Post by mainedawg on Aug 19, 2011 13:14:53 GMT -5
Go to this site for all the pic's:
www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=62728
Gunfreak25
I get many requests on how to use and make an electrolysis tank. So here's how.
You will need
-Wall charger (cell phone charger works great)
-Tub large enough to submerge your part being worked on (or half submerged)
-Copper wire
-Baking soda
-Steel rebar or plain steel rods, a couple of them atleast 4 or 5 inches in length will do
Instructions.
First take your wall charger, and cut the end off the wire, then strip an inch or two of the insulation off. Most of the time but not always, the positive wire has a white strip on it, or a red strip, something to signify it's positive. The negative is usually the single colored wire.
Next take your tank and begin to fill it up with water, enough to completely (or half) submerge the part being derusted. Approximate how many gallons your filling to the tank with, and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda per gallon of water. The baking soda helps give the current something to move on.
Key thing is remember is negative to piece being derusted (cathode). Use stainless steel kitchen spoons etc for the consumable anode. Keep in mind hydrogen and O2 is made so venting is a concern. Don't be afraid to use a automatic car battery charger of say 10 amps because you won't hurt the metal if the polarity is correct.
Yes, you 2 can perform magic! Works on swords and plowshares. Look at my Avatar, the only thing left are the pits!
GunFreak25, excellent setup and one that can be done with a minimum of equipment. Question, how would this work on rifles with rust in the barrel?. You all know the ones that look great on the outside but somehow the light never seems to make it from one end to the other. Regards,Frank
Frank,
The tank process will work inside the barrel. If you want to do only do the inside of the barrel and not the outside just cap off the muzzle, pour in the solution and put some type of rod down the barrel and connect to the charger. For a rod I use an old antenna insulated with a couple rubber washers to prevent a short to the barrel. (check this with a VOM before connecting) The washers shouldn't be so close fitting to the barrel that gases can't escape. Also keep a closer eye on it since the solution level will go down by breaking the liquid back to H & O2
K
Cigarjoe was over today and we decided to give this a try with a really nasty Turk Mauser action I've got. Everything was set up right and nothing has happened after 6 hours. I did a little research online and found out that you should NOT use baking soda but you should use WASHING soda. If you don't have washing soda you can also use lye. I will be going out tomorrow and buying the washing soda. I'll let you all know how it works. I didn't want to edit the initial post because it would "appear" that some of our members have actually had success with baking soda, whereas I have not.
Regards,
Eric
CigarJoe and I figured out what went wrong with our tank- the transformer must have blown out shortly after we wrapped up cleaning the bore on his 24/47. It worked great while in the "electric bore cleaner" mode but was very hot when I unplugged it. When we got the electrolysis tank set up it simply did not work. I assumed this was because I hadn't used Washing Soda and got some of that today. I then hooked it all back up again and still nothing happened. CigarJoe called and asked if anything was happening yet and I said no. He then suggested that perhaps the transformer was blown, which I was going to fiddle with next, and I agreed. I went and got the car charger and hooked that up and almost immediately I got bubbles. Now the tank looks like someone got sick in it and it's working! I've got a reak rusty and nasty Yugo M-59 to go in the drink next.
Regards,
Eric
reemej wrote:
Im giving this a try, the only thing is I could only find zinc plated steel rods, and I only had a 12volt charger. Ive hooked it up and have it running and the positive side is turning blue, I just hope Im not zinc plating my rifle! Im only gonna leave it running for a short time because of the voltage, hopefully it wont hurt the rifle. Im gonna be keeping an eye on it just in case.
Wish me luck! Darn it I always forget to take before pics, oh well I will have to take some after shots I guess! Oh and my project is and Italian m38 calvary carbine in 8mm, that was apparently a training rifle for either egypt or syria according to the paint markings on the rifles stock(which candyman is repairing and cleaning)! Hope this works!
Don't worry, the ions are flowing from the barrel to the rod. You'll be pulling the gunk from the barrel to the rod. So long as it's electrically conductive, you're in good shape. Make sure you get the polarity right, though. If not, you will zinc plate your barrel.
Using a formula similar to Gunfreak25's, I observed that decorative chrome plating will not come off if subjected to electrolysis with sodium carbonate or -bicarbonate. The pistol pieces subjected to electrolysis were frame, barrel/slide, rear toggle, and magazine body (as a control) documented in the German pistol forum; see viewtopic.php?f=61&t=75335 for details. Catalyst was 3 tbsp sodium carbonate (baking soda bakedf at 450 deg F for 10 minutes) to 2 gallons tap water at 6 volts. Time in tank was 20 minutes for the mag body, 3-4 hours for all other parts.
The mag body came out perfectly, with little cleanup post-dip, so I knew the process worked correctly. Chrome plated parts were also de-rusted where rust was exposed to catalyst.
Although this remains untested, I would submit that if the same formula is used as the one Gunfreak25 jputs forth, hard chrome barrel lining may remain unaffected by this process.
Justin
Question. I am trying the bore cleaner as described in another part of the site. I've had it in the barrel of a salvage 1917 Eddystone for 2 or 3 hours per night for the past week and am still getting black gunk on the rod and the barrel still looks black and rough. The bore cleaner shows positive to the barrel, negative to the rod in the diagram. I"ve set it up that way. Your set-up has the negative to the parts to be cleaned, positive to the sacrificial metal. Am I missing something.
sure wish I'd get down to metal soon. Rifling appears strong, but the bore is dark and rough. Respects, George
I think your problem is your hooking up the wires backwards. I've tried connecting the positive to my barrel and the negative the rod, like the commercial cleaners instructions say to tod. However I found that just caused my barrel to be plated in the steel rod itself, eventually filling up the rifling with steel rod.
Yesterday I did my 9mm barrel, with the positive the rod and the negative to the barrel. In 10 minutes I had removed all the copper and lead fouling left from about 1000 rounds of cheap 9mm ammo.