No More Lye Tank for Me!

R

Roland B.

Member
That's it - I'm done with my lye tank. It's a personal decision, not a derision of the process or those that choose to use it. It has been very effective at ridding my products of organic material (which hadn't yet carbonized). But I've grown increasingly concerned with the 10-gallon hazard I've spawned outside. I'm often reminding my wife of almost 40yrs and youngest son still living with us, to be careful when they get near it. I've got grand children who frequently visit, and I live in a family neighborhood. So whenever I break out my hazmat kit (goggles, gloves, long sleeves and long trousers (in 90F+ weather) and breathing apparatus, I think to myself "Roland, WTH are you doing?!?

:coffee: This morning found me reviewing MSDS sheets on sodium hydroxide, which bored me nearly to death:shootself:, and reviewing blog-posts which contradicted each other. In general, there's not much out there written in concrete save for the hazardous MSDS sheets, so I wrote to ZEP Commercial and told them what I had done with one pound of their Crystal Heat in 10gals of water, and asked how to get rid of it. I think I'll go the more benign route of using canned oven cleaner in plastic bags, and adding an electrolysis tank:icon_thumbsup:. If you've experience with the cleaner in the plastic bag or other alternatives to lye baths, please chime in - thank you!:mrgreen:
 
Disposal requires nothing more complicated than pouring it down the drain, assuming you're not on a septic system. The stuff is caustic, but not to the degree of the undiluted chemical described in the MSDS. Once diluted to the solution recommended for CI cleaning, it is a skin irritant and a danger to the eyes. Treated with a modicum of respect and understanding, it may be less hazardous than oven cleaner spray.

See also: http://www.castironcollector.com/lyebath.php
 
Roland sorry your lye tank is not working out for you. I have both a lye tank and an electrolysis tank. You can likely do away with the oven cleaner if you use a solo electrolysis set up.

I have been using lye solutions for many years and have never had any issue with disposal. I also do not use aggressive personal protective equipment, just gloves and my usual eyeglasses. At the concentration I use it is a skin irritant. I have a 30 gallon lye tank, when I want to clean it I dilute and down the drain it goes.

Best of luck to you.
 
:oops:Dear reader, Please do not misunderstand me - I am NOT denigrating lye's use nor user's. I am merely in search of a safer alternative. I can hardly wait for a response from ZEP.
Thank you for your responses, Doug and Osborne. That's the undisputed truth, Doug. I've read that thread. But reducing the danger of a chance accident or a leak, buys me peace of mind. Using a plastic bag would not inconvenience me because I'm not buying CI by the truckload. The advantages are all there - less exposure, more control, portability and no chance of a leak, yet same results.:-) M Osborne, what you said really peaked my interest - you said that if I use an electrolysis setup, I can do away with the oven cleaner - the oven cleaner is basically the same as lye, so why won't you dispel with your 30gal tank? What is your ratio, acid to water? If I can do without oven cleaner, I'm going shopping later this afternoon for some steel - will galvanized work? I priced a 24oz oven cleaner at $6 for 24oz. 5-6sqft of galvanized steel will run me about $4 bucks. I like those less-than-$10 prices:razz:
 
Roland, I have probably cleaned somewhere around 700-1000 pieces of cast iron in the past 4 years using nothing but an electrolysis tank. I realize that a lye tank reduces the amount of "crud" that ends up in my e-tank, but I've found that my e-tank works as well on piece number 40 as it does on the first. I use 2 graphite plates that eventually do wear away and need replaced, and when I do decide to change the water, there is a good amount of sludge in the bottom of the tank that I double bag and dispose of in the trash. My personal preference is to just deal with one cleaning method, and I'm happy with how it works for me. Good luck with whatever method you choose.
 
In my line of work I've had to work with harsher chemicals that require stricter protective equipment than a lye tank. While it's advisable to wear long sleeves, pants, gloves, and eye protection I feel using a respirator is overboard. In general a lye tank is pretty benign compared to other household chemicals.

Personally I would rather deal with a diluted liquid lye than an aerosol version from the can. The containers you use for for a lye tank and where they are placed also play a role in the equation. My setup is in the basement (has a sink and only used for storage and cast iron work) and I'm lucky enough to have a good supply of free buckets with screw on ratcheting safety lids to use.

Past experience has shown that you do need a healthy respect when dealing with potentially harmful substances, but if you are not comfortable with handling or fear them is when accidents are more apt to happen. Bottom line is if you're not comfortable, don't use it. Electoloysis will work very well in its place.
 
Roland,

Jody's post is spot on you can use an electrolysis setup and never have to use lye again. Many of us choose to use both lye tanks and electrolysis to speed the process up and give us more choice about the pieces we run through electrolysis.

Using lye as a first step often reveals hidden cracks (always a bad moment) but then its not in my electrolysis tank taking up time and space.

There are many ways to effectively restore CI, I am sure you will find a process that works well for you.
 
JScharl - "The containers you use for for a lye tank and where they are placed also play a role in the equation."

J, my breathing apparatus consists of a modified paint project respirator mask with compressed air tank attached. It has a 15 minute capacity and mounts on my back...:icon_rofl: In actuality, my "apparatus" consists of a surgical N95 mask!:razz:

You are spot on, J! I don't have a basement (not many homes in California do), so I placed the tank outside on the deck, same side where I keep my recycling/trash containers. As I'm but a plebe to CI restoration, the container I used is 22" long, 16" wide and 11" tall - small, but can handle nearly everything, including my 14.5" skillet. However, because it sits low, I've had to stoop and/or drop low to place or remove iron. I got low and close without the mask once, and could feel it irritating my sinuses, even for some time after:oops:. All it took was lifting the lid, which is something any curious mind might be tempted to do.

I truly appreciate all the knowledgeable and positive input, especially Jody. Thank you! I've got an old Sears 2 - 10 battery charger that I've restored, and all I need to do is find an appropriate container for the e-tank and a convenient spot for it.:icon_scratchchin:
 
Roland, the battery charger needs to be a manual one. Automatic ones will sense the solution as a charged system and shut off. Also, the tank should be kept outside since hydrogen gas is a byproduct of the electrolysis process.
Good luck.
 
Roland, I'm in an apartment without a patio, so I had to go with a lye bath. Unsure if the tub would break/spring a leak, I placed the tub inside a bigger container. You could do something similar with your system if you wanted to protect others from being extremely nosey. Putting locks on your tub might also be an idea. It's just to keep small children out. I am referring to the outer container and not the lye bath.

If possible, I would definitely use both lye and e-tank. Much faster and easier. I hate having to use vinegar for rust removal.
 
Roland B. said:
If I can do without oven cleaner, I'm going shopping later this afternoon for some steel - will galvanized work? I priced a 24oz oven cleaner at $6 for 24oz. 5-6sqft of galvanized steel will run me about $4 bucks. I like those less-than-$10 prices:razz:
Click to expand...

Hi Roland,

I noticed a very important question that you asked did not get answered, so here is the short answer: NO!! Galvanized steel is toxic, do not use it in an e-tank.
 
Hi Eldon! Thank you very much for your response!:smile: I went to the 99cent store today and picked up four steel cookie sheets. They're 13.2" x 9.2 inches, solid, and coated with a cheap non-stick spray that will be easily removed in minutes with my sander.:whip2:
 
----------UPDATE!----------
Where to begin - Thank you all for your help and advice. I completed and used my electrolysis tank outside, and I think the results will please you!:-D I experimented using my Sears "automatic" battery charger, and it worked very well. While using it, I discovered that temperature will affect performance - cold mornings 40's to 50'sF caused it to look like low or no current was running, but when temps rose, so did performance. I used a combination of these tools to varying degrees according to needs. I found the dental tool invaluable in removing stubborn carbonized material. I used one hand to gently push the flat blunt edge almost parallel against the material, and the other hand to steady my first in order to avoid scratching. I used the awl for minute detail work and the Dremel polishing pad to get between the studs on the Wagner waffle iron.

I have this website and it's members to thank for the information leading to the skills I'm developing and knowledge I'm acquiring - it's great fun! THANK YOU! Thank you Doug!:bow: Now, here are the photos: Wagner 8 (1922) before and after - https://imgur.com/a/kBif9 WAPAK 9 before and after - https://imgur.com/a/3gPRk The Tools - https://imgur.com/a/doniY

Geez, almost forgot to show you the tank, hehe! https://imgur.com/a/pDiwZ
 
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