Another successful electrolytic derusting project!

[seaco]

Err, OK so I took a chance and bought an old KURT 6" vice and if you know anything about vices you'll know KURT are bloody expensive I could never justify buying a new one but this one came up on Ebay and I thought I'd take a punt...

This is how I picked it up...







So into the electrolytic bath it goes, I never tried to clean it off at all just bared a little metal for a contact point...



And after 24hrs... the rust that's left just wipes off and the black which is carbon I think needs a bit of elbow grease to remove but you can see the base metal just under it, it's the best way I've found for removing rust. I am going to leave it another day to see if it can get any better...



They say the the process works on line of sight i.e. that the sacrificial anodes you use need to be able to see the areas of the rust you need to remove but in my experience and definitely in this case a lot of the rust couldn't be seen by the anodes and it still removed it all over it has even removed the rust from underneath the vice. All I had was two metal plates about 8"x4" one at each end...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Be nice to see that when its finished being cleaned up. Nice one.

 

[wallace]

I read some where that steel items can only be left in for so long before the steel itself gets affected. Cast items can be left indeffinately without any harm. I love using this process, much less work than a wire wheel

 

[seaco]

Ok so I've moved on managed to get it all apart, cleaned and got it primed ready for a top coat...


As it came apart


Basic cleaning...


Proper cleaning and primed...

 

[Spindle]

They say the the process works on line of sight i.e. that the sacrificial anodes you use need to be able to see the areas of the rust you need to remove but in my experience and definitely in this case a lot of the rust couldn't be seen by the anodes and it still removed it all over it has even removed the rust from underneath the vice. All I had was two metal plates about 8"x4" one at each end...

Hi

Don't you just love electrolysis

You're correct that the electrodes do not need to be line of sight, electrons / ions will flow through the electrolyte no matter what. What does make a difference to the speed of the process is the proximity of the electrode to the parent metal, (the closer the better), but don't get hung up on line of sight. Also be aware that the closer the electrodes are the more current that will be drawn with the potential to overload whatever supply you are using.

Regards Mick

 

[AndyT]

That's a real 'back from the dead' rescue job there!

 

[porker]

Nice vice. That's come up really well. Would love a Kurt but silly money usually. Are you going to make some new jaws for it?

 

[Myfordman]

Which primer do you recommend lee?
Presumably it is some sort of etch based primer to adhere to the cast iron.

I've got a job I'm working on which will be a mix of various steels (black, bright and weld) which I will need to prime but would like to choose something compatible with CI which from what I read, is quite difficult to prime well.

TIA

MM

 

[seaco]

Nice vice. That's come up really well. Would love a Kurt but silly money usually. Are you going to make some new jaws for it?

Hi

Yes they are bloody expensive that's why I decided to take a punt on this one, I was going to buy some Kurt jaws but they are silly also so yes I'll make them...

Which primer do you recommend lee?
Presumably it is some sort of etch based primer to adhere to the cast iron.

I've got a job I'm working on which will be a mix of various steels (black, bright and weld) which I will need to prime but would like to choose something compatible with CI which from what I read, is quite difficult to prime well.

TIA

MM

Hi

To be honest this is the first time I've tried this primer it's Hammerite it appears to be water based so we will see, i used a spray etch primer on my alloy wheels about three years ago and they are holding out very well but I've run out of that and I'm fairly rural where I am so can't just pop to the shops to get more, sorry I can't be more helpful...

 

[Myfordman]

Ok Thanks Lee.

Interesting that even Hammerite have succumbed to water based products. I wonder if that means you will need to select the top coat carefully?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Brilliant. What an amazing difference. How did you do the final clean ie after the electrolysis bath?

 

[seaco]

Ok Thanks Lee.

Interesting that even Hammerite have succumbed to water based products. I wonder if that means you will need to select the top coat carefully?

No I don't think so in my experience the water based products I've used in the past are fairly inert and don't seem to react with anything we will see, I have to find some nice blue paint now, maybe engine enamel...

 

[Myfordman]

Hi lee, I've just been searching online for Hammerite primer and found a water based 'special metals' primer but that states non-ferrous use only. I guess inside the workshop is not a very hostile environment to get paint to stay on.

MM

 

[seaco]

Hi lee, I've just been searching online for Hammerite primer and found a water based 'special metals' primer but that states non-ferrous use only. I guess inside the workshop is not a very hostile environment to get paint to stay on.

MM

Oh sh*t yeah your right but as you've said it's not very hostile area but it will need to withstand cutting oils etc. The primer seems to be gripping well on the tests I've done on it but that's never the same as real world usage as you know. "Note to self read the bloody label in future!"

 

[seaco]

Brilliant. What an amazing difference. How did you do the final clean ie after the electrolysis bath?

Hi Bob

I just used a couple of different wire brushes on my battery drill the black comes off easily, it's lovely to see the base metal start to shine through as I've said it's the best way I've found to remove rust as it gets to places you just couldn't reach any other way in fact when it came out of the bath I put a wrench on the lead screw and it just turned no effort I then removed the wrench and undid it by hand!

 

[seaco]

OK so DON'T use Hammerite Special Primer on cast iron, I had to get it all off today right bloody job still it's done now, new etch primer and top coat...

 

[Myfordman]

Which etch primer did you use Lee?

 

[seaco]

Which etch primer did you use Lee?

This one!

 

[seaco]

Just jaws and a handle to make now!

 

[Berncarpenter]

WOW vice has come up great and love the mill , boy would i like one of them .

Cheers Bern :mrgreen: