How to Make an Electrolysis Bucket Tank Thing DIY
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มิ.ย. 2024
- Today we are making an Electrolysis Bucket to help remove rust in tool Restorations. This is a simple DIY project that most people can put together in an afternoon. so here is how to make an Electrolysis Bucket or tank, or whatever you want to call it. Electrolysis tank, how to make an Electrolysis tank, rust removal, tool restoration
1- Bucket: amzn.to/2LxoG1k
7- 18" 1/2" Rebar: amzn.to/34VZGc0
7- 1/4" Bolts 1 1/4" long with nuts and washers: amzn.to/2YzVmwN
1- 12 gauge copper wire: amzn.to/2s1sWzm
1- liquid Electrical tape: amzn.to/350uvw3
1- 1/2 cup Washing soda: amzn.to/352EDEA
1- Old Car charger: marketplace/...
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I like that you got straight to the point and didn’t talk for 30 minutes about your dog or cat or the weather outside or anything else it was not pertinent to the information that was needed thank you I’ll be looking for more videos and checking out your other ones. May God bless you
Thanks. I like to make the videos as long as they need to be and no longer.
Made this thing in an hour max. A tip for any of you that can’t get your hands on an old battery charger, you can use a new battery charger aswell as long as you have a spare car battery. Put the car charger on the battery, then run jumper cables from the battery to your bucket. Keeps the battery charged and the bucket going.
Thanks for that, I was just about to ask if it could be done this way!
Me too. I was going to ask the same thing. Was also wondering if a 120v to 12v converter would work
Manual chargers are increasingly hard to find. Lots of people who do cast iron cookware restoration use a 10 A, 30 V DC power supply. In 2024, they're about $50 to $70 on Amazon.
If you have a spare car battery you can sell it and put 2 of your kids most of the way through college.
Man this dude did sooooo many extra steps
That’s on my “bucket list”. 😳😱🤪
LOL why did I not think o f that one man!
It’s worth mentioning that rebar often has a coating on it that may hinder performance of electrolysis. So hitting it with a wire wheel before you finish set up is also a good idea!
Thanks James! Best instructional video on electrolysis on the internet!
thanks!
Safety glasses are quite useful
Great description!
am going to make one, thanks for sharing.
I just started doing this a few months ago - it saves on elbow grease! Great video!
right on!
Thanks for sharing that
Great video James 👍
Nice job
Really cool James, thanks for the info! 😃👍🏻⚡👊🏻
any time Fred!
Thank you that’s one of the best videos I have seen on electrolysis
thanks Scott. my pleasure.
Yes it was electrifying...
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Agreed, it was excellent. I'd love to see you do one on electrolites. I feel a little de-hydrated when I'm in the shop.
i like using this method for etching. just paint the metal with nail polish and scratch in what you want etched. works with aluminium too, but takes a bit longer
Right on. There are a lot of fun things you can do with it.
Like it👍✌️😊🙏🏼
One of the best explanation on how to do this that I've seen. I know you said to use rebar but I think its worth noting don't substitute stainless steel for rebar, disconnect charger before adjusting, and don't do this in a confined space (hydrogen and oxygen do come off in miniscule amounts). Would you please clarify if the process is self stopping or will this actually eat away at the bare metal. I thought that it wouldn't but am really not sure. I've always kept an eye on it as deep down I'm a worrywart.
thanks Jack. It will eventually eat through all metal there. but it would take a couple weeks to go through a plane iron, but 24 hours or less is rarely any problem for most any parts.
@@WoodByWrightHowToThis process removes rust, not the "good" metal. I do cast iron skillet restoration by this method, it won't eat away a skillet etc.
DALE!! NO POWER TOOLS!
Hello, FYI. Only put a lid on for storage. During the process gasses are produced and vented. Also I live close to the ocean and therefor use seawater as my liquid
Right on. I use to collect the Hydrogen and use it for party tricks.
Another thing to be aware of: if a lot of crud/old rust builds up in the bottom of the tank, clean it out! If your part contacts that stuff and that stuff is in contact with one of your anodes, you can smoke the charger, blow a fuse or trip a breaker, etc.
You don't need to replace the solution every time; you can just top off the water, stir it up and run it again. As long as the tank is bubbling, there's enough electrolyte in there to get the job done...So resist the urge to add a bunch more every time.
If your tank gets less effective, you can take the electrodes out, clean them off---I sand-blast mine clean---or do the process with the leads switched and the positive/anode clamped to a sacrificial piece in the middle of the tank...It'll blast a lot of the rust off the rebar you're using for the anode under normal operation, but sometimes you just have to clean the rebar off.
@@JoshTolbertUrbana thanks! I really appreciate the extra tips in comments like these.
Very good video. Two things I must note though. 1. Please use safety glasses when doing a tutorial video, especially when drilling metal(s). 2. Metal is much easier to drill if you start with a small bit for a pilot hole.
Just made this. Worked great. Does the rebar need to be periodically cleaned or replacedd?
No the rebar will last longer then the bucket. They will slowly grow in size as they get played with the iron.
Great work. I will try to make one for my workshop.
Can you, please tell me is washing soda the same thing as soda cristals? Thank you.
Generally yes. soda crystals is a broad term for a bunch of different things but most salts will do fine.
Wood By Wright How 2 Thank you very much for the answer. In my country (Croatia) there are only soda crystals, so I was not sure is that good for electrolysis. 👍
Thanks for this video! Can the re-bar be re-used for multiple uses of electrolysis? If so, is there a limit? And how would you advise disposing of the liquid bath after use?
yes I have never replaced it. and you should not have to as long as it does not rust out from the soda water. usually I reuse the water 20+ times then just dump it out in the lawn. There are no chemicals.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Thank you so much! I really appreciate that you answered these questions :) keep up the great videos ,brother
It may be important to point out that it's the sodium that makes water conduct electricity. I think if you can't find washing soda, regular salt will work (allow time to fully dissolve). Also, it's been said that the gasses created (hydrogen and oxygen) are flammable so keep the charger and plug-in outlet a good distance...and do it outside 👍🖖🤙
Electrolysis of salt aka NaCl also produces chlorine gas.😢
Do you think instead of a battery charger you could use a test bench variable power supply?
Sure. As long as it can hold the amperage
That's pretty cool. I have an old disston handsaw I picked up at a flea market... do you think it would be okay to do one end at a time in the bucket? With the handle off, of course.
oh ya. just keep an eye on it. and it will work well. I know others that have made these in fish tanks so they can fit larger things in it.
Try a storage “tote” instead of a bucket. There are some that are more similar in size to hand saws and/or long hand planes.
An alternate power supply would be the power supply unit from an old desktop computer. They are designed to provide 12, 5, and 3 volts DC any of which would be a safe valid option. The big key is to choose something that can provide a DC output. Electrolysis requires DC to keep the rust moving in only one direction (i.e. AC would be removing and then re-adding the rust as the polarity is switched). For safety, 12V DC is commonly recommended. This provides an effective and efficient electrical flow for rust removal while maintaining minimal risk of either electrocution or arcing.
right on. I know a few people that have gone that way as long as the supply is rated for the amperage.
I knew there was a reason I put my Wood by Wright sticker on my lab bench power supply.
Grate video! Can i use NaHC03? Greetings from Argentina. Thanks
no baking soda does not work as well. you can use normal table salt but it can be a bit slower.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo thenks! I'll take your advice!
Thanks!!!!
How do you know if a used battery charger has the electronics that would prevent electrolysis?
it will say "automatic" something or other on it. some of the time it will say something like "will not work tell connected to battery."
Do the rebar rods touch the bottom of the bucket? Also i'm guessing the item that is being derusted can't touch the bottom either.
Yes they can touch the bottom. I believe mine ended up being about a quarter inch short but there's no problem with anything touching the bottom. For the item in the bath you probably want to keep that up just to have water flow around it.
We could all vote and agree that power drills are kosher. I don't care either way but if you need to fill seats on the committee I am free thursday evenings.
Could I use this method just to do a basic cleaning on a cylinder head?
Sure.
What if you generate the electricity using a hand crank generator? Is it a hand tool or a power tool?
now that sounds like a fun time!
What voltage is required to circulate through this system? The battery output voltage??
I use 12 volt
Can you do this with Brake rotors??
Sure, anything made of steel iron, it'll work fine.
I just made an E tank and one curious if you can allow the object to be descaled to touch the rods on the side of the tank
No. That's short circuiting the system. Want the current to run from anodes to the object thru the solution.
Sorry, serious newbie here.
Why can’t the rebar stick out of the water?
It can. And mine here does.
I understand the need to use power tools from time to time, but not going to lie everytime I see you using one it just feels odd, like something has gone wrong with the matrix. This is a good video I've got a few old (1890's-1910's) plane irons I need to de-rust and I'm not 100% sure I feel like hand sanding them all
this would make quick work of those.
How do you dispose of the water in the tub? Pour it down the drain?
Yeah. It's just an electrolyte mix.
What DC Voltage and amperage do you recommend?
I don't remember what setting mine is but I want to say it was 12 volts and 6 amps.
Is it a hassle to get rebar out to clean off for reuse?
No reason to take them out and clean them.
Do you have to do all that I seen it where they just put it right over the edge of a container
Sorry I don't know what you mean by right over the edge of the container.
What's the maximum voltage you could run? I know 12-volt DC but amperage, I don't know thanks...
I know some people will do it at 24 volts but I don't think I'd want to go much higher than that. Mine pulls about 10 amps.
I have a question. Why couldn’t a 110v to 12v converter be used? Or could it?
You could do that as long as it has the capacity for the amperage that this would draw.
Thank you. And would the required amperage capacity you mention be determined by the amperage of the circuit/outlet I’m plugging into or the rating on the 110v to 12v converter? My interpretation is that you meant, as long as the amperage draw from the converter doesn’t exceed what the 110v circuit is rated for, correct?
Question...Will this remove any kind of plating?
I'd like to remove some tin/nickel etc. off of some brass I want to scrap. ( example.. The plating on the ends of extension cord Plugs) Please Advise! Thank you kindly!
it might work in some circumstances but not in most. usualy to get that off the best is to sand or scrape it off.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo appreciate the quick response !
Btw, I'm glad I came across your channel as I have a wood shop just out back. Just subscribed, looks like alot of very interesting things you have.
Once again, Thanks!👍
Can a car battery be used as the power supply?
For a little bit but I don't think it would run long enough for most rust jobs.
Do you know what gauge wire you used?
I believe it was 12 gauge.
It's not a power tool unless it has a cord.😁
I dont know how to ask this. How could you do this with sheet steel that wont fit in the bucket or is not removable? I bought a school bus and when removing the ply wood floor i found large areas of surface rust, given mostly contained to about 1 foot spots I was wondering if I could rig an electrolysis tank over the rust and watch it go away. I know there are other methods sanding and chemicals but for larger areas I thought of electrolysis.
If you can't submerge it this this won't work. For that I usually go to sand blasting.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo have done this in a 5 gallon bucket on a smaller scale. the bottom of the tank would be the floor so technically the rust is submerged
sounds like a fun experiment be carful grounding it though.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo been shocked many times but I dont need this lighting up the whole bus and we get the magic school bus shrinking and going up Arnold's ass again.
Flex seal and an upside down clear tote.with holes drilled in it?
Can you use this method to remove paint from cast aluminum?
No this will not remove paint.
Also, aluminum is not stable in alkaline solutions like washing soda, i.e. sodium carbonate. It will slowly dissolve.
Put aluminum in lye and it almost evaporates.
Looking for alternatives to a 12v "dumb" charger, in part because I'm not smart enough to be sure which ones for sale in my area are truly dumb and in part because there's got to be a better power supply for this, no? Suggestions anyone?
any higher amperage 12V supplier would work.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo really appreciate your quick reply on a video that's a few years old, thanks!
Can I use a 12 volt rechargeable battery?
Sure. I am not sure how long it would last though
@@WoodByWrightHowTo I'm not sure we shall find out and go from there. I'm using a 12v lithium ion battery off a drill. Fully charged I should get a decent amount of time if not that's the fun of experiments. Thank you for the info
Hi all. If I'm not American, what's the chemical I'm looking for to increase water conductivity? Sodium Carbonate? And what's the best amount per litre of water? Tyvm
Use sodium carbonate, which is "washing soda". About 17 - 25 g/ gal, or per ~3.8 L. This is about 1 - 1.5 tablespoons of washing soda per gallon in US measurements. This is the approximate recipe that is used for doing cast iron cookware restoration.
Would this work on limescale
Unfortunately no. It would then start eating into the steel underneath it. It would probably loosen the limescale eventually but you would lose a lot of material underneath it before that.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo than you so electrolysis only work on rust for steel thanks.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo would of work on gypsum.
@@michaelcollins2399 no, it only removes rust from pure steel
It also works with regular table salt, they just dont sell washing soda here in chile 😒
Bro that makes mustard gas
@@CoolDaddyJames no, it makes chlorine gas, which is toxic in high concentrations and used in the trenches, but if you do it in a well ventilated area, like outside it is not an issue, this makes way too little chlorine gas
@@thekchile my fault thought that mustard gas was literally just chlorine
Do you use the same amount?
Acouple of times I have used Arm and Hammer wash detergent. Worked really good I first large piece I removed rust from. I used a kiddie pool.
Btw, I used a roll around auto shop charger snd more less guessed at the amount of detergent to put in the water as I had no idea how many gallons of water was in the pool.
Second time I used one of the little chargers and a plastic garbage can with very little luck. Could only get about 3 amps to show. Guess I needed more detergent or what ever I used that time.
I also bought some pool cleaner to use but have not yet that I can remember.
@@rickeykeeton4770 just disolved until the water is saturated with salt
Is there any magic secret to determining how many rebar rods to put inside a bucket? In the UK our DIY sheds have orange buckets but smaller than yours, so do we use fewer rebar rods or thinner ones? The whole planet is now ruled by orange buckets... Thanks!
no specialty to it. the more you do the easier it is for the proses to work so I usually put them every 4-6" around the outside.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Thank you for that! You MUST be busy in that workshop - You replied at 4 AM UK time, which is night time for over there!
I made one with just one 20 cm bar on the whole bucket and it worked just nice, make sure the conection is above the water since electrolisis agressively attacks the anode and it can chew trough the wire
@@thekchile Thanks for that information and your useful observations - a great help !
I know this is old but figured I'd toss in what I can.
My understanding is that this works largely on line of sight. So say you have a square bucket, put an anode (the rebar) in each corner and the tool in the center, and it will easily de rust the whole item. If you have just one anode, you may have to rotate the tool after the first side is cleaned.
Unless you connect the electrodes backwards, this method should not remove any good metal. In fact, if you chose a bath better at solubilizing the metal ions, it could remove metal from the sacrificial electrode and plate it onto the workpiece.
Lol that would be a fun time.
Can this be used to make bleach?
You could but I would want to do it in something that is far more closed. If you don't want those vapors getting out.
He has lost his mind. Poweeer toooools......muahahahahahahahah
the mind has been missing for several years now!
So I'm gonna try this with a generic solar panel.
that is a great idea!
0:42 Electrolysis will not attack the substrate (steel) the sacrificial anodes get dissolved ,not the item to be cleaned (cathode)
I didn’t think you could use copper wire in the bucket ?
When you say "Washing Soda", do you actually mean "Baking Soda"? Sodium Bicarbonate?
No washing soda is an old fashioned detergent. If not that, table salt will work.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Thank you VERY much for the clarification!!! But, which works the best? Sodium Bicarbonate, Cloths detergent, or table salt? Also, are the measurements approx the same?
The measurements are approximate. I would not say one works better then the water. They just increase the conductivity of the water.
Washing Soda is sodium carbonate. In the US, a common brand is Arm & Hammer. I've also heard that this same chemical is what's in a pool product called pH Up.
POWER TOOLS?!
*Unsubbed*
Seriously though, thanks for the vid, I'll have to add this to my project list!
LOL thanks.
You could never drill it with a bit and brace !!!
sasta andrew tate
2:00 OMG when did you start as a builder? Because these were all the mistakes I might have made my first year.
Never will I believe in this life or any other that you or the Incredible Hulk could possibly drill through a piece of rebar with a wood bit on a hand drill.
No way, Hosè; not happening ever.
LOL you should give it a try.
Get some pure mineral oil, 3 in 1 has carcinogens in it and it costs more
If redundant was a video.