Now I started using this for my cast iron cooking pans and at first thought there is no way this works as well as people say or at all. Well I was wrong on that part. It really does work great. Although not so great right now as my tub of water is more like a block of ice. Let me fill you in on what you need. A plastic tub big engough for your parts to fit in. A DC power sourse. I use a battery charger. A piece of what is call sacrifical metal. And you will need water and baking soda or whats called washing soda. Both work. I think it is a table spoon of soda to a gallon of water but don't hold me to that. Then you fill up your container. Then put in your sacrificial metal and make sure it won't move. So fasten it down somehow. Then put in the piece of metal iron you want cleaned. Fasten it to the other side. Keep in mind then action happens line of side so you will need to rotate your piece. Then hook the positive up to the sacrificial metal. THe more area the sacrifical metal has the better. Then hook up the negatice to the piece being cleaned. Easiest way to remember this is black cable on the dirty stuff. With cast iron it's black on black. Now two big precautions. DO NOT let the pieces touch. It's much like welding. Worse yet is this process gives off Hydrogen. So don't do it inside and don't let the pieces touch while the power is on. I think this is great for fixing up old car as you can easily clean rusty parts.
I just got most of the parts together and waiting for the snow to melt so I can get to the hose and fill the container. There is a lot of good informaion on this on the net but here is a link to the one I used . Only note is he uses a battey with the charger you do not need the battery from what I have read on other references. http://www.myfordtractors.com/electrolysis.shtml
Yeah, electrolyis is what the Armed Forces used here to keep the old Dodge Powerwagons looking new. They used huge vats. So do most aircraft repair hangars. They dunk a whole aileron in to clean off the old paint and undercoat and any oxydation. Just like you described it only on a larger scale. Its also a good technique to impregnate protective corrosion inhibitors (Alodining) and chromates (not show chrome).
