Building My Electrolysis Tank | Part 3

Building an electrolysis tank to clean antique cast iron cookware. This is part tthree of this adventure! This video shows the tank in action as well as what the skillet looks like half way through the process, at the end of cleaning, and the finished skillet.
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[@whymelani]

Amazing. I didn't expect such success. I don't understand electrolysis. Wow! Congrats.

[@ronallen9819]

Very slick, thanks for sharing. like another viewer the milk crate cage is a great addition.

[@radikewl70]

Excellent series, and great job on the system. Glad it worked so well. Thanks for posting.

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Thank you!

[@beverlyfitzgerald7675]

Amazing, wishing you’re my next door neighbor 😉. fitzie63 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼 Don’t know how I’m ever going to get the rest that encrusted stuff off these 9 pieces. Can’t do eTank here at all.

[@4444colin]

Great tank design. I added a plastic spigot tap with washers near the bottom side of tank for draining off crud liquid. Just a thought if you want to have easy disposal as opposed tipping out the crud. Good luck.

[@lloydedmonds8775]

NICELY DONE! Thanks for sharing #1-2-3 Videos

[@davidingrham9576]

Great job! Thanks for taking the time to share.

[@edcox6784]

Jeffrey, great videos about electrolysis. I couldn't have done it better myself. Before retirement I was a jeweler so I grew up with these procedures. The only things I would do different would be.....Get a couple of spigots to install near the bottom to make it easier to drain and change solution. Run a wire from your chain to the side so you can hook your battery charger to it the same way you do for your side plates, easier to connect and disconnect. And take your wedding ring off when dealing with chemicals etc. Though gold it's self is nonreactive, some of the alloys are not and your ring could get ruined. Otherwise BIG.......Job Well Done.

[@smobertoday]

Beautiful tank, Jeff! I plan to upgrade mine soon (currently round tub w/ rebar anodes - a b**ch to clean). Just a thought - I plan on making my chain/wire hangar conductive all the way to the pan (no plastic hook) to allow direct clamping above the liquid and not having to use a sacrificial jumper. Love all your videos!

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Bill LeBlanc - Thank you!

[@ScubaOz]

Very nice build, you took it to the next level for sure, I knew there were people like me out there LOL! Great job, getting ready to clean my Grandmothers pan up from the 40's-50's. Thanks for the great vid!

[@katk925]

beautiful old BSR! my fave.

[@MacWalther]

I think you did a great job. Thanks for taking the time to share your information. I look forward to finding my next rusty piece of cast iron.

[@AA550cord]

Nice skillet. Great electro tank. I use the small hard plastic pot scrapers to assist with my pots. They pop some of the pieces of carbon off after the CI has been in the electro awhile.

[@steveruedclark]

I just set up my new tank with graphite in a surround manner like yours. The graphite is great in that it is faster, cleaner and gas free. Seems to require less currant as well. After cleaning 1 pan I can see to the bottom of my 34 gallon tote. No scum or rust on the surface. Thanks for your videos as guidance.

[@castironchaos]

Looks like a #7 Birmingham Stove & Range skillet: no breaks in the heat ring and no other logo. You've got a workhorse of a pan there. And that's only the beginning!

[@katbot2190]

My husband just discovered electrolysis for cleaning cast iron. Your set up is really amazing. I'm going to show it to him.

[@NTycingProductions]

I saw your video using a self clean oven, but think I will try this method instead. Thanks for posting it, you pan came out amazing looking.

[@navchop99]

Thank you for making and posting these. I really enjoyed these and learned a lot that I'm going to use. I have about 3 dozen pieces of cast iron I've collected over the years and most of them are in pretty good shape. I'm going to build one of these to clean up what I have. I'm also going to start collecting again and I won't hesitate to buy pieces that need a little work.

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Eddy Cloud - One thing that I switched are the steel plates. I switched over to these black steel rods instead of the plates. They work just as well and cost much less. Thanks for watching!

[@steveharris4958]

Brilliant set up. Thanks for the video!

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Thanks! I thought is might be a BSR but I wasn't sure.

[@csr326]

Nice BSR ! I picked up a 7A today

[@AttommicDog]

I used the same process to clean a large meteorite. Took weeks, but then 10k years of corrosion... The only difference between this build and mine was I used a bucket and fitted expanded metal around the inside perimeter. It is amazing how well electrolysis removes rust. Also as mentioned 2 amps is ideal.

[@keithbrookshire]

Nice series. Thank you for sharing.

[@johnmay3266]

nice job. you are my cast iron guru.

[@wrightwrjr]

Now I am in the mood to build myself a tank!

[@PotatoGunsRule]

Excellent set up, my compliments. I have been experimenting with electrolysis for rust removal this week and I am now planning to build a large tank to clean up a truck fender. I may copy your PVC stand. The clamps and milk crate buffer are excellent design ideas.

[@melmarie6256]

Great vids man, thanks so much. I'm off to the store to start buying supplies to build mine.

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Melissa Quiton Thank you!!

[@michaelpatterson1744]

I may be nuts, but I honestly think the BSR Red Mountain skillets are the hardest to clean and the easiest to take a season. I have the #3, #5 & #7 loves em to death when they are clean but MAN I sure hate em when dirty. Loving on that "E" Tank to. Beautiful work and great ideas.

[@enilkja]

Wow. REALLY nice job.

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Jeff Kline - Thank you!!

[@merty55]

Oh my goodness, that was amazing! Can I send my pots to you? LOL!

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Lol!

[@BornRandy62]

I generally take the work piece out after a few hours and then again once a day to give it a scrub down with a wire brush then fresh water rinse off. That will knock the big pieces off so that the process will work better. I commented in your part 2 video. I use much less current. 2 amps is my favorite number. you have a possibility of blowing big pits out of the surface with high current. You might do a hundred pieces with no problem and then pow there it is. worse case would be that you talked your friend into using your process on his antique or family heirloom then had to explain how it has a huge pit or 8 in the surface now that it didnt have before.

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

Randy - Interesting. I am new to electrolysis so I am still learning. When building my tank, it was really hard to get solid information from anywhere. I heard just about everything, so it has been hard to determine what is actually right. I have never tried anything as low as what you are using, but I will give it a shot.

[@BornRandy62]

they are soaking the CSS Henley using electrolysis and very low current to soak the salt out of the cast iron plates. same technique just in a much larger tank. They are taking it really slow because the metal is definitely compromised after being submerged since the middle of the civil war.

[@deepfriedking]

Fantastic

[@scottdaniel732]

Add a drain near the bottoms that you can attach a water hose to. Then you can just connect your hose and let the water drain outside by opening the drain valve.

[@josephina4792]

Wow - I really had many other things to do, but I was so engrossed I had to watch all 3 parts! Well done, and very inspiring! One other thing...how do you dispose of that gunky water?

[@michaelbeyrlejr.1884]

how do you clean the tank afterwards? do you get new metal sheets?

[@The78bluedevils]

i would move the set up to the garage. a fan to blow away the gases coming out of the tank. Electrolysis vents off oxygen & hydrogen. in an enclose small space it could explode. a safety factor to know. a plastic drain with line to dump the mix afterwards

[@brantmorrison3704]

What an excellent job of engineering and building your electrolysis tank! That was well thought out! How large of a battery charger (in terms of amps) do I need for a system like that? I would like to build my own tank, but would probably perform electrolysis on only one frying pan, muffin pan or Dutch oven (and maybe a lid) at a time. I would run the tank outside so gas from the electrolysis can disperse in the open air.

[@skswig1]

great vids, Do you think that if you used a lye bath or oven cleaner first, just enough to break down the greasy carbon and then put in in the tank it would keep your solution cleaner? Do you re use the solution?

[@lockmarine]

Never put the clamp in the water you’ll introduce copper and the galvanized clamp into your cookware. Electricity travels through the chain to the pan. Clamp on to whatever you’re hanging it from as long as it’s metal. For best results use a bare steel j hook or a wire cloths hanger. Then the whole handle can be submerged

[@joeb8162]

FOR SURE. I wonder if he read this?

[@captainswjr]

My only concern is that it *looks* like you set it up in your basement. You really, really don't want to do electrolysis in an enclosed room, especially a basement(pilot lights). The process produces hydrogen and oxygen (the bubbles). You could potentially build up an explosive mixture in the room. Best to do it outside. I'm guessing this is in your garage with the door open, but it's worth noting.

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

This is in my garage with the door open and a fan blowing to circulate the air.

[@Raquelrvs]

Fantastic Setup as well as walkthrough. Do you have a rough estimate of what it cost for your setup?

[@fredcdobbs823]

Carbon grahite rods in place of metal cathodes prevents the foam gunk buildup, must cleaner. Good series, ideas, thinking.

[@airmojo]

Very nice Electro Tank Jeff ! I built one last year for use with removing rust from old kerosene lanterns... have you had to replace your steel plates yet ? They will get eaten up in repeated processes. I use 18 inch steel rebar rods from Home Depot in my tank (a big plastic tote tub)... they are inexpensive and easy to replace... they have held up pretty well after doing several lanterns and kerosene cans... you have a lot of great ideas in your design ! Will the electrolysis process remove the seasoning (includes any pre-seasoning) from skillets that are rust-free ? I recently got a Cabela's oval dutch oven and would like to strip it and re-season it using your method... and plan on getting a Lodge 12 inch skillet soon too. Love the videos that I have watched so far !

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

I switched from steel plates to these steel stakes that I get from home depot. They are about 2.5 feet long, black, and pointed on the end. Far less expensive than the steel plates and they work great.

[@markpugh8207]

Great videos!! One question, you switched to steel rods. How did you adapt them to your set up and how many per side did you use. Thanks.

[@samm9862]

The other thing I’ve learned is to use a brass brush not wire. You can easily scratch cast iron with a wire brush. I also use a stainless pot scrubber instead of steel wool.

[@rk735]

Nice work! I have a question. I have a skillet that I left overnight in a bonfire two times. However there are scales that remain. Do you think this will remove them?

[@MrShawnphilip]

How did the metal plates look after cleaning a pan?

[@darktoadone5068]

How much does it cost to build one of those tanks?

[@civilenginerd1]

1.5 to 2 amps is the optimal charge for electolysis. what Randy says is absolutely correct you can easily blow out big pits with high current. I wired 4 AAA batteries for my tank. Also on any of these setups viewers should know to do this in a well ventilated area and understand that the byproduct created from the process. in your set up using a sodium bicarbonate the by product is hydrogen gas which is extremely combustable. if the gas concentrates, such as in a garage and it was to accidentally spark....wouldnt be good for anyone near the tank.

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

Hi Kenneth, would you be willing to share how you set your electrolysis tank up using the 4 AAA batteries?? This sounds very interesting to me. I'm in the process of setting myself up a tank. Thank you.

[@bcasey101]

Just a note: He (as well as most of us) uses Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda NOT Baking soda. Its ingredients are Sodium carbonate, vs bicarbonate, which will yield carbon dioxide gas but you still want to do it in a WELL ventilated area.

[@indyvin1622]

How often does the solution have to be changed out?

[@CharlotteFairchild]

So have you tried electrolysis water or using electrolysis for your feet?

[@rustyridenour2136]

All together how much money did it cost you to build that tank

[@Grambon1]

How do you dispose of the gunk?

[@YeOlHunter]

How do you get rid of gunk?

[@kevinhurt7119]

Is this in your garage or basement?

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

Hi Jeffrey. Would you mind sharing the name of the cast iron group on facebook? I'm thinking about joining one to familiarize myself with the care of cast iron and the ins and outs of buying the right kind. I'm told that the Griswold and Wagners are the best, but, I have a very limited knowledge of the different manufacturers. Right now, I have four camp dutch ovens of different sizes. I want to get some for the kitchen too because we have decided to cook on stainless steel and cast iron from now on. Thank you for sharing all that you share. :-)

[@OKRMetric]

facebook.com/groups/castironskillet/ Its called Cast Iron Cooking

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

Okay, thank you.

[@gdrittah7829]

someone mentioned have it sand blasted. would that hurt the pan?

[@navcop031]

If it’s a vintage pan I wouldn’t. The blasting media can wear away markings and other things on it.

[@alexwelch1742]

Hmm. I think I will stick with the self cleaning oven method. Seems more efficient.

[@baghdaddy202003]

Alex Welch until it causes an oven fore due to some gunk not being totlly baked through and hving oil remaining in it. It has happened and once the oven is locked shut you would have to smash it open in order to put the fire out. There has been fores started that way.

[@jordansmithson9602]

How? You can continue to use the same solution for multiple pans.... Essentially forever. I'd wager that this method uses much less energy that the SCO method.

[@kathyscribner2177]

By doing this, will it take rust off as well?

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

This method is the most effective against rust. Takes it right off and does not harm the good iron.

[@danmcn61]

How do you empty out the nasty water when you're done?

[@jordansmithson9602]

You don't. It's completely fine to keep the water in the tank and continue to reuse it. the water is just there to act as a conductor for the current. All the extra "stuff" in the water helps to improve conductivity, that's why you add washing soda in the beginning. Eventually, the steel plates will need to be replaced, but that is just how the system works.

[@mjeangriffin]

What sort of grill are you using. Thanks

[@TheCulinaryFanatic]

I use a grill made by a company called Bar B Chef. It is the same one that Alton Brown used on Good Eats 5-6 years ago. Very nice cast iron grates on it.

[@mjeangriffin]

Thanks so much. Love your videos.

[@AXNJXN1]

@3:21"Hit it with my wire wheel." While the pan looks great, please, please don't do this. Using a 'wire wheel' is absolutely a no-no in the community of Cast Iron individuals. I understand in the mind it might be making it cleaner, 'faster' but it just ruin's most pans, diminishes their general ability to take a seasoning and overall becomes an UNDESIRABLE pan to others should you intend to sell it. It might make you happy, but this 'practice' is certainly, heavily discouraged. KUDOS on your efforts nonetheless for the Electrolysis method.

[@finemyu69]

How do you season a cast iron pan?

[@jordansmithson9602]

With Salt and pepper.