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TomYaz 
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 Topic: electrolysis issue
Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 8:16am |
so I am using a 12v battery charger. My sacrificial anodes are two, each approx 24" long, 1" wide and 1/8 thick strip of steel. About half each is submerged. The part to clean is a picee of angle iron approx 2x2x60", Half of it is subermerged. Im drawing too many amps. Battery charger cuts out.... So I am using one anode and not getting the complete coverage I want.. Is there a battery charger that limits the amount of amps it will put out? In other words set it to 10 amps and no more than 10 amps will be used no matter the number of anodes...
Side note. I am using lye...notice that the rust settles on the botton and does not float to the top... I can see the part well thru the whole process.
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Robert Mull Georgia
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 8:33am |
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Use a weaker solution( Watered down). I used AC/DC buzz box welder set on DC 40 amps the last time I did it. Doesn't take but about 4 hours. Solution does get warm!
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TomYaz
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 8:45am |
That may be the issue; I did put a lot of lye. will water it down. Thanks!
I just remembered I have one of those Lincoln welders too...but no 220v outlet...
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orangereborn
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 9:41am |
Robert....You have a suggested solution ratio? Tom...What lye ratio did you use? Thanks....Dale
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Robert Mull Georgia
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 9:45am |
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The solution I used was the washing soda stuff. You have to use enough to make the water conductive.
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Jeff Z. NY
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 9:47am |
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Tom, When I first read the title to your post I though you might be having a problem removing leg hair. LOL
http://www.hairlasers.com/electrolysis.php
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TomYaz
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 9:49am |
[QUOTE=Jeff Z. NY]Tom, When I first read the title to your post I though you might be having a problem removing leg hair. LOL http://www.hairlasers.com/electrolysis.php[/QUOTE]
Well your in good company with the female co-workers I talked to about this....(funny how their eyes just glaze over)
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TomYaz
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 9:50am |
 orangereborn wrote:
Robert....You have a suggested solution ratio? Tom...What lye ratio did you use? Thanks....Dale |
three bottles in 50 gallon...how much in each bottle....ummmmmmm?
Lot of sizzling and crackling going on!LOL!
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R Aiken
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 10:07am |
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TomYaz
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 10:30am |
[QUOTE=R Aiken]Tom , try this one,
[/QUOTE]
Not much there I didnt already know other than the soda to water ratio. My process DOES work, just having a high amp draw.
I disagree about the bubbling reaction will stop when rust is gone. I have had a small part in for 24 hours and still bubbling even though its all black.
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CJohnS MI
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 11:39am |
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Lye is caustic on its own.
The electrolysis process works best when washing soda is the electrolyte.
The greater the distance from electrode to workpiece, the greater the resistance, which will drop the amperage draw.
When a part has given up all the crud, rust, paint, grease, etc, the bubbling drops off dramatically.
Lye & electrolysis DOES NOT MIX.
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TomYaz
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 11:46am |
CJohnS MI wrote:
Lye is caustic on its own.
The electrolysis process works best when washing soda is the electrolyte.
The greater the distance from electrode to workpiece, the greater the resistance, which will drop the amperage draw.
When a part has given up all the crud, rust, paint, grease, etc, the bubbling drops off dramatically.
Lye & electrolysis DOES NOT MIX.
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Mixed well for me...getting nicely cleaned up parts; paint falls off,rust turns blak.....so not sure what your getting at
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Rawleigh
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 12:02pm |
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Tom: Try putting a battery in line between the charger and the tank
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TomYaz
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 12:07pm |
Rawleigh wrote:
Tom: Try putting a battery in line between the charger and the tank |
If it comes to that I will try it. Thanks. I suspect my solution is just too strong...
Think I will go to washing soda anyway because I am getting a bit tired of the extra precaution required... But I wonder why the crud settles instead of floats...is it the lye?
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CJohnS MI
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Posted: 28 Sep 2010 at 12:15pm |
TomYaz wrote:
Rawleigh wrote:
Tom: Try putting a battery in line between the charger and the tank |
If it comes to that I will try it. Thanks. I suspect my solution is just too strong...
Think I will go to washing soda anyway because I am getting a bit tired of the extra precaution required... But I wonder why the crud settles instead of floats...is it the lye?
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Have never used lye. Typically, there's a floating crud layer, but all the big stuff ends up at the bottom. Some folks use a brick, or suspend the part so it doesn't touch the crap at the bottom. 100%, absolutely pure water is non-conductive. It's the other things that get into that change its resistance.
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MBolton
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Posted: 29 Sep 2010 at 7:13pm |
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Washing soda is soda ash is sodium carbonate is lye.
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TomYaz
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Posted: 29 Sep 2010 at 7:21pm |
MBolton wrote:
Washing soda is soda ash is sodium carbonate is lye. |
lye is sodium hydroxide, not sodium carbonate.
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DREAM
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Posted: 29 Sep 2010 at 7:52pm |
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Tom, if your welder is an AC machine, I don't think you can use it for that, and it could be very dangerous. DC is safer for this. Be careful.
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TomYaz
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Posted: 30 Sep 2010 at 4:34am |
DREAM wrote:
Tom, if your welder is an AC machine, I don't think you can use it for that, and it could be very dangerous. DC is safer for this. Be careful. |
Thanks Dream. Dont think I will be doing a welder anytime soon. I was able to get my amps under control, I think diluting the solution helped.
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LouSWPA
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Posted: 30 Sep 2010 at 6:46am |
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Just an FYI, AC will not work at all, the current must be one direction to accomplish anything
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I am still confident of this;
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Ps 27
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jjrosty
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Posted: 01 Oct 2010 at 1:02pm |
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I would check to make sure you didn't have a short.
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