I've been looking for hours in the old posts looking for the time we talked about removing rust with electrical current ( DC ?) and also for the acid and where to get the acid?? I need to remove the rust off a pedal car and I mean alot of it, so I can make it workable hopefully
Hey Charles, is this the thread you're looking for? https://talk.classicparts.com/showthread.php?t=10384&highlight=electrolysis
Thanks Ken, I was looking for the wrong words. This pedal car is really,really rusty and the rust has eaten alot of it on the front end. Just getting it clean will be a great task. Again Thanks
The acid is hydrochloric acid which is sold by the common name of muriatic acid. Since your little car is so thin it would be best to start with a weak solution and gradually add acid till you get a reaction in the form of a few bubble rising to the surface. Watch closely and remove and rinse the part with water often so you can see how it's progressing. Always add acid to water and not water to acid. In this case I think electrolisis would be better since it reduces iron oxide (rust) back to metallic iron and nothing is removed.
Phosphoric acid Is available in the paint department at Home Depot as metal etch, by the gallon. Wear gloves
Evan and Larry, Thanks for the info. this little jeep is really full of rust. The Elect. method I'll try first have to get a plastic tub big enough to use. By the way would a transformer for low voltage lights work for this by chance? The only charger I have big enough is at the place in Az. where batteries do not last very long.
Electrolytic Rust Removal Is what I *think* I used to look it up on the Internet a while ago . They suggested using caustic soda instead of acid . They also suggested using an old bathtub for big things like you're doing . IIRC they suggested using a low amperage battery charger and specifically said to be very careful in the polarity of the connections so the sacraficial anode dissolves, NOT your pedal car ! . " Metal Etch " is Phosphoric Acid and can be used to de-rust ferrous metals , alloys will dissapear in it . Be REALLY careful with any typ if acid ! " here he lies , so still and placid . Because he added water to the acid " .
Try the faithfull stovebolt pages. It does work I have done various parts no problems http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/electrolytic_derusting.htm Regards Gerald
Here is a how-to I bookmarked. It does not appear to use acid but the size of the bucket determines the size of the parts. I was going to try this but never got to it. http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrolytic-Rust-Removal-aka-Magic/
