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Repair and Maintenance

ELECTROLYSIS OPTION FOR

STRIPPING PAINT
By Successful Farming StaI
2/12/2016

Listen to article 7 minutes

By: Tharran Gaines

In previous articles on Agriculture.com, you’ve

read about a number of methods for removing
paint and rust, including media blasting and
soda blasting. What if all you had to do to
remove paint was drop the part in a container
of water?

Electrolysis isn’t quite that simple, but it has

been the answer some restorers have been
looking for to clean small to medium-size
parts.

“From my experience, electrolysis is by far the

best way I have found to clean all sorts of iron
and steel parts,” says Kevin LaRue, a Ford
tractor enthusiast from Mineral, Virginia.

Exchanging ions
In simplest terms, electrolysis is a method of
removing rust (iron oxide) by passing a small
electrical charge from a battery or battery
charger through the rusty metal to stimulate an
exchange of ions while the rusty metal is
submerged in an electrolyte solution.

The part that needs to be cleaned is placed in a

solution of water and washing soda, and then it
is connected to the negative cable from a
battery charger or battery. Meanwhile, the
positive cable is connected to another piece of
iron or steel, known as the sacrificial electrode,
which is placed into the tank.

“The setup is really very simple,” LaRue says.

“First, fill your container with water. Then stir
in about 1/3 cup of washing soda for each 5
gallons of water. Place sacrificial steel
electrodes around the edge of the container,
and tie them together with wire.”

LaRue uses wire fencing as sacrificial steel. In

addition to providing a massive amount of
surface area that surrounds the part 360°, the
material is self-supporting around a tank’s
perimeter.

“Hang the parts to be cleaned from a steel or

copper wire positioned in the middle of the
container. Be sure the part to be cleaned is
immersed in the water and does not touch the
sacrificial metal at any point. It’s also important
that you connect your positive lead to the
sacrificial electrodes and the negative lead to
the part you want to clean.”

Becky Hansen, who collects tractors with her

husband, Jeff, near Lake Wilson, Minnesota,
says she has been using electrolysis to clean
parts for up to two years now. In fact, she has
removed paint from parts as large as the hood
from a Case 400 High-Crop.

“I’ve found that it can even loosen parts that are

rusted solid,” she says. “I had a steering box
from a Case tractor that was frozen solid. I put
it in the solution for several hours. When I took
it out, everything on it moved. It may take a
while, but it works.”

How does it work?

LaRue says, based on his observations and
expert studies, electrolysis works by converting
rust to iron oxide (a black powder).

“The gas bubbles forming on the good steel help

loosen and push off the paint and rust.
However, some of the rust also appears to get
‘plated’ onto the sacrificial metal,” he says.

Electrolysis tips
The following are some basics provided by
LaRue, Hansen, and others who have had good
success stripping parts with electrolysis.

The electrolyte is the washing soda and water

solution in the tank. You only need about 1/3
cup washing soda for each 5 gallons of water or
1 rounded tablespoon of soda per gallon.

This is not a case of more is better. Too much

soda can increase conductivity to the point it
burns out the charger. Also, most all electrolysis
advocates recommend Arm & Hammer
Washing Soda, which is usually sold as a
laundry booster. This product is, however, not
the same as baking soda.

“If you can’t find the Arm & Hammer brand

product, look in swimming pool supply stores
for a pH booster, such as ph-UP,” LaRue says,
noting that the latter may be more concentrated
and require less material.

On the other hand, Hansen says she has had the

best results with a mixture of regular baking
soda and powdered Tide detergent. When
filling a 55-gallon plastic barrel, she simply
dumps in one full box of baking soda and one
scoop of Tide (using the scoop that comes in the
box).

Regarding the solutions tank, you never want to

use a metal container since electrolysis depends
on a current moving from the part to be cleaned
to the sacrificial metal. Most any plastic
container will work well including plastic
buckets, storage tubs, and 55-gallon barrels.
Hansen says she uses a 100-gallon Rubbermaid
stock tank for large sheet parts like hoods and
fenders.

Electrical charge
While many restorers have had good luck
connecting a battery charger directly to the
metal pieces, others recommend placing a
battery in the circuit.

LaRue says he uses the 2-amp setting on his

2/10-amp charger to keep the battery charged.
“Using the 10-amp setting just wastes energy
and makes more heat,” he says. “Higher current
settings may remove paint slightly better, but
once the paint is loose, taking the part out and
brushing off the loose stuff works better and
saves more time than using higher current
settings.”

Hansen connects the charger directly to the

components. However, both restorers agree
that some automatic chargers do not filter the
AC power as well as they should. Any AC power
that gets through the charger into your
electrolysis tank slows down or can even stop
the process. If your system does not seem to
work well, try putting a 12-volt car battery in
the circuit.

No matter how you set it up, though, make sure

the negative clamp is connected to the part to
be cleaned and the positive charge is connected
to the sacrificial steel. Reverse this order, and
your vintage part will become the sacrificial
metal.

It is permissible for the negative clamp to be

submerged in the solution, but if the positive
clamp touches the liquid, it also becomes a
sacrificial metal, corroding the clamp.

While some people, like LaRue, have found it

beneficial to use fencing or rods that are wired
together around the sides of the container as
the sacrificial steel, other restorers use a single
piece of sacrificial steel in the solution.

Hansen, for example, uses one large piece of

metal, which is clamped to the side of the
solution tank so it doesn’t fall over and hit the
part being cleaned.

Safety tips
This electrolysis process does generate
hydrogen and oxygen gas. These gasses are very
flammable, particularly if they’re allowed to
accumulate.

So do not smoke or use an open flame around

the tank or in an enclosed shop where the
stripping is taking place. It’s also important you
disconnect the cables at the battery or unplug
the charger before removing any parts, to avoid
producing sparks.

Always wear goggles and rubber gloves. “Some

people add lye or other ingredients,” LaRue
says. “I don’t believe the health risk is worth
any benefit these products may have. You might
as well just use chemical paint strippers and
rust removers.”

Final cleanup
It generally takes several hours or even
overnight to clean a part. Once it’s pulled out of
the solution, final cleaning is often as simple as
using a wire brush or scrubbing pad to remove
any remaining residue. Hansen says she uses an
air hose to peel off all the loose paint. Some
parts, including sheet metal, may also require
light sanding. “After cleaning, the part will have
pits and valleys where the rust used to be,”
LaRue notes. “Electrolysis will not fill those
voids with new steel.”

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