How to electropolish the metal on a diecast car.

[@nestop.9892]

Wow, impressive technique to polish HW. the best part was how you explained it all, very clear and professional. Very cool video and information.

[@demonlittlehorn1949]

my brother had a tub of hot wheels that i somehow inherited when moved to Japan. most have been pretty beaten up. i want to display them and your vids are a great help. (yes girls play with cars) thanks

[@OldManTheseDays]

nikoli gogle ...wtf is wrong with you?!?

[@nikoligogle3153]

UncleDeluxe wtf is wrong with you as well.

[@shatteredglassfonsi1030]

Akasha Clanclan woah. You are cool. I also have 2 little sisters who would prefer my old hot wheels cars over their dolls._.

[@MagnusRoe]

I left all mine for my nephews when I moved to japan :p but I think I will go pick them up now haha :p

[@howardspeller3805]

Akasha Clanclan Hell yeah Girls play with cars, just ask my older sisters who are in there 30s & 40s

[@YensR]

2:53 at the risk of being seen as a nitpicker: The bubbles are probably hydrogen, not air. If done within reason, the concentration is probably never going to get high enough to cause a risk, but people might still not want to drop in a piece of metal over night "to see what happens" (in addition to the safety advice you've already mentioned in the video). That said: Amazing video!

[@ihatelogincrap]

Point being, hydrogen is explosive.

[@jack002tuber]

So cool! All that shine and no elbow grease, no loss of details

[@patthesoundguy]

I finally got a gallon of the acid. I must say its amazing how well that works on all different metals. I'm experimenting with this process on all kinds of projects. Thank you for sharing.

[@baremetalHW]

Hey thanks for checking it out

[@WhatIsKenDoing]

Great tip. I know you hinted at this idea but I think you should do a side by side comparison of two identical cars (probably brand new cars) where you do this process on one and polish the other. Then paint the two cars exactly the same at the same exact time and see what the difference is between the two. I always enjoy your videos. Thanks.

[@sewob147]

After watching a few of your fascinating videos I arrived here and I get it now. It's an electrolytic bath, my Dad used this technique for archaeological finds. This was metal from the Roman period and the levels of corrosion were such that items would need to be in overnight.

[@Omnihil777]

I'm restoring old mechanical calculating machines, and I learned quite a bit from your videos, as I was new, for instance using paint stripper or polishing clear plastics, just wanted to thank you real fast. AWESOME beginner tutorials! - For advanced hobbyists too, of course, just wanted to say that you can explain so everybody understands it, even not enlish-motherlanguage guys like me :)

[@mrSenCTVT]

you always put out a great video brother...love the how to videos for I continue to learn something new each time...you are certainly one I look up to and consider a master in the craft...keep up the great work...we all appreciate what you do...god bless...

[@livevenue807]

Hobby Pros mix up a bucket of baking soda and water in a five gallon pail to plunge hands or dilute anything knocked over, splattered or spilled. It instantly neutralizes the acid and is more effective than water. Let everyone that comes around know about the pail.

[@ozbrorsen461]

75% phosphoric and 6 amps seems like using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut. I have been cleaning corroded hotwheels for years by soaking them in acetic acid - commonly known as vinegar ($2/48/gal @ walmart). I just tried your electro method using vinegar, an old 500 milliamps phone charger and an unwanted casting on the negative side and got the same results although it took a couple of minutes instead of a couple of seconds, but It was also safer and cheaper.

[@skdzbop]

Dude, can you explain to me how you done it? i need this!

[@LightGrime]

I believe he had the charger on the 2A setting

[@dogodogo5891]

using vinegar in electrochemical u deposit zinc but when only vinegar u corroded/polished or why not exchange polarity in electrolysis, anyway thanks u give me a new idea

[@smsno1]

I love your channel. it's just great. mu girlfriend and I are going to go to car boot sales and dig up some old cars!!

[@1SteveYT]

Very nice. I read up on this. Turns out there is a sweet spot in the current density where max polishing occurs. Too little current and nothing happens, too much and you get bubbles. Somewhere in the middle a fine insulating layer forms - this is the "residue". Anything that sticks through the layer is etched flat "polished". So the layer is very important and in my experiments I get best results when I do NOT agitate. Just keep the current down so that bubbles don't occur.

[@mrgcav]

Need specific details of your method.

[@MegaNostr]

I would also like to know about your method.

[@AtomicRoadFarm]

This is one of the best videos you have made.... and as of yet.... I like all of your videos.... thank you for the hard work ... looking forward to the next video!

[@bradfordgordon6552]

I just stumbled across this video and its amazing how the polishing is done.

[@digitaldevil7777]

Nice! I was wondering about using electrolysis on Hot Wheels. I also have another hobby of metal detecting and use this and a tumbler to clean metal finds. I don't use this on all coins because this takes away from its value sometimes. In this case it's brilliant! Excellent work as always!

[@robhines7034]

I just recently started watching and I am very fascinated by this looking forward to seeing more

[@dirkayala5812]

Thanks a lot for posting! I'm into metal detecting and was a bit intimidated by the process in other videos but really need to step up & learn better cleaning methods. Yours made it look much less daunting...Thanks Again!

[@dirkayala5812]

I've found MANY toy cars so far as well...(Good practice for cleaning maybe):?

[@jessegruber8690]

*covers car to dripping point with rubbing compound* "I use a small amount"

[@MeenakshiDutta-cu5vi]

Be practical mate...

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

Jesse Gruber lol

[@kjamison5951]

I use PhAcid without the electricity. I find it does a good enough job for 1/75 scale models and gives them a nice key to take paint. If you find that the paint isn't taking to the metal's surface because it's too shiny, some PhAcid will knock off a bit of that shine and give some grip in the metal.

[@Omnihil777]

05:47 The Mercedes looks absolutely RAD in bare metal, it's one of my all time favourite cars. And: Yes, I shed a tear or two in the scene in "The Witches of Eastwick" where they crash - or at least devilishly abuse one from the same timeframe / Mercedes model line (I know I know, it's not the same model, but roughly the same lines - WHAT. A. BEAUTY. )

[@cruiserboy811]

Great ! you have me a nice idea how to recover a nice view to all old rusted items when i perform a restoration !!

[@hugoasf1]

Use water and baking soda, the soda neutralize the acid.

[@SasukeUchiha-zu3fg]

Yo I really love your videos you take a beat up care and turn it into something way more amazing than the original

[@KountFive]

Fantastic hubbly bubbly crud busting chemical plopping electric fizzing cleaning stuff. Thanks as always for the stimulus.

[@ChrisCustomsPhotographie]

Awesome video !! Thumbs up Bro 👍👍 You've a new fan & subscriber from France. Chris 😉

[@baremetalHW]

Thanks for subscribing and thanks for watching!

[@nmadsenID]

Thanks for this great video! What settings did you use on your battery charger? Also, have you ever tried to use vinegar to clean the metal? How did that work out?

[@hw4me2]

Great video! I'd really like to see this process done on a heavily corroded redline base, not just a bit of tarnish.

[@bobman-lo8hc]

Wow !! Looks great. Thanks for sharing this process.

[@masterkief628]

**IMPORTANT** Actually if it gets on your skin, it is better to Neutralize the Acid with Baking Soda. Just an FYI

[@LEO-xo9cz]

I've read that amperage is key here. If you get that right you get a very smooth finish that removes all the high bits.

[@JohnSTF72]

Amazing video! I'll use it as a reference if i ever want to try this for myself.

[@jdhsjjjsjjjjndjsh6515]

You fucked do not follow this weirdo advice his battery shit duck it why,I don't want to know, you don't wanna to know , neighbors don't wanna to know,I don't wanna to know

[@gunlakepaddlesports]

that was kool...... until now I would have assumed smoother is better. thank you!

[@Championdjk]

Awesome vid. Very nice result to time ratio!

[@dragonflysdiscoveries7567]

Hello mate, Thanks for the great video. However, could you do a video just on the charger setup?

[@SalRJr]

Have you ever tried washing soda solution as an electrolyte? Its readily available and not as hazardous...by the way, love your videos, I've learned a lot and just picked up restoring hot wheels and matchbox cars as a hobby...the fun is in the hunt!

[@woodandwheelz]

I wanted to try something like this on some antique copper cups and some other old metal items. My question is should you clear coat the item after this process to prevent further oxidation? Not worried about the food safe side of it since I wouldn't paint the inside of the cup and by what I've researched on paints, I can find some that are totally food safe once completely cured. But, like I said, I wouldn't paint the inside of the cup. I just want these things to return to their original copper finish and stay that way. Thank you for any advice.

[@marshallvanwagneriii1495]

What do you do with the acid after use? Pour it back in the original bottle? Keep it in the glass jar? Dump it down the sink? Good video, and great, fast results. Thank you!

[@markjohnson1020]

I'd like to know that too..

[@johngreany9577]

ok that's cool thank you for sharing and in detail how to. lots videos don't do detail

[@22pinkduck]

i used to use brasso to polish toy cars and that also worked a treat

[@2theclassics]

how many cars could you do with one jaw full of the phosphoric acid, great video again

[@harrytsang1501]

Great! Controlled reduction in electrolysis

[@bro-keno-pen1618]

phosphoric acid is great if you want to make your own Cola

[@mikelinhardt868]

thinking of trying this myself. Are you using the 6V or 12V setting on the charger?

[@carlrobinson5746]

The hotwheels delorean is a prime candidate for this.

[@AndyDaviesByTheSea]

Thank you for this. I'm sure there would be all sorts of applications where this could be used in restoration projects where mechanical abrasion would be harmful and destroy the life history that you have preserved here. Kind regards . . . Andy

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

Amazing how fast that penny shined up :-o

[@jimmymitchell2474]

i always learn watching your channel.

[@iamelvisman68]

cant wait for the followup!

[@yakacm]

I'd love to see a car painted with the ink straight onto the shiny polished surface.

[@dougstorhoff3362]

very cool process - thanks for sharing this.

[@Flymochairman1]

I like the finish on the King George V 1920 penny, UK. Is that a silver dollar or half or quarter? Excellent explanation and safety guide. Lovely finish on the cars. Remember the safety glasses too. Sorry, maybe that one's a given. Thumbs up!

[@mikefagan6840]

Cool. Looks like a video i once saw on applying Chrome. 👍🤘

[@PurpleHelmet]

I wonder if this would be of any benefit to some of the Airsoft gun parts I mess with. Gearbox shells especially. They are usually made from a mystery zinc/mag/alu blend... experimentation required!

[@majorettediecast]

Thanks a lot!!!! I found this tutorial simply amazing. One question: In my country I can only find the Phosphoric acid 85%, does it work as well as the 75%? thanks for this amazing video! subscribed!! Regards, Mauricio.

[@frankloflin1308]

Dilute with distilled water.

[@DiecastShowCustoms]

nice. I prefer the mirror finish

[@tetsi0815]

For the electricity thing: Ohms law applies! Yes, your charger can output up to 6A but can only provide a maximum of 12V if I read that correctly - that would come down to 2 Ohms resistance. Your hand to hand body resistance should basically never be that low. If you have a really bad day the body resistance might drop to something like 500Ohms. So at 12V there is a max current of 24mA. That is not enough current to really do harm if you're not holding it for a long time. Realistically a human body has more like 10kOhm - with the gloves this should be even higher. Car batteries can easily output a few hundred(!) Amperes and generally you're not worried to kill yourself by touching the contacts. :-)

[@Broadcast1Channel]

If you ever find the electric current flow to aggressive you can wire a 21W car tail light bulb in series with the supply which will limit the current flow to 1.4A to 1.7A depending on the output voltage of the charger. Or any other car bulb wattage to achieve the current flow you desire.

[@baremetalHW]

Good Idea definitely keep that in mind!

[@bgdavenport]

Excellent video!

[@jayr5331]

WOW incredible! Great tips thanks!!

[@whiskyweej]

Love your videos, having been trying some of your techniques with success. Thank you! Just one observation, 12 volts DC cannot electrocute you no matter how many amps are available - try touching both terminals of a 700 amp car battery, one with each hand - nothing. Still wise to keep the water away from the charger. I would be more inclined to use a 12v battery for safety.

[@MossRods]

What would happen if you dont wash the acid off right away? Would it start to eat away at the metal? It would be interesting to see how much it will eat up the car

[@hensleyshobbies-doug7761]

How many volts do you have your battery charger set for? I see yours has 6, 12 and 24 volts settings.

[@RcNerd]

I've just stumbled upon your channel buddy. question what is the best way to remove the chassis from the shell ? I'll watch your vids buddy. brilliant.

[@andresthompson9477]

Awesome work congrats. I have a farm tractor and I'm wondering if you can help me with his restoration? Thank you

[@pauly7218]

I have done a few cars this way now, but have had some odd results too. I hade a base go almost like a black color. Post dip polishing has done very little to fix that. Can you give any idea what that is all about?

[@Tiger351]

It's called phosphating and it's pretty much permanent, if you know about firearms it's basically what they call Parkerising. It's very durable and very hard to remove (that's why they use it on firearms). Sounds like you left it in the acid way too long.

[@dustydave2819]

very interesting, the merc you show at the end has it's A pillars missing from the front of the roof, could you comment or show how you would fix that.

[@1teamski]

Great lesson!!!

[@kessu83]

@baremetalHW Hi, thanks for your videos and sharing. You mentioned about how the paint job will turn out later on both cars, did you finally did it on any video , so I can check? Regards.

[@haloronin]

so now you've shown the difference between the two processes, would it be unfeasible to show how a compounded utilization of the two techniques could be benificial. I've an idea in mind that useing the acid wash to get to the base shine woudl make an easier time with the fine pollish wheel from the other video.

[@PBAJ1972]

wow...simply amazing. I was wondering if you had any tips or ideas of how to get the hot wheels chrome dipped? I do realize it is probably a bit more expensive but was wondering if you knew any kits that might work.

[@baremetalHW]

not any that don't use cyanide... best thing to do is ship them off to a plaiting company and let them do it.. I sent some cars a couple years ago to get copper plated... the company is called Hopwood Globe... they did a great job... but they used chemicals you would not want to be in the same room with... the other option is a deposition process... that process cost many thousands to get into...

[@PBAJ1972]

+baremetalHW Hopwood Globe...ok cool. Do you happen to remember how much they charge for each casting?

[@baremetalHW]

I seem to remember it being rather cheap.. but can't remember the exact price.. I don't want to guess and be wrong.. they are super cool to talk to... ask for Tommy if you call them... he did all mine.. if you do send them they have to be mirror polished... any pits or scratches become blaring issues if chromed..

[@tims-whims]

www.chrometechusa.com/model-cars-and-collectibles.html

[@eddierools]

Very cool, definitely seems to work wonders on those diecast cars. And thank you for the little safety notes in the video, as this method can prove hazardous. Though, I have to ask, do you think you could do a custom of an AMC Rebel? I've never seen anyone customize one of those. .o.

[@baremetalHW]

I will see what I can do... I will put it on the list... I get a lot of requests so you may not see if for a couple months..

[@eddierools]

Oh, that's fine, wouldn't want to rush you at all. I just didn't realize that you've had so many people request stuff from you as it is.

[@luckyshot_007]

Great video, can you give me some tip to get rid of the pitting so i can get a smooth paint job.

[@persistence_of_vision]

I can't wait to try this method myself... I was also going to try something like TARN-X and I wonder have you ever tried that and do you know if it works or not?

[@stevemorris136]

I have a car where wheels are good.can i assume because bearings are delrin and the electropolishing process does not affect bearing same with wheel.

[@artemisiaabsinthium271]

So you add any water to the phosphoric acid or just the straight 75%?

[@spearmintpony7105]

Is it possible to just clamp the positive to a wire of the same metal, and secure it to the jar; that way, you'd just have to tie the body to a string?

[@lessevdoolbretsim]

Is that the same Lindy Fralin that makes awesome guitar pickups?

[@TheKeenej]

I was wondering the same thing. Maybe we will find out?

[@healey100austin]

Two Q's 1.If you left a shell in (say) overnight what would happen? 2.How long will the acid last? Nigel.

[@baremetalHW]

+healey100austin not sure of the first question but for the second I'm still using the same acid from this video

[@aerovette1118]

Two questions: What is the result of acid without electricity and more than that, it would seem the compound you used would do the job alone. No?

[@CrucesNomad1]

Learned a few things.

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

somebody probably said this and this is very late ,but the latex gloves also insulate your hands....

[@areyouavinalaff]

could you use the acid from an old car battery? or vinegar? some household alternative to buying phosporic?

[@mtpleasantmadman7648]

I'm finding food grade,and technical grade phosphoric acid. Which one do you use? Or does it matter?

[@Austeration]

Great informative video ?

[@parkerwier7567]

Can I do this with any plating like copper, zinc, or nickel?

[@Johnwalter1044]

Awesome video! I have a question, could one remove paint from a diecast car, new or old using liquid nitrogen?

[@baremetalHW]

probably not... there is a chance that you could shatter the metal though.

[@mrDarksand]

how about after this electropolish do a thin plating, soft handpolish, plating again, polish again. will it in the end remove deeper scuffs?

[@ForDemoPurposesOnly]

I have a question about the acid - can it be re-used or will it lose strength over time/use?

[@kldzk]

does this technique works for stainless 316? what kind of psu do u need for running a small production? lets say 7000 small cars like these (but stainless)

[@spaghettimeatloaf3926]

what was the phosphoric acid food grade or technical grade that you used

[@baremetalHW]

technical grade

[@spaghettimeatloaf3926]

+baremetalHW thank you sir

[@Jon-jx8wm]

Will this method work with tin toys? I’m trying to restore a tin truck and trailer from the 1940s

[@consty715]

Why does it need to be polished if your going to paint the car?

[@JackScurlock]

Great video. Would this method remove rust and other contaminants from a tool such as a wrench? Have a great day...captjack

[@humacao01]

Did you ever do the follow up video..... any link?

[@BigSkyModelWorkshop]

Could you use a different acid, like Glycolic?

[@aptheoutkastonelove4156]

thank you for the help

[@OktoPutsch]

Hmm, i guess the residue is in fact zinc oxide, deposited during the electrolysis session, as it seems the castings are made of a zamak alloy or something like that

[@OktoPutsch]

Btw, here is a fun part in all of this, in the beginning of car production it was common to passivate steel surface of car body parts with a layer of phosophoric iron after a sink in a phosphoric bath for hours or days, and this is why you can often find very old cars still in pretty good condition despite more than half a century of slacking in nature as an old fogotten trash.

[@shawneverette1393]

Try a light nitric acid bath(5%) for a couple minutes as a desmut.

[@NateWithWho]

does this work with the die cast with paint?