instructables

Rusty Junk to Useful Stuff With Chemistry!

by Cheese Queen

Backyard DIY Electrolysis for Rust Removal on Cast
Iron and Tools
I'll bet everyone reading this has a secret stash of
rusty something-or-other; Granny's Dutch oven, tools
left in the rain, a cool garage sale find. If only there
was some quick and easy way to return the metal to
bright and shiny...
There is. Here's a sweat-free, pain-free method of
removing every particle of rust from your rusty junk-
using the miracle of electrolysis and some random
stuff you probably already have laying around.

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Step 1: Equipment for Your Miracle
Here's what you need:
A battery charger, 10 amps or bigger. A smaller
trickle charger will work, but it might take weeks
instead of hours to remove all the rust. One with a
built-in ammeter is best, so you can tell when you
have a good connection.
A plastic tub, bucket or container, big enough to
suspend the rusty article completely free of the sides
boxes, pieces of rebar, literally whatever you have.
The more surface area the better.
A non-conductive rod to suspend the rusty article
Rusty Junk to Useful Stuff With Chemistry!: Page 2
and bottom; you want the solution to circulate freely.
You can also line a cardboard box or basket with
plastic to hold the solution- anything will work if its
sturdy enough and can be lined in plastic
Arm & Hammer WASHING Soda (not baking soda).
You'll find this in the laundry detergent aisle.
Steel for the anode- rod, sheet, bar, whatever you
have handy or can buy cheap. Old metal junction
from. I used a piece of CPVC pipe, but wood is good
too.
Some wire, any kind
Step 2: Safety First
Do this outside, please.
You will be generating some hydrogen gas and you
don't want any explosions in the garage.
Step 1) Fill the plastic container with a measured
amount of water- when filled, you will add 1
Tablespoon of washing soda per gallon of water; stir
to dissolve. Tip- make the last gallon you put into the
tub HOT water, you can dissolve ALL the washing
soda in the hot water and you'll get a fast, thorough
dissolve.
Step 2) Place the non-conductive rod across the top
of the solution container, and wire your rusty article to
is so your article hangs completely submerged, but
not touching the sides or bottom.
Step 3) Place your anode steel in the solution (the
anode can touch the sides and bottom, and it can
stick out of the solution too) but make sure it is AT
LEAST 2” from your rusty article. Any closer and you
will pull too much current on your battery charger and
might damage it.
Rusty Junk to Useful Stuff With Chemistry!: Page 3
You can use more than one anode, such as multiple
pieces of rebar on different sides of the rusty article,
as long as all the anodes are electrically connected,
i.e. wired together. Using more than one anode
speeds up the electrolysis, and you won't have to
move and turn your rusty piece during the process,
but use whatever is easiest for you. You can also do
more than one rusty article at a time, as long as- you
guessed it- they are electrically connected to one
another and nothing touches.
Step 4) Connect the BLACK clamp of the battery
charger to the rusty article, and the RED clamp to the
steel anode, and turn on the charger. You can use an
extra alligator clip jumper if that makes a better
connection to the piece than your regular clamp.
Turn the battery charger on and check the ammeter to
see whether or not its “charging”- if not, you may have
to scrape a clean spot in the rust so you make a good
electrical connection.
Let 'er rip!
Rusty Junk to Useful Stuff With Chemistry!: Page 4
Step 3: Making the Magic
You will see bubbles start to form almost
immediately, and an ugly rusty sludge will collect on
the surface- all normal.
Every so often, turn off the charger and lift out your
rusty piece to inspect how the rust removal is going;
take this opportunity to turn or invert the piece if you
are using a single anode, to make sure all parts are
getting blasted.
The length of time you will have to leave your rusty
article will depend on how rusty it was and the
Step 4: Yes, You ARE a Genius;
When you remove your work piece the final time from
the solution, you will have noticed that instead of rust,
your piece is now covered in a sooty black oxidation
layer. The easiest way I've discovered to remove this
is with 3M Brand GRAY Finishing Pads, available at
Lowe's in the sandpaper aisle, but if you need a more
polished surface, you may have to work with the
softer white scrubbies. It only takes a few minutes to
remove the black stuff.
Rusty Junk to Useful Stuff With Chemistry!: Page 5
amperage of your charger. It will probably take a few
hours, maybe overnight to totally remove the rust. It
won't hurt anything if the charger continues to run, but
it won't help either.
You can dump your rusty, sludgy water on the
garden, or save it for your next rust-removal project. *
note; if you used a stainless steel anode, you may
have generated some semi-toxic byproducts; better to
not dump this down the storm drain or into your
vegetable garden.*
And voila, you have resurrected Granny's Dutch oven
with the expenditure of just a little bit of money and
the time it took your cauldron to do it's bubbly
electrolysis magic.
Take a bow!
Step 5:

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