Cheap man's parts cleaner

So recently, I picked up a Stanley plane at a local flea market for a whopping $5. It was a bit rusty, and I started surfing the web on how to go about restoring one. I came across a technique that sounded too good to be true, but it's a cheap method so I decided to give it a go. The method is electrolysis rust removal. (referred to as ERR hence forth)

Well, I've been restoring an old piston water pump from the 20's. It was a pretty rusted up mess and the crank housing wasn't much better, being all caked up with 80 year old oil turned pitch. Unfortunately, before I found out about ERR, I took it to a chemical parts cleaner, and $60 later I had mediocre results, and still rusty parts. So I decided the first test of ERR would be on these parts.

So what's needed? Not a whole lot. A plastic container big enough to contain the part to be cleaned, (a scrapped 5 gal spackle/paint bucket is perfect) a DC power source, (I'm using a 2/10/55 amp battery charger) a box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, some scrap steel, a little bit of 12 gauge wire, and some clamps.

To hook it all up, fill the bucket most the way up with water, add about 1/3 cup of washing soda for 5 gallons of water. (more will not help the process) Clamp several pieces of scrap steel around the inside of the bucket. (I had some 1/4 x 1-1/4" bare stock lying around, but rebar pieces would work) Use a piece of wire to join the scrap pieces together. (I simply pinch the wire between the bucket and the steel) Now find a way to suspend the part you wish to clean in the middle of the bucket, making sure it doesn't contact the scrap steel. Finally, and this is very important, connect the battery charger's positive red lead to the scrap steel, and the negative black lead to the part to be cleaned. Once hooked up, plug in the charger and watch what happens. Within seconds, tiny bubbles will come off the part. In a short time, the water will begin to get dirty from the rust and dirt being stripped from the part. Some more time, and the water gets downright nasty looking on top. Lightly rusted parts can be cleaned up in as little as an hour. Heavily encrusted parts may require a day or more. The good news is, no damage comes to the part if left in longer. Once the part has "cooked" for a sufficient amount of time, remove it, and using some soap, running water, and a bristle brush, scrub off the layer of thin black film remaining on the part. Dry it with paper towels and it's ready for whatever protective finish of your desire!

Some things to note:
-Hook up the negative and positive wrong, and you'll ruin your part.
-The scrap metal will be consumed during this process.
-Don't put the positive battery clamp in the water or it will be eaten away.
-Do not use copper, aluminum, stainless or plated steel for the scrap metal. (stainless is especially bad as it will make a very toxic solution in the water)
-Don't attempt to clean aluminum or other soft metals for any longer than absolutely necessary, the process will damage their finish if left in too long.
-Steel, cast iron, brass, and bronze can be left in for long periods of time without any damage.
-The scrap metal will require occasional cleaning, as it will become caked with rust and crud from the part being cleaned.
-The process will not fill in pits. If it was previously pitted, it will remain pitted. The process only removes rust, dirt, and paint.
-The bubbles coming from the part are hydrogen, and while I found the amount expelled to be very low, play it safe, so no flames, sparks, or smoking, and perform in a well ventilated place.
-The water may become warm if enough amps are being drawn, and in my experience, the warmer the water, the higher the amps go. So if in doubt, set the amp settings lower if you'll not be attending to it for lengthy amounts of time.
-The solution can be used over and over again, but if you want to change it, it's safe to pour down the drain or on the lawn, as it's only iron rich water and a little sodium carbonate. (just don't pour it around plants that don't tolerate high iron)
-The process works better if you have very clean DC, by adding a battery to the system, but it's more difficult to regulate amps and my results were excellent even without one.
-Cleaning is only effective to areas that are "line-of-site" to the scrap metal, and therefore insides of parts being cleaned don't get clean without special technique. (covered below)

So, how well did it work? In two words, absolutely amazing! My parts look practically brand new! Stampings appeared that I didn't even know were there. This is a most gentle process, far better than bead blasting or wire wheel cleaning. I did have several parts that needed interior cleaning, and I was worried about the risk of a short circuit by placing a piece of scrap metal inside a tight fitting space should the two pieces touch, or a piece of rust flaking off and bridging the gap. I was going to add a fuse to one leg, but I came up with a better idea. I added a headlight lamp between the scrap metal and the positive battery charger clamp. Worked like a champ, and if there were to be short, it would only light the lamp at full intensity. (BTW, the lamp is partly lit while the ERR is in operation)

Oh, one last note, I've read that this is an excellent way to free up seized parts, so, if you got anything you can't break free, (an engine perhaps?) you might want to consider trying this. There is no limitation to the size of things you can do. You will just need to up the DC power available on larger items.

I might have to make an instructional Youtube video for this one, eh?