Electrolysis setup question

[Mark Zizzi]

Mine is kinda like your green one, except I lined all 4 sides with SS..and one piece on the bottom like yours.
Question..Did that solid square in the center of that white plastic grid thingy block the electro process in that area, or does it find a way around it.

[Cheryl Watson]

Yup... the plastic milk crate bottom turned out to not be the best idea... ditto the steel grate as the anode... it worked, and I thought it was miraculous at the time... but both can cause shadowing on the iron.

[Cheryl Watson]

I morphed very quickly into this.

#1 - Main electro
#2 - Second, auxillary electro

[Mark Zizzi]

Sweet!  ;) 
 
Here's another question:
I'm noticing when I turn the charger on, the first bubbles, and the most action thereafter, is wherever the piece is closest to the anode.  Makes sense, but does that detract from the areas farthest from the anode? In other words, do you have to keep rotating the piece, or will it all get de-rusted eventually w/out rotating it.

Also, I see you have some Evaporust in the pic. Do you use that pre-electro?..or as an alternative? From what I've read it's a great product...but then why would one need an electro tank too....

[Cheryl Watson]

You have Eagle Eyes!! Jeez....
That is my overflow used jug for Evapo..

I have a "full arsenal", and Evaporust is part of that.

When my newest itty bitty toy arrives, hopefully this week, in one piece (saying a prayer), that will go into the Evaporust.
Evapo is used sparingly, it is pricey, on pieces that I deem are higher value, OR with areas that the electro won't reach well (eg... All coil handles from my WI's go into the Evapo).  It is amazing stuff!

[Cheryl Watson]

Here's another question:I'm noticing when I turn the charger on, the first bubbles, and the most action thereafter, is wherever the piece is closest to the anode.  Makes sense, but does that detract from the areas farthest from the anode? In other words, do you have to keep rotating the piece, or will it all get de-rusted eventually w/out rotating it.

Watch the bubbles closely... the bubble action on the cast iron, should begin closest to the connector of the negative charge, and spread throughout the piece as the current travels through the iron to the farthest points. In my electro, the action becomes uniform.
 

[Mark Zizzi]

I see. Yeah, the stuff is pricey. But if you could afford to buy it by the barrel, would you still do electrolysis? Are the results the same..even on deeply rusted pieces?..or is one better than the other.  J/wondering...

[Cheryl Watson]

I would still use electrolysis.

I will never be able to afford a barrel of the stuff....
The current wholesale price is........ are you sitting down?
$1200.00 for a 55 gallon barrel........

[Mark Zizzi]

Lol...yeah I saw that too. It was a hypothetical question. Just wondering which way works best or if there's any difference between the two methods.

Btw, I just turned the charger off to check for progress. Inside looks done to me so I switched to the outer anode. When I turned it back on, the first bubbles were definitely where the DO sits closest to the SS..which is less than an inch from the SS, and opposite from the connection point. But after a few minutes the whole DO looks active..just not as much. I have no idea if that's significant or not.  :-?

[Karen Kale]

Cheryl, I was interested in what you said about steel wool. SS scrubbies seem to be what everyone here uses, but for some reason, they just don't work well for me after de-rusting, and I end up resorting to steel wool. I'm using them in the proper sequence, so I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I can scrub and scrub with SS with so-so results, but the steel wool takes the rust off with a few swipes.

I haven't notices any seasoning issues when using steel wool, but am I actually damaging the iron? I use #0000 ... better because it's less abrasive, or worse because it may polish the iron and impact seasoning? Or just bad altogether?  :-/

[Cheryl Watson]

Karen, what brand of SS scrubbies are you using?
Are you scrubbing under constant stream of running water, OR in a sinkful of standing water?
If you still have 'reddish' residue washing off, the piece is not properly derusted.
The converted rust will be black, that is the color you want to see rinsing off.

I have noticed a definite 'cheapening' of the 3M scrubbies over the past year... thinner strands that break apart more quickly. The large ones from SAMS club are heavier strands/coarser density, but do not work as well as the smaller/ finer gauge that I get at Home Depot.

I always use 2 scrubbies meshed together.

I use the 0000 steel wool for polishing other metals....
When folks state STEEL WOOL, there are many,many grades, from very coarse to very fine....

If I used 0000 for wet scrubbing, I expect that somewhere down the road my drains will clog up with debris.... from the steel wool... :)

[Cheryl Watson]

Just wondering which way works best or if there's any difference between the two methods.

Mark, the chelating agent (Evapo) also leaves black 'converted' patches on the iron, which will scrub off with a little more effort than the residue left behind by electro.  This is JMO based on observations.
Also, the Evaporust has some anamolies... if you do not have the piece totally submerged (covered), delineating lines will be left on the iron, and are difficult if not impossible to remove.

Also, older Iron pieces will consume/kill the Evaporust more quickly, reducing it's lifespan.

[Karen Kale]

I'm using the Scotch-Brite SS pads, under cold running water, though I only use one scrubbie. I'll try two together. I had previously tried a different brand that was much coarser, gave up on those after the first try with them, and went with your recommendation.

I see mostly black running off, though sometimes some red too. Maybe the issue is not the scrubbie but my de-rusting? I use the vinegar method, but I only leave the piece in for one hour before scrubbing.

[Cheryl Watson]

If you see red rust running off, derusting is not complete.  :)
Even with electro, I'll be scrubbing off the black, and whoops, it turned red, so back to the electro it goes!  :)

[Karen Kale]

Is there a limit to how long a piece should be left in vinegar? I thought there were risks of etching, or is that an old wives tale?

[Cheryl Watson]

It all depends on the condition of the piece at the outset.
And the strength of the vinegar solution, which will weaken with use as neutralization occurs.

It's a bit like learning to 'read' rust on iron.... watch for the foam on the surface... a lot? a little?

Newly mixed solution, I strictly follow the 30 minute checks. Remove, scrub down, then assess if more time is needed. Return as needed.

I'd say my average is 3-4 hours total.

There may be other Wags members who use only vinegar baths, that can offer their observations over a longer period of time.....

The longest time in the vinegar bath for a piece I have worked on, was 3 days. (special circumstance) Most Tea Kettles are highly individualized PIA's.... ;D ;D

I also have an electro, so I don't push the envelope too far with a vinegar bath. 
I have a bucket of skillets waiting for electro once the weather warms up. (pulled from lye bath and processed thru that step). These were the result of the great molasses experiment and sustained serious 'etching'...

Maybe when spring arrives, I'll experiment with a no value piece to see if I can get some data on the vinegar bath and etching.... charting times, etc.

[Karen Kale]

Given my basic cleaning methods, I only attempt to clean pieces that aren't in too bad of shape from the start. No river bottom waffle irons for me.

I use a 50/50 vinegar solution, and since I do it in my kitchen sink, it's a new batch with every cleaning. My cleaning methods are not the most economical, but its the best I can do logistically right now.

I'm thinking I'm not leaving them in the vinegar long enough. I thought I was pushing it with an hour, but I think a little longer might solve my problem.

I had read through the old thread about molasses cleaning. It sounded like some people were sold, but that there were also some pitfalls. Either way, I will probably never try it ...anytime I hear the word molasses, I think of the Great Molasses Flood in Boston!

[Richie Akins]

Cheryl I can go ahead and tell you if you leave a piece in 50/50 Vinegar/Water solution for 3 weeks, the result will be CI that is literally soft and mushy.  Using a toothbrush type SS brush, a good 1/8" of an inch just washed away under running water.  Keep grooves were left in the CI from the brush as well. 

I had a scrap piece of CI to experiment with and intended to leave it in for a few days to see what would happen.  Well, a few days turned into oops I forgot it for three weeks. 

[Mark Zizzi]

Ok...No idea how this is going to look but I'm going to attempt a few pics..The first one is the electro setup I sort of hastily put together..not pretty but it worked. The two white leads twisted together are for the side and bottom SS, the other white lead goes to the ring of SS suspended inside the DO. Pic was taken when it was done...you can see the rust that settled inside when the bubbling stopped.  This rinsed right out.
2nd pic is the charger I used. It's a table top manual charger. I had to use the 15 amp setting.. the other choice  is for jump starting a dead car battery, 150 amps at first, then drops to 60 amps. I was too chicken to try it, lol.

[Mark Zizzi]

I didn't think about doing before and after pics, so I had to swipe pics from the ebay listing.
The Do as I got it, and after the lye bath and electrolysis.