Help setting up electrolysis

#42
I think your main problem is just lack of contact-look at the picture of the piece you are trying to clean up, that thick wire looks to be barely touching in just a couple spots. Same thing with your anodes. I wind bailing wire around the anodes many times and I made sure there are multiple clips making good, redundant contact to everything. The thin and pliable bailing wire is easy to wrap snug right up all around the rebar for maximum contact. Check them out with a multi-meter, to check for good continuity and consistent charger output.

Also, again note that a battery in the circuit really helps the system out. If you don't have any battery laying around or know of anyone with one, maybe get a "refurbished" one cheap from some recycling place or something? You don't really need a regulated power supply, I have used all sorts of different battery chargers over the years and only had issues with one cheap "smart" Walmart charger.
At what setting should I put the meter, what should it be reading, and what should I make contact with the positive and negative? I appologize I've never used a multimeter before.
 
Last edited:

Oldsalt

Well-Known Member
#45
Just a word: The iron bars will make the mixture turn dirty brown. Live with it and don't take anyone's advice to use stainless steel. The fluid will remain a lot better looking but it generates hexavalent chromium. A bad idea to be around the stuff even in very small quantities. Besides simply being poison its a carcinogen. Graphite blocks are the high zoot stuff to use if you can locate some.

Remember: No pot metal or aluminum. It will 'go away'. Brass will turn red because the copper in the brass stands up better. If you use lye in the solution [lye and detergent...that's the fast acting way] please protect children and pets. In any case, what ever is used i think it should be put outdoors.
 
Top