Electrolytic rust removal

If you're looking for a effective, relatively safe, and (best of all) cheap method for removing rust give electrolytic rust removal a try. I know that it sounds intimidating but it is actually very simple and won't damage the underlying material. This method basically consists of submerging the rusty metal in an electrically conducting solution of washing soda (also known as sodium carbonate). I've been told that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) also works but I have no personal knowledge of this. The positive lead from an automotive battery charger is connected to a steel electrode and the negative lead is connected to the piece to be cleaned. When the charger is turned on a reaction occurs at the metal/rust interface on the object. this loosens the rust so it may be easily brushed off. This method does not appear to damage the underlying metal in any way, it seems to only remove the rust. Of course it will not improve the finish of the metal under the rust so any pitting on the metal will remain, just the rust will be removed from it. The cleaning solution should last almost indefinitely, only add water to replace that lost by electrolysis and evaporation.

Important Safety Precautions

• The cleaning solution is alkaline and will irritate the skin and your eyes. Always use eye protection and rubber gloves when working with the solution and rinse off any spills.
• The battery charger must be completely shielded from the cleaning solution. Make sure the battery charger is in a location where you won't accidentally spill any water or cleaning solution on it. The 6/12 volt leads from the charger are relatively safe but it is still possible to get a shock if you put your hands in the cleaning solution or touch the electrodes while the power is on. Turning off the power to the charger will eliminate that risk.
• One of the side effects of the electrolysis is that the water will break down into its components, hydrogen and oxygen. For this reason you should work in a well ventilated area and avoid any sources of ignition, ie. cigarettes, or sparks from shorting out the battery leads.

What you need

• water
• washing soda (sodium carbonate)
• a battery charger (with a current meter if possible) or a car battery
• steel or iron electrode (I use rebar as it's cheap and the anode will eventually be eaten away)
• a plastic tub (slightly larger than the part to be cleaned, although it is possible to clean a part with some of it sticking above the solution and then rotating it to clean the rest it may leave a small mark or discoloration which is undesirable)

The above text was taken from

http://www3.telus.net/public/aschoepp/electrolyticrust.html

For a more in depth look at this subject please visit this page

The rest is all me

To start with I took a bucket and suspended around the sides 4 lengths of iron bar holding them in place with plastic wire wraps and joined together with copper wire

    My first experiment was to be one of the rusty wheels which will eventually be for my Lister D trolley

Into the bucket went four gallons of water which I dissolved four table spoons of washing soda .

                  The wheel was then suspended in the water so it was not touching the iron bars

  The wires were connected to my battery charger and the power turned on

This is what it looked like after one hour

This page will be updated as soon as the wheel is cleaned

The day after

This is what the wheel looked like after 19 hours

And ten minutes after

All I needed  to do after I took the wheel out of the solution was give it a good wash and scrub with a scouring pad to remove all the sludge an black residue  .

It is obviously a lot easier doing rust removal this way , to achieve the condition that the wheel is in now would take about two hours with a wire brush .

The important thing to remember is that as soon as the item you are treating is clean and dry you should get some paint on it to stop it starting to rust