Here’s how I built an electrolysis bucket to remove rust from old grimy tools, parts, pots, pans, and anything that needs deep cleaning.
I also talk about the struggles involved and the results. I also use an ultrasonic cleaner for small items and things that aren’t caked in rust. That’s when it’s time to break out the bucket.
It’s simple to build. I overthought it, and it took me days to decide on how I wanted it to work. I was shocked badly when I was young, thanks to a broken extension cord and a wet garage floor, so I’m very careful around electricity. Even 120V will cause you some problems.
The cost of everything was minimal because I had most of it here already. The great old battery charger that amazingly still works is perfect. The bucket was nothing, I had wire and nuts and bolts and electrolytes and the rest, except the rebar. I didn’t have to use rebar because I have tons of old scrap metal, but I wanted it not to be a piece of junk itself. Rebar is very manageable, although don’t try to cut it yourself unless you have a lot of time and hacksaw blades. It’s hard metal.
I drilled holes in the rebar to secure it to the sides of the bucket with 1/4 inch holes and a nut/washer/bolt. That was the biggest pain there was.
After that, you just connect the anodes(rebar) with a positive wire. I wound it around each bolt and put a clamp on the end, although that’s unnecessary.
Then it’s just a matter of connecting the negative terminal (Please don’t do any of this with the charger plugged in) to some steel that will conduct the current through the solution, through the item.
You don’t want the solution to touch the wires on the anodes.
You don’t want the charger’s connectors to be in the water(It’s unsafe, plus it will cause several other problems like eating away at the clips.)
The better/more solid the connections, the better.
This method works better than any other I’ve tried for hardcore rust. Ultrasonic cleaners are good for “lite” jobs. With a little acidic white vinegar added to the mix.
