Advantages of the electrolytic rust removal method:

- Only iron oxide (rust) is removed, leaving the metal untouched (tested by immersing a pure metal part in electrolyte; its weight remains unchanged after 24 hours)

- Low cost

- Environmentally friendly (the used solution can be poured down the drain without any consequences)

- If desired, you can remove everything from the metal—paint, primer, etc.


Required:

- A power source (a car battery charger is suitable)

I use an old 12/24V charger with an ammeter and voltmeter;

- A non-metallic container (a plastic household bucket is suitable)

I use an oblong balcony flower pot with sealed drainage holes in the bottom;

- A detergent (such as laundry detergent)

I use "Mole" from Dalkhimprom :))))).

- A heavy piece of iron (they say stainless steel is best).

I grab a suitable piece of angle iron or a heavy flat piece from a railroad tie – a mounting plate.

Fill the container with water and immerse the part. Connect one wire to the part – it's best to wrap it several times and clamp it with a metal clamp.

The other wire connects to the plate (also with a clamp), which is also immersed in water. DO NOT TOUCH THE PART AND THE PLATE!!! Otherwise – poof! And it's good if the charger has a fuse. :) 5 cm between them is enough. Turn on the charger – the current, naturally, is zero. We start adding KROT, and current appears. Bubbles start to emerge from the parts, as if they were boiling. The point is that one part is cleaned, while the other is contaminated with sludge. Ironically, I can't even remember which is positive and which is negative—I use the "knotted wire to the part" principle. :))) But it's easy to spot after five minutes of boiling—the ballast part turns rusty, but with the right one, you can scrape the rust off with a wooden stick. If you mix it up, don't worry, as it's even recommended to work for about ten minutes with the "incorrect" polarity first—then, with the correct reconnection, the rust comes off faster.


Cleaning a part takes anywhere from a few dozen minutes to several hours, depending on the degree of rust, the current, and the metal composition—the higher the grade of steel, the longer the process.

It's important to remember that the current in the solution tends to follow the shortest path from part to part, so the side of the part facing the ballast is cleaned most effectively. In this regard, a ballast in the form of a steel cylinder surrounding the part would be ideal, but this increases the risk of an accidental short circuit. Therefore, simply remove the part a couple of times, poke around, and rotate it.

After processing, remove the part, rinse it with clean water, and clean it with a wire brush or fiber wheel. No effort required—easier than cleaning an empty porridge pan!

Then dry it with compressed air and apply a primer.