Electrolysis q?

[Pancholoco1911]

It’s ok to do electrolysis in a brass/steel fount? I’ve done in the past with all steel but don’t know if brass will react differently and don’t want to be the Guinea pig

Thanks all

[sleebus]

That right there is a perfect candidate for easy-off oven cleaner. You'll be done in 15 mins.

The vent on this lantern was as bad as the fount. No polishing at all, just spray, bag, wait 15 mins, rinse with soft brush.

[Pancholoco1911]

That right there is a perfect candidate for easy-off oven cleaner. You'll be done in 15 mins.

The vent on this lantern was as bad as the fount. No polishing at all, just spray, bag, wait 15 mins, rinse with soft brush.

I’ve allrwdy cleaned with easy-off from Mexico
And came out pretty nice. Inside the fount has some surface rust that I want to take care off and that why I’m asking about electrolysis because any other chemical it’s too expensive.






This it’s how it came from seller. Wasn’t expensive though so why not give it a try

[sleebus]

Electrolysis won't work too well inside the fount as there isn't a direct line of sight to the electrode. That fount will function sort of like a faraday cage. It'll work on the outside, but pretty much nothing on the inside unless you get an electrode in there, and insulate it from touching the rest of the fount. The small size of the electrode will make it a very slow process.

I can't say if it's going to affect the brass or not; haven't done that. I've got a bath set up, may have to try dropping something in there and see what happens.

If it's just the steel bottom, you don't need much to make it work. Maybe the molasses trick? Or diet coke? Citric acid? Lye will work here too.

[Gunhippie]

Hola, Pancho.

I used electrolysis on this brass/steel Akron 134G fount:





I used lye for the electrolyte and started with a very hot solution. It was in there for a few hours.

After:





So, no, the electrolysis--even the brutal way I do it--won't damage brass or solid nickel plating. It may cause compromised plating to flake off. but so will most cleaning regimes. This fount was "flash chromed", which basically takes a hard sneeze to knock loose.

[Gunhippie]

Electrolysis won't work too well inside the fount as there isn't a direct line of sight to the electrode. That fount will function sort of like a faraday cage. It'll work on the outside, but pretty much nothing on the inside unless you get an electrode in there, and insulate it from touching the rest of the fount. The small size of the electrode will make it a very slow process.

I can't say if it's going to affect the brass or not; haven't done that. I've got a bath set up, may have to try dropping something in there and see what happens.

If it's just the steel bottom, you don't need much to make it work. Maybe the molasses trick? Or diet coke? Citric acid? Lye will work here too.

I use a nail or other thin steel rod, wrapped in electrician's tape or a piece of plastic tubing to insulate it where it goes in the fuel bung, with the end inside the fount bare. Leave the valve out so there's somewhere for the evolved gas to go!

Works just fine, thanks.

[Pancholoco1911]

I’ve done before and here it’s the outcome. A Christmas lantern that was pretty rough






Thanks Timm and that's was I wanted to hear. So I’m safe doing in a brass fount. Thanks again bud

[Cottage_hill_bill]

Yes electrolysis works in a fount. As Timm said, an anode in the fuel fill port and one in the valve bug. However, with brass you want to pay attention and not let it run too long. That Akron tank is pink because some of the zinc has leached out of the brass, not a good thing. I'm also working on an Akron 134 and agree the chrome on Akrons falls off in a stiff breeze. Depending on how bad the rust is I usually opt for mechanical or chemical rust removal for the base plate on a mixed fount. Coat with a sealer if you can't get it all out.

[FishNChips]

I had the same worries but have not had any issue. I use a steel rod wrapped in electrical tape or plastic window screen as an anode. I should get a thin piece of pvc and drill holes in it to make it easier to clean or change out anodes.

[Rfieldbuilds]

The homebrew stores sell rubber corks with holes that could hold your electrode.

[Gunhippie]

Yes electrolysis works in a fount. As Timm said, an anode in the fuel fill port and one in the valve bug. However, with brass you want to pay attention and not let it run too long. That Akron tank is pink because some of the zinc has leached out of the brass, not a good thing. I'm also working on an Akron 134 and agree the chrome on Akrons falls off in a stiff breeze. Depending on how bad the rust is I usually opt for mechanical or chemical rust removal for the base plate on a mixed fount. Coat with a sealer if you can't get it all out.

The pink color of the brass is from a phosphoric acid bath I followed the electrolysis with. Zinc doesn't "leach" in lye nor is it eroded by electrolysis.

[Pancholoco1911]

Thanks fellas.

[Cottage_hill_bill]

Timm, Makes sense, I thought there might have been something else in the electrolyte. Why a full bath in phosphoric rather than just brush it on the baseplate?

[Gunhippie]

Timm, Makes sense, I thought there might have been something else in the electrolyte. Why a full bath in phosphoric rather than just brush it on the baseplate?

Even after electrolysis, the brass parts of the fount were crusted with some sort of mineral/rust material. The phos removed that nicely in less than a minute--the same time it took to "pink" the brass.

Lye and electrolysis are excellent at removing organic compounds and rust. Acids are better at mineral--especially hard-water lime scale--removal.