, lions, even wolves... this is beginning to sound as complicated as this computer.  :-?

Marty thanks for setting this newbie straight.  ;) Sure, they can come by, if they like and join the fun. It'll only cost a can of Red Devil lye for the pleasure of cleaning up one of the eyes. But, I have to warn them, it'll cost a heck of a lot more for the pleasure of cleaning up the reservoir. But, on the other hand,  I'll be easy on them, if they only want to watch the fun. Admission is only a handful of stove bolts. Now that isn't bad, is it?  8-)

BTW, I'm a female, too. And, I'm armed with a couple of good rolling pins.  :-*

Lee

[Greg Stahl]

This thread is just too cool.  Lee you had them all fooled, me too!!

[miniwoodworker]

 :)

Yep, having my father's middle name can lead to a bit of confusion. Sometimes though, it's an advantage, when I hang out with the fellows and they don't expect me to have a set of pink handled tools.  ;)

Lee

[Greg Stahl]

great middle name,  mine too.

[C. Perry Rapier]

Cookerators, peasants, aebleskivers, lions, even wolves... this is beginning to sound as complicated as this computer.  :-?

Marty thanks for setting this newbie straight.  ;) Sure, they can come by, if they like and join the fun. It'll only cost a can of Red Devil lye for the pleasure of cleaning up one of the eyes. But, I have to warn them, it'll cost a heck of a lot more for the pleasure of cleaning up the reservoir. But, on the other hand,  I'll be easy on them, if they only want to watch the fun. Admission is only a handful of stove bolts. Now that isn't bad, is it?  8-)

BTW, I'm a female, too. And, I'm armed with a couple of good rolling pins.  :-*

Thats it, thats it, thats it, no more talkin to Lee boys, its an ambush I tell you.

Tryin to lure us into this stove business so she could get us over there and enslave us. I feel so used. I think I'm gonna go take a shower right now. And I'm gonna scrub extra on the ends of my fingers that have been touching the keys that have been communicating with this cagey and foxy feline. Such shame.

There's a lesson here, I tell you all, this just goes to show how far this cast iron business wil make a person go.

Well now Ms. Lee, since we know who you really are, are you married and if not can you send me some pictures of your favorite pieces of cast iron, a picture of the latest fish you caught, tell me do you scald or skin your hogs, send me a picture of the latest 10 point buck, or over, that you have killed, and do you gut or fillet your fish, and oh yeah, if you got another stove, I'd like to see it too.