Electrolysis (rust Vs Gunk) (large Vs Small) ?

N

Nick_N

Member
Just wondering, which is easier / quicker to remove, via electrolysis, rust or gunk ? Does anyone have a handle on that ?

Also, with very small pieces in the e-tank, is there a difference in the amps from the charger. Today, I put in something that was quite small, compared to a skillet, and when I started the charger, it was barely reading 1 amp. After giving up, thinking something had gone amuck, with my set-up, I tried a larger piece. Immediately I got a 6-7 amp reading (?).

Again, still new and learning about this electrolysis - fascinating though !
 
The distance a piece is from the positive electrode as well as the size of the piece does have an impact on the amperage. I can move my piece around the tank and the amperage will change 2 or 3 amps. Connection is a puece of the puzzel as well though.
 
Doug D. said:
Low amp draw is more an indication of poor electrical connection.
Click to expand...

That (poor connection) was most likely the problem. Proximity to the positive, should not have been an issue, as I was within <1".

Originally, I was clamped onto a small, light-weight item, which was completely covered with rust. Yield = <1amp (with hardly any bubble action)

Changed over to a heavy item, plus I filed a bit of the rust away, in an inconspicuous spot, which just happened to be where my connection was to be. Yield = >7amps (with bubbles galore)

and NO, it was not a piece of CI cookware......

But back to cookware, do you do any kind of grinding, sanding, or brushing, on your CI cookware pieces, to ensure a good connection. Seems like you might need to, in some incidences, however, you would surely not want to do anything that would deface the piece. How do you handle that ?
 
I use solid strand black annealed steel wire to hang my pieces being cleaned in the e-tank. Usually I'll twist a few strands together and wrap several turns through the eye in the skillet handle (or through and around the hole where the bail attaches on a DO). Then twist the wire to make it tight. Normally I'll get good electro action on account of the surface area of the wire making contact with the pan but I always check on it after a half hour or so in case I can make adjustments and boost the current a little more.

The nice thing about the steel wire is that it's cheap, very flexible yet strong and if I'm not too rough with it, reuseable. It's the same stuff people use to hang heavy picture frames with.

I mention this because it used to often be the "bad connection" in my setup. That and dirty contacts on the battery charger's alligator clips.
 
I use a piece of 14 gauge copper wire to hang mine. Can't beat the conductivity of copper unless you go to silver.
 
I have a dedicated, 3' negative lead, which has a clip on one end, for the skillet, and a connect point on the other end, for the (-) battery charger lead. I also have a steel "S-hook" suspended just at the water level (half in & half out). This is where I hang skillets (and other heavy items), and also where I attach that "dedicated 3' negative lead", to the S-hook just above the waterline, with the skillet, etc, hanging just below the waterline. My (-) connection really depends on the weight of that skillet, hanging in the "S-hook", just underwater, and the clip-on from the battery charger, connecting to that "S-hook", just above the water. Works great ! Should the piece I'm cleaning be very small and/or light, I can connect my 3' negative lead, directly to that piece (bypassing the S-hook. It just makes for easy "in" and easy "out", quick connect, and all that...
 
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