Sodium Bicarbonate also works. It’s a little more gentle but still provides the necessary path for the electrolysis to work. Borax also works. I’ve used both.
Something a neighbor recommended to me was to use a pant mixer on a variable speed drill to mix the sodium carbonate, it worked. I usually let em wait in the lye tank before going into electrolysis tank. If you'll be careful you can mix the Lye the same way. It cuts down on the time in the e-tank. I've agreed to clean cast iron for an auction house so turnaround time matters to me. I guess I've joined the Black Pans Matter movement !?
This is awesome and it works so well. I wish I had the drive to build one of the tanks. I found some some iron pans from the early 1900's recently. They need a ton of work.
Great video, and I like the idea of building the anode as a cage. The anode is the positive terminal and is the sacrificial metal in this system. The item connected to the negative terminal is the cathode. 👍
Great video, never heard of this before and I’m an electrician lol. My BBQ hotplate and grill are both in bad shape. They are fairly large 45cm square each. I’ve tried scrubbing them with wire brush and all sorts of rust remover and chemicals. I even dipped them in Hypochlorite acid for 2 days. This removed a lot of rust and I washed them clean and they seemed in good shape. I thought job done ✅ But next day they were totally rusted again. Maybe they were actually clean but it’s the ‘flash rust’ I’m getting as I didn’t finish the process. I will wash them again and if there’s no rush I will oil and bake them straight away rather than leaving them for a day. By the time I get them repaired it’ll be winter. 🤦♂️
I use a lawnmower battery attached to a trickle charger. Works great. Chick at lawnmower repair shop just gave me the battery. Was almost brand new. A little sweet talk goes a long way lol Also...can balled-up aluminum foil be used as a scruber? About to get the cast iron Dutch oven out of solution in 1 hr!
One more question. I suspended the cast iron from a piece of rebar laid across the top of the tank with copper wire and connected the negative charger lead to the wire. Should I have used something other than copper wire. Thanks again.
I do this with old rusty tools. Worth mentioning how this should be done in a very well ventilated place as this process and its bubbles create Hydrogen gas, and with sparks being created disconnecting terminals, you don’t want a Hindenberg Zeppelin incident…
I followed your video instructions and it seems to be working! I even have the same brand of battery charger, except mine isn’t dual voltage. I do have one question, somewhere in the video, you made a comment about oxygen and hydrogen. Is this producing hydrogen gas and if so, if I use this in an enclosed area such as my garage, can I have a potential Hindenburg like moment?
Chris my wife and I are empty nesters which means we have unused bathrooms. I set a 5 gallon lye tank (kitchen garbage can) and my electrolysis tank (18 gallon tote) in one of the unused tubs. To keep the charger cool I set it over the air vent with the central heat & air unit fan turned on. Either because the fan is constantly on or the low power going into the tank there hasn't been a problem and I do use stainless steel anodes. Stainless is far easier to clean than carbon anodes. The battery charger has made sparks several times with no Kaboom or "Oh the humanity". I've used this arrangement for 7ish months and dozens of pieces.
Hey this might be late but if you look up a diagram for a electric cell it gives a really really good demonstration of how it works and how to build it. You can also calculate the charge baised on the metals in order to find how many volts you need to use to drive the oxidation/reduction reaction
@@TeachaMantoFish thank you for the reply - I didn't consider the collectable aspect of course that makes sense. I just have a grinder / wire wheel here, but no Bath for my cheap set. Cheers!
Just watched your Electrolysis video that was done two years ago. I am interested in building me a similar type of unit. I understand the barrel and I have access to one. But, could you provide me with the type of pipes and a dimension of an outline and what needs to to welded? Plus you have some "panels" welded so I assuming to eliminate any areas that could get shadowed. A diagram would be great. I enjoy your videos. Thanking in you advance for your help. If you need me to send an email to your address, I can do that too. Thank you.
No stainless, either! Stainless rods or parts will make the water contain hexavalent chromium! A class A carcinogen! That's nasty stuff! We're talking even the hazmat team doesn't like touching the stuff!
3:47 Can you make sodium carbonate? I thought it was just sodium bicarbonate soaked in water and then oven dried at 200 degrees... (not too hot... hotter is not better) it's worth looking into.
Dichromate is actually a water soluble species, not a gas. But the whole issue of using stainless as anodes seems to be pretty controversial. I have seen videos on channels that use them, and if they're aware of the issue, some say the current and voltage is too low to make dichromate. But lots of people are simply repeating what others are saying - stainless anodes make dichromate. I have not yet been able to find technical data that supports either position. If someone knows of some reliable testing data (not using the home drinking water tests), please share the link.
I have seen power supplies on Amazon that are 30 v, 10A variable DC power supplies for about $50. These days, I've heard manual chargers can be hard to find and probably aren't cheaper than this Amazon units (if you don't have a charger).
I'm about to build an electrolysis tank and opted to use an adjustable DC power supply. They are very easily controlled and maintain a constant current. Ill be expirementing with settings but plan to start at 20V/5A.
It depends on how fast I want it to work. Sometimes I use 6V when not in a rush and want to be easier on the wiring and equipment. Wires and connections can get hot.
I've not seen that make much of a difference, also they say it opens the pores in the metal. I figure once wiped down and heat in the oven it does that. I will say that heating it up does help getting the coating as thin as possible. It makes the oil flow and absorb better.
This works great! But something that works id hazard better and is more importantly even easier is just build a campfire get it pipeing hot and throw your pan in. Cover it up in the coals and let it cook for a while. All the crud seasoning will just fall off and even most of the rust. Then season as normal.
Just a few comments, if you can voiceover the mistake of anode and cathode (you reversed the terms, and Scheumaker still is making very nice manual chargers as well as many other companies. Just need to look harder or buy online. Copper should never be in the water as well as any other toxic heavy metals like galvanized steel.
No stainless, either! Stainless rods or parts will make the water contain hexavalent chromium! A class A carcinogen! That's nasty stuff! We're talking even the hazmat team doesn't like touching the stuff!
Better than the VOCs from the teflon forever xhemical coatings in your bloodstream (i.e. Calphalon) i've retiired the same and pivoted to stainless-steel (e.g. All-Clad) and cast iron (e.g. Wagner Ware, Lodge and Griswold). What do you mean by 'machining' in the manufacturing process of the cadt iron? GREAT video - learned a tonne!
It seems totally unnecessary. I just put mine into my propane barbecue grill with 3 burners on high at about 600 degrees Fahrenheit for 2.5 hours, and then when they are still hot I rinse them in cold water. After a few minutes of scrubbing gently with a scouring pad they are absolutely clean and ready to be re-seasoned.
You are introducing a LOT of stress into your cast iron. All it take is one small imperfection and the shock of that cold water will force that imperfection into a large crack.
I've used this process many times and read many instructions on how to do it. Never have I seen anyone use a metal container. In fact, although many people have different set ups, they have ALL said to use a plastic or non conductive container. .And never use stainless as an anode. I don't see how this works for you but you may be doing something dangerous.
How to PERFECT Reverse Sear: ua-cam.com/video/XZlUPe517LE/v-deo.htmlsi=pF8sRW9WhduDZ-XT
Sodium Bicarbonate also works. It’s a little more gentle but still provides the necessary path for the electrolysis to work. Borax also works. I’ve used both.
Something a neighbor recommended to me was to use a pant mixer on a variable speed drill to mix the sodium carbonate, it worked. I usually let em wait in the lye tank before going into electrolysis tank. If you'll be careful you can mix the Lye the same way. It cuts down on the time in the e-tank. I've agreed to clean cast iron for an auction house so turnaround time matters to me. I guess I've joined the Black Pans Matter movement !?
That would certainly speed things up. I'm in no rush though.
This is awesome and it works so well. I wish I had the drive to build one of the tanks. I found some some iron pans from the early 1900's recently. They need a ton of work.
Great video, and I like the idea of building the anode as a cage. The anode is the positive terminal and is the sacrificial metal in this system. The item connected to the negative terminal is the cathode.
👍
@@ERG842 gotcha
That coffee filter tip was genius. I never thought of that. I was tired of using napkins! Thanks!
Lots of people use the blue / shop paper towels for rougher surfaces.
Great video, never heard of this before and I’m an electrician lol.
My BBQ hotplate and grill are both in bad shape. They are fairly large 45cm square each. I’ve tried scrubbing them with wire brush and all sorts of rust remover and chemicals. I even dipped them in Hypochlorite acid for 2 days. This removed a lot of rust and I washed them clean and they seemed in good shape. I thought job done ✅ But next day they were totally rusted again. Maybe they were actually clean but it’s the ‘flash rust’ I’m getting as I didn’t finish the process. I will wash them again and if there’s no rush I will oil and bake them straight away rather than leaving them for a day. By the time I get them repaired it’ll be winter. 🤦♂️
Interesting, please let us know if you get it figured out.
Maybe heat treat them after removing the rust and before oiling the parts.
Got them sorted.
Went for the electrolysis in the end.
Dried them after. Oiled them and heated them up. Oiled again. Used rapeseed oil.
All good now.
@@talmanyurkovich4486 You should heat treat the pans before oiling them after the electrolysis. It's called blueing.
@@andrewmckinlay2964
I found that just created more flash rust.
Thank you for the lesson. I should set up my tank again. Stay safe and stay cool
I've never even heard of this technique. Thanks for the education.
Nice! It’s a bit of an investment in the build but once that is done you’re all set.
I use a lawnmower battery attached to a trickle charger. Works great.
Chick at lawnmower repair shop just gave me the battery. Was almost brand new. A little sweet talk goes a long way lol
Also...can balled-up aluminum foil be used as a scruber?
About to get the cast iron Dutch oven out of solution in 1 hr!
One more question. I suspended the cast iron from a piece of rebar laid across the top of the tank with copper wire and connected the negative charger lead to the wire. Should I have used something other than copper wire. Thanks again.
The Idiocracy reference had me in stitches! 😂
i love that idiocracy reference!!!
I do this with old rusty tools.
Worth mentioning how this should be done in a very well ventilated place as this process and its bubbles create Hydrogen gas, and with sparks being created disconnecting terminals, you don’t want a Hindenberg Zeppelin incident…
I followed your video instructions and it seems to be working! I even have the same brand of battery charger, except mine isn’t dual voltage. I do have one question, somewhere in the video, you made a comment about oxygen and hydrogen. Is this producing hydrogen gas and if so, if I use this in an enclosed area such as my garage, can I have a potential Hindenburg like moment?
I know I’ve never even come close to that kind of concentration, I would do it in an enclosed space where it could build up.
@@TeachaMantoFish Possible typo here!? You would(?) or wouldn’t(?) do it in an enclosed space?
Wouldn’t 🤣
@@TeachaMantoFish The infamous words of Marvin the Martian, “There was supposed to be an earth shattering kaboom!”
Chris my wife and I are empty nesters which means we have unused bathrooms. I set a 5 gallon lye tank (kitchen garbage can) and my electrolysis tank (18 gallon tote) in one of the unused tubs. To keep the charger cool I set it over the air vent with the central heat & air unit fan turned on. Either because the fan is constantly on or the low power going into the tank there hasn't been a problem and I do use stainless steel anodes. Stainless is far easier to clean than carbon anodes. The battery charger has made sparks several times with no Kaboom or "Oh the humanity". I've used this arrangement for 7ish months and dozens of pieces.
how long do you keep a pan in the electrolysis tank?
2-4 days. There are factors that make it change, like power strength, shadowing, size of material, gunkiness, etc.
Still have no idea how to do this. Good thing I have a brother. You have very pretty blue eyes, Mr. Teach a Man to Fish.
Hey this might be late but if you look up a diagram for a electric cell it gives a really really good demonstration of how it works and how to build it. You can also calculate the charge baised on the metals in order to find how many volts you need to use to drive the oxidation/reduction reaction
@@twoduces195 I have no idea what all that means!
Is this method better than an angle grinder & a good wire wheel? Just seems a lot slower?
@@stevedraper6008 it does require patience. I’m not a fan of altering the sieve, doubly so if it collectable.
@@TeachaMantoFish thank you for the reply - I didn't consider the collectable aspect of course that makes sense. I just have a grinder / wire wheel here, but no Bath for my cheap set.
Cheers!
Just watched your Electrolysis video that was done two years ago. I am interested in building me a similar type of unit. I understand the barrel and I have access to one. But, could you provide me with the type of pipes and a dimension of an outline and what needs to to welded? Plus you have some "panels" welded so I assuming to eliminate any areas that could get shadowed.
A diagram would be great. I enjoy your videos. Thanking in you advance for your help. If you need me to send an email to your address, I can do that too. Thank you.
Awesome tank. No copper in the tank though.
No stainless, either! Stainless rods or parts will make the water contain hexavalent chromium! A class A carcinogen! That's nasty stuff! We're talking even the hazmat team doesn't like touching the stuff!
Awesome! Great job! Thank you very much!
Very glad you got something from the video.
You stated you had the charger set for 12v 2 amp but you have it on 6v setting
@@Intarsian I did speed it up some at the end. It is harder on the charger though.
Holy crap, did you actually put your hand on the gunk while the electeo-lol-ysis was happening?
Sure
How long does it take to eat the rust off. I built a tank and started some very rusty cast iron.
@@davidcaldwell-nz6pb usually about 2-3 days
@
Thank you very much. Do you keep the charger going continuously for that period of time or do you give it a rest. Thank you.
@ I keep it going, but keep an eye out for anything overheating and loose connections.
@ Thank you very much.
3:47 Can you make sodium carbonate? I thought it was just sodium bicarbonate soaked in water and then oven dried at 200 degrees... (not too hot... hotter is not better) it's worth looking into.
Arm and Hammer WASHING soda not baking soda. Comes in a box like detergent, in the detergent aisle of Walmart. Cheap, too.
@@edsmith6504 you can make washing soda (sodium carbonate) from baking soda... (sodium bicarbonate)... that's all I'm saying.
How would you season a big cast iron witch’s pot after cleaning?
I did a video on this awhile ago, I hope this helps.
ua-cam.com/video/QyS85AWnWL4/v-deo.htmlsi=7-gHh8um_E7YjOsQ
Shared of cast scrapers, Shard of cast, when electroplating, john.
How often do you have to change the water in your tank?
There are many factors, when it starts to look too cruddy.
Better check up on using stainless in the tank. You will run into some issues with acid gas as a biproduct
OK
Dichromate is actually a water soluble species, not a gas. But the whole issue of using stainless as anodes seems to be pretty controversial. I have seen videos on channels that use them, and if they're aware of the issue, some say the current and voltage is too low to make dichromate. But lots of people are simply repeating what others are saying - stainless anodes make dichromate. I have not yet been able to find technical data that supports either position. If someone knows of some reliable testing data (not using the home drinking water tests), please share the link.
So how ling did you bake them for and at what temperature?
One hour at 490 degrees
Using a Variable DC power supply can work instead of a battery charger.
Yeah, someday I may pick one up. Expensive to me though. Be a cool set too.
I have seen power supplies on Amazon that are 30 v, 10A variable DC power supplies for about $50. These days, I've heard manual chargers can be hard to find and probably aren't cheaper than this Amazon units (if you don't have a charger).
I'm about to build an electrolysis tank and opted to use an adjustable DC power supply. They are very easily controlled and maintain a constant current.
Ill be expirementing with settings but plan to start at 20V/5A.
was it set to 6v instead of 12 for a reason?
It depends on how fast I want it to work. Sometimes I use 6V when not in a rush and want to be easier on the wiring and equipment. Wires and connections can get hot.
You say the setting is 12V 2A. But it shows 6V 6A on the charger @4:54. Just say'n
Yeah, that was B roll footage. It's 12V 2A
what about the theory to heat the water out before you season?
I've not seen that make much of a difference, also they say it opens the pores in the metal. I figure once wiped down and heat in the oven it does that. I will say that heating it up does help getting the coating as thin as possible. It makes the oil flow and absorb better.
This works great! But something that works id hazard better and is more importantly even easier is just build a campfire get it pipeing hot and throw your pan in. Cover it up in the coals and let it cook for a while. All the crud seasoning will just fall off and even most of the rust. Then season as normal.
I bet a little carbon blade on an air compressor could cut the pipe
people i know when they want to clean their pans they put them in the wood burning stove.
You've got to be careful about warping and getting it too hot by that method. It does work if done correct though.
Actually it is reverse electrolysis
Just a few comments, if you can voiceover the mistake of anode and cathode (you reversed the terms, and Scheumaker still is making very nice manual chargers as well as many other companies. Just need to look harder or buy online.
Copper should never be in the water as well as any other toxic heavy metals like galvanized steel.
I did
No stainless, either! Stainless rods or parts will make the water contain hexavalent chromium! A class A carcinogen! That's nasty stuff! We're talking even the hazmat team doesn't like touching the stuff!
… that barrel cost more than a new pan.
LOL, unless it was all scrap and free. I like to repurpose.
And some old cast iron skillets are worth hundreds of dollars
You just cooked so much rust into that egg
You body needs iron
Not really as much as you think, and to @james1578 point you do need iron. It is actually one of the benefits of using cast iron.
Better than the VOCs from the teflon forever xhemical coatings in your bloodstream (i.e. Calphalon) i've retiired the same and pivoted to stainless-steel (e.g. All-Clad) and cast iron (e.g. Wagner Ware, Lodge and Griswold). What do you mean by 'machining' in the manufacturing process of the cadt iron? GREAT video - learned a tonne!
It seems totally unnecessary. I just put mine into my propane barbecue grill with 3 burners on high at about 600 degrees Fahrenheit for 2.5 hours, and then when they are still hot I rinse them in cold water. After a few minutes of scrubbing gently with a scouring pad they are absolutely clean and ready to be re-seasoned.
That sounds like a good way to crack the iron to me. Cold water on a 600 degree pan????
You are introducing a LOT of stress into your cast iron. All it take is one small imperfection and the shock of that cold water will force that imperfection into a large crack.
Like others have said, there's risk to doing that. If it is a family heirloom or an expensive collector's piece, I don't recommend that.
I've used this process many times and read many instructions on how to do it. Never have I seen anyone use a metal container. In fact, although many people have different set ups, they have ALL said to use a plastic or non conductive container. .And never use stainless as an anode. I don't see how this works for you but you may be doing something dangerous.