Electrolysis Rust Removal Tutorial

In this Electrolysis Rust Removal Tutorial I used an old rusty adjustable spanner just to demonstrate how efficient this method is, absolutely fantastic for home DIY use, work place or any restoration projects.
Enjoy the video and don't forget to Like, Subscribe or drop me a comment below ;-)
You are also welcome to visit my aluminum casting blog:
www.flamingfurnace.com/

[@Discover_Peace]

Much helpful than other derusting videos

[@hayleyxyz]

Like that video of a dude who got the polarity mixed up, ended up pulling his disc brake rotor out looking worse than when it went in and tried to play it off like it worked lmao

[@stevek731]

It's important to have good conductivity between the negative wire and the rusty item. The video shows bubbles on the hook but not many on the wrench probably because the rust on the wrench is preventing good conductivity with the hook. To improve the process scrape to bare metal where the negative current needs to flow. Also, on rusty pieces with two parts, like the wrench body and the movable jaw, current needs to flow to the movable jaw and may be inhibited by rust between the pieces. Either position a second negative wire or scrape some rust off to help improve conductivity between all the parts of the rusty item. Thanks for filming this!

[@Flamingfurnace]

Great tip thanks 👍🏻

[@adamcharlottelotan4558]

Thank you for the practical, extra tips & suggestions.

[@OnerousEthic]

Shouldn’t you add salt to the electrolysis water? Water is polar, and a very good insulator. Your electrolyte bath needs ions for conductivity, no?

[@walkerbrosfilms7077]

Thank you for that sharp mind. Need more like you. If you piss people off with your brains. Good.

[@stevem3173]

@@OnerousEthic That's what the washing soda is for, it works better than salt.

[@wgatcheesesmeoff1750]

A very kind gentleman heard about me derusting tools and left a massive cardboard box filled with a solid mass of rust. He didn't say who he was, but left a note saying he moved house over a year ago and had all his hand tools and drill bits in another cardboard box under his workbench. His son painted the garage where these tools were and to air it out he left a window above the workbench open. It stayed that way for close to a year and every time it rained it would trickle down a couple of power cables which ran from near the window and laid across this box. Everything in that box literally rusted together into one lump of tools and rust. I used a hammer to break them apart and over 2 weeks I derusted them in a large plastic bath. Everything ended up completely free of rust and had a deep black sheen to them. Everything which was originally chromed lost their shine and I assume the chrome as well. Here I am 7 years further on and every item is still rust free. Oh yes, after derusting I sprayed them with a coat of WD40. Sidenote, After cleaning everything I discovered 2 antique American square shaped shifters dated 1920. There was also a set square covered in paint and rust, it finished up minus both the paint and the rust. I'm positive there was no way they would have turned out looking so good if I hadn't used electrolysis.

[@Stisl_exot]

I searched 'Rust Removal by Electrolysis' on KZbin, and this video popped up as the first one for me, so I followed this tutorial to make the electrolyte from technical soda. However, I currently don't have a car battery charger in operation, so I used a 12V 2A transformer instead. Anyway, thanks for the video tutorial👍 And coincidentally, I have a very similar adjustable wrench for rust removal. 🙂

[@thatfeeble-mindedboy]

Right about 03:30, my experience has been that using a drill, dremel too, or bench grinder/brush and a steel brush, rather than a hand brush will produce a nice sheen on even badly pitted steel. It’s still pitted, but has a nice sheen. Just as an experiment, after the steel brush, I quickly gave it a quick pickling bath to ‘reactivate’ the surface, and thoroughly drying it with a shop vac and a blow dryer, I hit it with a self-etching, pit-filling spray on primer, a light sanding of only the exposed surfaces with 400 grit sandpaper, quick wipedown with tackcloth, on more coat of really thin primer, and a final couple of coats of really tough bright aluminum finish spray paint, and it not only looked a thousand percent better, it held up amazingly well under occasional use. It was a pair of vice-grips, and with normal lubrication and usage, the small amount of overspray on the threads and moving surfaces fell away and didn’t cause a problem. It wasn’t necessary, I just wanted to see if it would work. Nowadays, you can get super tough clear coats that come in specialized rattle-cans that apply 2-part epoxy-based coatings that are orders of magnitude harder and tougher than anything previously available in a spray can that could be used in such situations. A can of that stuff costs about the same as a new pair of vice-grips at Walmart lol, but cheap entertainment for weirdos like me… I get away with all kinds of stuff under the “proof of concept experiment” excuse. He-he …

[@sunnydaze7580]

I loved this video. To the point and very easy to follow. Usually I derust with my bench grinder, occasionally I use my angle grinder paired with my vice, but they are all out of operation while I build a new work bench, so I'll give this a shot. I'm considering using a 5 gallon bucket for larger items. Thanks for the lesson 👍👍👍

[@rickcorl7161]

I had always been hesitant to try this tool i saw this video. I never thought about using a battery charger. It worked exactly like this video. Thanks

[@judepascal]

Amazing! Very well explained and simple to implement... Thanks a lot guys.

[@Flamingfurnace]

Glad you liked it!

[@jogalong]

Thank you for not wasting my time, I got every question answered very quickly!

[@undermygarage]

Incredibly straight-forward and simple thank you :)

[@guskoerner75]

Very good video, and it is totally correct. This process is like magic for old rusty items. I use it frequently.

[@naanaa1111]

Are those 1x1 metal or wood sticks at each end?

[@GleamRenewal]

Incredible technique showcased in this rust restoration video! Truly inspiring and motivating me to kickstart my own channel. Big thanks for the valuable insight! 😊

[@jobspeedmms]

this is the first time I see how to clean rust like this... wow, can you try this... the method shared is really good, friend

[@pakjokohartono]

Very simple way to remove rust, thank you

[@xxomegaman007]

After watching a number of tutorials on electrolytic de-rusting, I note a common error in terminology used. This is always in relation to a "sacrificial anode". NOTE: there is NO sacrificial anode in this process. To explain, let's for example look at nickel plating. A metal object (the cathode) to be plated is placed in a solution and a piece of nickel (the anode) is also placed in the solution. Current is then passed through the solution via the 2 electrodes. The piece of nickel is dissolved into the solution and transferred via the solution onto the part being plated. Because the nickel electrode gives itself up to the plating process, it is called a sacrificial electrode. With electrolytic de-rusting, rust is removed from the piece being de-rusted (the cathode) and deposited onto the anode. The anode does not give itself up to this process and therefore is NOT SACRIFICIAL. If anything, the part being de-rusted is the sacrificial electrode.

[@curseofa5r5a]

Dude, nice explanation thanks for it

[@tomchillen3039]

My name's ddeez

[@RowanLovecraft2]

I think people still call it sacrificial metal because you're not going to want it after this process. Like don't use your best pliers for the anode, use a throwaway bit. Something you can lose. Two different uses of the word sacrificial, both correct.

[@satibel]

@@julietromeo872technically it won't rust away, rust will be added onto it.

[@adkchip1]

@@tomchillen3039 Nuts?

[@LatinDanceVideos]

Washing soda Positive to sacrificial scrap Negative to item to be derusted To optimise- cut up scrap metal tin or sheet and surround the item to be derusted. More surface area = more ion transfer.

[@VeritasEtAequitas]

You also get more black sludge with too high of a current.

[@David-hm9ic]

Not tin! The sacrificial metal needs to be iron or steel. You realize that tin is an elemental metal, don't you? A "tin can" is a steel can with a thin plating of tin on the inside.

[@spwan10]

Thanks this was very helpful, but I would have loved to have seen the sanding/refinishing portion of the process.

[@FaresAlZamn]

Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge

[@nateb4543]

I have some rust stopper that adds a cool patina look. However it kind of needs some rust to attach to. Areas I've cleaned off doesn't have the same effect. After this process id imagine the piece would be very vulnerable to new rust. Besides oil, any suggestions on a good product to apply to prevent new rust from forming?

[@ThatGuy-yc9yc]

Nice, maybe you can switch the anode and cathode after cleaning to give it a nice clean shine?

[@ashy1423]

Thank you. Ash from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@johnwilliams3555]

A lot of rust can be removed by simply immersing the spanner in vinegar overnight. If I was to do both which would I do first?

[@SB-jv6ie]

Great video, thank you! What kind of battery charger is that?

[@greennich777]

나도 하나를 복원 중인데, 이 영상이 도움이 되었네요. 좋은영상 감사합니다. Good 🥰😍🤩🥰😍🤩

[@KyawZinHtun26]

Thank you very much. Excellent demonstration. I would like to ask a question. Can electrolysis derusting be used to remove light rust from chrome finish bathroom/kitchen baskets/containers?

[@Cyberbronco]

I have used this on chromed tools and it turns the surface black.

[@kerengil]

Great tutorial!

[@Flamingfurnace]

Thank you.

[@bidoofdraculoof649]

The fact Electrolysis is the same term that's used for permanent hair removal is also used for rust removal is incredibly reassuring

[@Bluuplanet]

Yeah. I noticed the wrench didn't have any hair afterward.

[@johnmead8437]

@@Bluuplanet Bazilian Wrench

[@carlene5cats]

You don't need the vinegar. Just keep using electrolysis, it will do a better job than using vinegars. It will remove all of the rust completely. I see in the video there is still some rust remaining. Acid will promotes rerusting eventually. Oil helps but when it drys up or is removed by use it will quickly rerust. Don't use vinegar.

[@romanchomenko2912]

Carli are you Ukrainian by chance your surname is .

[@tomchillen3039]

@@romanchomenko2912 I'm Romanian!

[@kenprice1961]

YES use vinegar.

[@m.m.9198]

Great job. Congrats...

[@breannestahlman5953]

Thanks a lot for this excellent video. I have a battery charger AND BOOSTER (that can start a car with a flat battery), do you think t could be ok (I won't put the fault on you if it burns)? And baking soda? I haven't watched the full video yet 1:21, but you didn't give quantities, we can do around the same as we see.

[@lancerudy9934]

Great video😊!

[@richardofredemption]

Awesome video. Watching the before and after while my grill grate derust outside in a bath 😁😁😁

[@PaulG.x]

It helps to place several sacrificial anodes around the item to be cleaned . The greatest current flows to the closest part of the item to the anode . By having more anodes you get better overall coverage and it works faster. Instead of oiling the tool after the derust process , you can spray it will a zinc rich coating. the surface of the steel is in perfect condition to take this kind of coating and it becomes very durable.

[@dulac7753]

What’s the best metal to use as a sacrificial anode?

[@mudpuddle8805]

Is any of the pitting due to the electrolytic process or is it entirely due to the rust? I wonder if glass bead blasting would do a better job...

[@skymensonic]

Very fast and efficient rust removal！

[@mudslinger888]

Its Magic! after steel brush, steel wool, acid washing… fgs a 5m HCL acid aka Muriatic acid soak would do it all without all that work! Or a long soak in evaporust or citric acid or edta. Wish you’d shown it just after removing and a water rinse only. Ive done a lot and get the same result from a bristle brush wheel and orange oil! Make my own penetrant from atf and lighter fluid to soak in first, which is far better than wd or a-z brand stinky perfumed diesel! Dry ice and lasers are amazing but costly. Nice demo

[@williamsomershoe1119]

Great Video

[@sauli2438]

Great video! Thank you for sharing! Do you think I can use a dead battery as a bridge to electrolysis from a charger?

[@Cyberbronco]

Out of curiosity, what would accomplish by doing that?

[@Mike-ef7xe]

Nicely done. Some of the comments are a little over-the-top, but great job. Thanks

[@breannestahlman5953]

Did you add vinegar to water for the first bath, and did you add water to the second vinegar bath, did you do electroysis in the second bath or just bathing the piece to derust?

[@DIMTips]

Great video. Going to do it myself

[@QuantumMechanic_88]

The vinegar is interesting . Looks like cola / soda . Nicely demonstrated and Thanks .

[@Flamingfurnace]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@tokentechnoticias]

Is better with magnesium crystals? I read the conductivity is incomparable have some expert confirm. Thanks

[@Red_kitchen108]

Which one is best for rust removal sand blasting or electrolysis 🤔

[@1337PB]

How does this exactly work? With nickel electroplating, the material of the Anode part will go onto the Cathode part. In this case, than i would say that the material of the sacrifical part (anode), wil cover your part (cathode). Why is the rust dissapearing this way?

[@blakesrestoration3093]

Great tutorial ! Do you know if you could just use Aircraft stripper to achieve the same result ?

[@jasonmurawski5877]

Thats just paint stripper, it wont do anything to rust

[@mrthunt5770]

possibly

[@demonhighwayman9403]

You could try just using the vinegar, leave the part to soak for a week.

[@naanaa1111]

So the wrench is hung on metal hooks at each end of the wrench. What are the hooks hanging on? 1x1 metal or wood sticks?

[@jaredahn6810]

Can the water just be flowed down any outdoor drain?

[@brianbvachek3219]

Need a swimming pool, truck load of vinegar, and 30 battery chargers… IM DIPPIN MY WHOLE TRUCK! 😂😂

[@viking.200]

Don't do it, your car may be gone tomorrow, lol have a good day.

[@inspectioncorrosion]

Very useful

[@dmitriarshavsky5191]

What type of metal did you use for the positive connection? Was it steel, iron or does it not matter what type of metal you use?

[@josphe9011]

Don't use stainless steel.

[@kellybracken5802]

Do not have any chrome, copper, or stainless steel touching the solution as it makes toxic fumes and toxic solution.

[@rinklestiltskin]

Could stainless steel be used as the sacrificial piece I wonder?

[@dyosus7943]

When I used electrolysis for the first time it worked really well. When I tried it for the second time with another object. I changed the water, added new soda and brushed the anode clean. I turned it on and works good at the beginning. but as time goes on it stops working good and there isn't any foam stuff forming on top. The water only turns slightly brown and there are almost no bubbles after a few hours. The item still has a lot of rust on it after it has been in the electrolysis bath for almost 2 days. What am I doing wrong?

[@brandonrusso4377]

I had a similar issue during an experiment. My electrical source would read “short” and the electrolysis would stop. I changed out my solution and used less soda and it seems to have fixed it. I think there is a such thing as having too much soda.

[@klink370]

@@brandonrusso4377 If your electrical source read "short" that normally indicates there is a "short" between the positive and negative. In other words, the part to be de-rusted (negative) is making contact with the other metal (positive) piece. When you changed out the solution and tried it again the parts were probably not touching and therefore there was no "short" that time so it worked.

[@singwolf.]

@@klink370 i had the same problem, with too much soda it short circuit, added water and everything worked

[@OnerousEthic]

I am thinking this will work for bronze. What are you thinking?

[@ShivaSuman-me1rv]

Good performance 😮

[@peterzinia3767]

Wondering how long it took. Would have been quicker if you turned the wrench so the wider area was facing the cathode.

[@paulwisniewski6821]

Very nice

[@jackieeeap2]

Can any oil be used? Like cooking oil??

[@dodduparamgond3306]

Background music was awesome ❤

[@moss745]

All good 👌👍

[@rebel.mma.youtube]

Can u put gears with synchros in them?

[@jaapderriksen2123]

Thanks for the safety tips at the start!

[@royharkins7066]

Thanks and thanks nice and succinct 😎

[@METROPOLITAN_INTENT]

What happens if you sandblast after electrosys

[@jasonh8416]

If i want to de-rust a steel motorcycle gas tank (just the inside) can I just use the gas tank as the soaking tank and just hook the negative lead to the tank itself? (And insert the steel sacrificial anode into the tank without it touching the walls)?

[@Cyberbronco]

Did you try that?

[@jasonh8416]

No. I figured it might ruin the paint. I wound up getting a 5 gallon bucket of Evaporust which worked like a charm

[@timothyarnold777]

Would this procedure work on chrome plated metal?

[@Flamingfurnace]

Hi, for chrome plated metal I would advise just to use vinegar would do great job, or even just WD40 if it's just some rust spots. Electrolysis de-rusting would be more for mild steel that is exposed to rust. I did test it on chrome plated in the past and it worked as well.

[@victorunbea8451]

love your welded together "scarp" metal :)))

[@mrthunt5770]

*scrap

[@NBA2K_1]

@@mrthunt5770 mr correction are you aware that this comment is 3 months old and the person who commented this doesnt give a shit?

[@chriswebster24]

@@NBA2K_1 *Mr. *doesn’t

[@NBA2K_1]

@@chriswebster24 your a littel bit late

[@ianhutchinson2734]

Thank you.

[@dennisxavier9513]

O problema da Lava Jato não a perseguicão de alguns, foi a protecão de outros.

[@ravenmooore]

Can I use a 12V power adapter instead? I do not have a battery charger. What kind of metal can i use for the sacrificial one? :) Galvanized, etc ? Which ones are allowed? Thanks

[@Daedje]

Any power source you can adjust the current on will do. Galvanised steel definitely won't work , any bit of rusty iron will do the trick though.

[@paulcohen1555]

Can the Anode + be a Carbon electrode?

[@nikkhalifah738]

can i use baking soda or anything else?

[@Brasives]

Can baking soda be used instead of washing soda?

[@johnmoore5293]

When finished why not use linseed oil that goes through polymerization for e the non moving parts to better protect it and so it won't feel oily after it cures?

[@nevillemason6791]

I've found wax to polish car paintwork works very well on bare steel. It's more permanent and less messy than using oil. Polymerization? Don't understand the process you mention.

[@clipperjones324]

polymerization is involved in curing a cast-iron skillet with oil at ~500 F in an oven to PREVENT rust. Doubt any role in this for REMOVING rust.

[@shannonbattles3379]

How long do you let it do its thing

[@CherylCold]

I was thinking about applying this to Oil and Gas downhole tools which have suffered corrosion but to be honest. Just save time and money, strip it down, wire brush and WD40. I really wanted to find a benefit from this. With an adjustable screw driver, the only good thing you may be able to do is free the securing bolt for the lower jaw, when that is free you can disassemble it in minutes. Seriously not finding any reason to go through this process.

[@Epck]

I feel there is a reason I never saw My grandad doing this, and often saw him doing what you said haha, and in the rare cases, a pvc and plexiglass sandblast box

[@johnfiott]

does it also work with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)? Can I use copper wire (mains wire basically) to connect the tool to be cleaned to the charger?

[@recbo]

no copper in water

[@MrQaydi]

How much amper the charger should have? Mine is 2am 12v , nothing is happening 😢

[@shubhamsapkal7466]

Hi bro!! Can i use 12v 2amp mobile charge to this process? What is more important in this process? Voltage or amp?

[@Flamingfurnace]

Hi, I believe 12v mobile charger will work fine for the electrolysis proccess.

[@klink370]

No simple answer but I'll try. Your mobile charger is 12v and is capable or producing 2 amps of current (maximum). The amount of current it will produce in the electrolysis method will vary, depending on how well the electrical connections to the part to be de-rusted and the other part is, as well as how conductive your liquid solution is. I use a 12v charger, capable of producing 8 amps. I have never seen it go above even 1/2 amp so I don't see why your 2 amp charger won't work.

[@md65000]

I would secure that a little better. Just one little bump and the anode and cathode will contact each other and POW!

[@carlosmolina292]

After all that you should nickel plate it with almost the same process :)

[@jimtwisted1984]

So could you just use a 12 V battery?

[@caru3257]

I set an old rusted adjustable wrench in vinegar for five days and it came out clean. No need for any tools and at $.92.

[@audhildbenjaminsen665]

I wonder what type of tarp is strong enough to build a basin big enough for my car,LOL!

[@recbo]

epdm roofing as tarp

[@rolandohernandezjr2010]

Can i use baking soda?

[@user-lb8do4ew6k]

Vinegar not needed & eats at the iron making iron acetate. The electrolysis will remove all the iron oxide eventually.

[@dipolararc4848]

The electrons in the iron is re electrifying

[@mybluebelly]

A bath with oxalic acid will give high iron parts a really nice surface finish but it may need to sit for a few days.

[@dolofter5362]

i was thinking about why the inside part is glittering ✨ as new, i have doubts are you make these rust artificially?

[@yousif2074]

Table salt is much better than washing soda faster and stronger, but its problem is that it makes the wires heat up quickly

[@Comrade_YG]

Tell me why the water turns green And where should i dump the water

[@Flamingfurnace]

This is part of the chimical process usualy it will be a bit green at start then just brown rusty. Water is safe enough to dump on grass will not harm it or contaminte the soil can in be disposed in the drain. It's not toxic however just to highlight again NEVER to be used with stainless steel as it will be toxic and also Illegal to dump.

[@iCeTePs]

If you put vinegar and brush it you can skip the electrolosys .. Use salt and up the voltage

[@phayzyre1052]

Hello! Can you please help me? I recently have acquired some old antique parts and tools that I need to remove the rust from using electrolysis. Unfortunately my old style battery charger just died and I went to purchase a new one. Apparently they make these new battery chargers “idiot proof“ because when I plugged it in they work nothing like the old ones as now they have incorporated a bunch of silly safety measures I guess to keep some numbskull from blowing himself up or electrocuting himself! 🙄 On the old style battery chargers you could take the positive and negative connectors scrape them together and they would spark but you can’t do these with the new ones. Can you recommend a type of charger like the old chargers I can use? Thank you!

[@Flamingfurnace]

Hi Phayzyre105, thank you so much for your question, I totally get you and I am happy I bought couple of years back an old battery charger, I can suggest if you have an old transformer 6v or 12v even better you can use it, just make sure you identify the positive (+) and negative (-) in advance, some old mobile phone chargers might do the trick, another option is too look for second hand battery charger and again I don't know what size of object you plan to de-rust but if it's reasonable size a small transformer will work. If it's just light rust you can leave it in vinager for a few days and after use soft metal wool to clean it up and oil after, if its heavy rust electrolysis will do the trick 😉

[@phayzyre1052]

@@Flamingfurnace Thank you very much! Those are all good tips and I will give them a try.

[@phayzyre1052]

@@Flamingfurnace Hello again! Just a follow-up from my previous reply; I went to eBay and Amazon last night just to see if they carry any of the old style chargers and fortunately they still do. I ordered one for 40 bucks.

[@Flamingfurnace]

@@phayzyre1052 cool, I hope very much all will work well for you with the electrolysis process, it really do work like magic if all preparation was followed correctly 😉, perfect use for old rusty tools or restoration parts. Just one more thing I read in the past some comments from people saying to consider mechanical parts under high work stress as the electrolysis might weaken the metal part, I don't know much about this but worth checking in case your parts are for mechanical use, all the best.

[@klink370]

@@Flamingfurnace Not so fast! A transformer produces a/c (no positive or negative). If using a transformer you will need to convert the a/c to d/c.

[@Xstrattous]

Baking soda or washing soda is diferent?

[@Flamingfurnace]

Yes big difference, its washing soda that is a chemical to soften water or open drains and more uses, not to be added to food ever.

[@ivo4357]

before I throw this amount of money and work at it, it would need to be more than a $2 tool to make it worth derusting. But for an example, you did a great job.

[@jovangrozdanic2518]

Thanks.

[@mudslinger888]

I just call it the “collector” or “rust magnet” or “accumulator” and a circular bent hangar anode set around the “victim” or “subject” or “target” will be more efficient. I can see “disposable” but I just cant do “sacrificial” because it collects debris and is like a dirty dish but hey what do words matter anymore either…

[@Zip22Zip]

It looks like you're pouring a couple of soft drinks over the wrench after the process yet you never list them at the beginning as part of the materials needed. The video mentions vinegar but the vinegar at the beginning is white, clear.

[@GymIsJoe]

This is great video, and after watching this... I decide to just buy new Spencer....